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joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
