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State of Fear
State of Fear
State of Fear
Audiobook18 hours

State of Fear

Written by Michael Crichton

Narrated by George Wilson

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

New York Times bestselling author Michael Crichton delivers another action-packed techo-thriller in State of Fear.

When a group of eco-terrorists engage in a global conspiracy to generate weather-related natural disasters, its up to environmental lawyer Peter Evans and his team to uncover the subterfuge.
 
From Tokyo to Los Angeles, from Antarctica to the Solomon Islands, Michael Crichton mixes cutting edge science and action-packed adventure, leading readers on an edge-of-your-seat ride while offering up a thought-provoking commentary on the issue of global warming. A deftly-crafted novel, in true Crichton style, State of Fear is an exciting, stunning tale that not only entertains and educates, but will make you think.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateDec 7, 2004
ISBN9780060817763
Author

Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was the author of the bestselling novels The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Jurassic Park, Sphere, Disclosure, Prey, State of Fear, Next and Dragon Teeth, among many others. His books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, have been translated into forty languages, and have provided the basis for fifteen feature films. He wrote and directed Westworld, The Great Train Robbery, Runaway, Looker, Coma and created the hit television series ER. Crichton remains the only writer to have a number one book, movie, and TV show in the same year. Daniel H. Wilson is a Cherokee citizen and author of the New York Times bestselling Robopocalypse and its sequel Robogenesis, as well as ten other books. He recently wrote the Earth 2: Society comic book series for DC Comics. Wilson earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as master’s degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. He has published over a dozen scientific papers and holds four patents. Wilson lives in Portland, Oregon.

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Reviews for State of Fear

Rating: 3.4148773701431496 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

1,956 ratings72 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story that kept you listening. The ending contained a bit of an Ayn Rand-ian monologue, but it was interesting and thought provoking. While I am not usually a fan of such direct proselityzing, in this case it seemed a necessary conclusion to the story. I love a story that sticks with you and makes you question your beliefs. This one fits that bill. Bravo!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is really a half/half book. Half of this book is an adventure thriller, and half is a boring lecture (complete with graphs!) about the lack of scientific evidence for global warming. I wish they had been separate! And this is the second book I've read where a murder weapon has been a poisonous octopus! What the? Still, I do agree with the "state of fear" concept, and I am glad I read it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great read. Kept my attention and didn’t want it to end
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If only Mr Crichton was still alive to see how accurate he really was. A outstanding book and almost all of the negative reviews on here are just people that disagree with Mr Crichton and his factual science on the issue. To bad really. I hope nobody else misses out on this book because of the biased bad reviews ??‍♂️
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not a bad book at all, made for excellent airplane reading. One of Crichton's earliest books, A Case of Need, (originally under the pseudonym Jeffery Hudson) was written in a similar style, though the plot was more prevalent and better interweaved there. Nonetheless, I found it a fairly quick and engaging read (even if, at times, I had to suspend disbelief more than a bit), and I'd recommend it if you're at all interested in environmental issues. (For full disclosure, I should also say that I enjoyed the movie "The Day After Tomorrow," whereas most of my friends did not.)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The story is interesting, but the obvious disbelief of Mr. Crichton towards global warming taints the book. The attempt to discredit global warming kind of ruins the flow. Oh well, still an okay read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's good to finally read about the actual way radical activists behave. He dismisses global warming, much like most educated people who don't rely on the government for grants do. A decent story, not his best, but a good listen.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    More of an extended op ed piece than a novel, and I can see why it is the source of considerable controversy. But it all seems particularly relevant in our period of cancel culture and “wokism.” Crighton’s appendix offering parallels between politicized science and eugenics is particularly thought-provoking.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I remember when this book came out. I read it in high school and while I enjoyed it, clearly he had an agenda, and it didn’t change my mind that climate change was real. Re-reading all these years later, I’m surprised I had the patience. Probably one of his most half-baked books, certainly the most agenda-driven. Still, it’s better than Next, which I believe was his follow-up.
    TLDR; if you’re a conservative anti-environmentalist, this is the book for you. If you’re a sensible person looking for a good read, skip this one. Read one of his earlier books.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    So bad and nonsense science, chricton’s rock bottom, an embarrassment

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The idea of the book is fair enough - the creation of a state of fear in citizens, and using climate change as the latest example (following on from the cold war). The doubts about climate change are stated clearly enough, although we are now 10 years on from when he book was published. But the plot? It grew more and more unlikely as the book progressed, and the characters have multiple near-death experiences and serious injuries which they recover from miraculously quickly. And don't mention the poisonous octopus... There may be some substance to Crichton's position, but I thought it was undermined by the story telling.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Michael Chrichton a novelist (and a medical doctor also) whose career spanned several decades. I first ran across his works in a high school Science Fiction Literature course where we (gasp) watched the movie, "Andromeda Strain", which I found fascinating.

    His novels were meticulously researched and staunchly bolstered by his typical afterward. His superb style is not lost in this novel, which discusses the argument of what would happen if environmentalists started causing natural disasters, in order to prove that the earth is in danger.

    A thought-provoking novel that moves along at the break-neck pace of a mystery-thriller. Excellent work, Mr. Chrichton - we miss your voice in the world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
     This is a good story, but the book is not deserving of either the hatred from the political left or the praise from the right. It's a fiction book, not a science book. It's fiction that is built around controversial science (and even more controversial interpretations of the data). Read it; enjoy it; and take everything with a grain of salt.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In this tale of big money, conflicting theories regarding global warming and climate change, eco-terrorists launch a worldwide conspiracy to generate weather-related natural disasters while environmental lawyer Peter Evans and his team set out to stop them. Page-turning suspense, cutting-edge technology, impeccable research combine to make this a thought-provoking, suspense-filled, factual tale as timely as the latest headlines. Readers will find it difficult to set this one aside.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Denies climate change.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The first 4 or 5 chapters are completely autonomous, none having any relation to each other. It seems this is the style of Crichton, but even though I knew eventually they would all meld together with relevance, it was a long time in coming. So long, in fact, that I found myself having to backtrack to remember the who, what and how. Next comes the repetitive and constant barrage of off-putting technical jargon, followed by nonsensical environmental issues that went on and on in complete overkill which I did not feel was at all necessary to the story. Bad guys want to change climate; I get it. I dont need to know what they ate for breakfast. It was as if the author contracted to do a certain number of pages and used extensive filler to attain that quota. Massive let down after so many truly great books by this author
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This is not a novel. It's Mike Crichton telling you anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is a fraud. I don't care for his views on political issues; I have my own views. And, of course, I'm right and anybody who disagrees with me must be wrong. In fact, those who agree with me are wrong too. Well, never mind that. If you hate being told what you should think, don't read this book. Crichton has loads of good novels for you to read. If you believe in AGW, you will hate this book. If you don't believe in AGW you have your own reasons and this book will bore you to death. Oh, yeah. The plot is obvious from the first or second chapter and all the characters are one dimensional and colorless. Try "Micro". It's a great science fiction thriller.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book got me started on Torrey House. I figured two could play this game.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love the fact that Crichton challenges the reader to judge the science based on SCIENCE not media publicity!! Plus an exciting suspense/thriller...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Average Michael Crichton ass kicker.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book is terrible. It's righty anti-environment propaganda, for one thing, and Crichton should have known better; but for another thing, it's really badly written.

    I like Crichton usually, but this is a very bad book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book had made me reconsider my beliefs on climate change, but frankly, the story just wasn't that good.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    That was quite surprising. This is not a novel - this is a novel-length opinion column pretending to be a novel. It is very well written for what it is - it's very difficult to write hundreds of pages of opinion column good enough for me to read to the end - and this book does it. But still, it's not a novel. The plot is a silly excuse for the author to share his opinion of global warming, and I think your time will be better spent getting that information from a more objective source.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book wavers uneasily on the very edge of satire but the author never quite manages to take the plunge. His characters are ridiculous, but are apparently intended seriously. Other authors, e.g., Neal Stephenson, James Morrow, Bill Fitzhugh would have done a better job with the idea if they had thought it worth taking up.A trivial and sloppily plotted book with a few entertaining set pieces.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel will probably have readers split. While the book, in my opinion, is a fun thriller that just happens to make you think about more important issues, I can see how others pay deem it as a preachy example of Crichton's opinions on global climate change. I think it is important to remember that this is a work of fiction. Crichton's views are, no doubt, controversial, but he has crafted another wildly entertaining book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An great book, filled with science and interesting debate. I wouldn't say Crichton swayed one way or another, but I am interested in learning more about all aspects of climate change. The book went quickly, but I was frustrated with continual preaching, and even though he defends himself at the end and says that's not what his intention was, it still felt that way. It was good to get back to a Crichton book and now I remember why he was my favorite author for years.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An absolute fantastic book.... As Mic Crichton is one of the best science fiction writer of all time, this one is no surprise.... For a moment I was convinced Global warming isn't happening, LOL!!! But then I have decided to read more on this subject.The book is nicely paced with interesting arguments, though kind of predictable at the end, nevertheless a very nice book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a novel with climate change as the main subject. Part way through I had a peek at the appendix at the back which gave the author's own view on the matter. It wouldn't have had to read much further to work out what he thought as it was clear which side the good guys were on. I found the author's obvious opinion tended to overshadow the story, though it's a well written story. I've enjoyed his other books more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not really a fan of Michael Crichton, I started this fictionnon-fiction book with a "let's see" attitude and quickly got caught up in the suspense as well as the premise. Here is a book that will really make you think!Yes, we have all heard of global warming and the fear-mongering the media has been feeding us for years but, put together with believable characters and fast pace, the reader is left with a mouth-open OMG!Mr, Crichton delivers this time with a bang and to further knowledge on the subject of global warming and the insidious spell of fear, he has developed a bibliography that will really make you think.A must for everyone in these uncertain times!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is Crichton at his best. He has eliminated the problems he had early on about character flatness and his plot unfolds rather than forecasts. We care about these people and when one of them dies we do not want him to die. Well, don't worry. HE/SHE MAY NOT BE DEAD. To have an author use the non-fiction novel format and to have him footnote his facts is simplhy wonderful. it guarantees the reader learns something, even if he doesn't follow up the footnotes (he should, thoughl: consider it part of the novel). What we learn in STATE OF FEAR IS: the global warming theory is just that, a theory, and there are as many facts sshowing we ae heading for an ice age as a heat spell and, (2) th environmental concerns aint eartth day headquarters aqt campus center anymore. they arre giant, multi=bilkion dollar corporations with their own special interests in washington, and now may operate as corruptly as enron or big banks do..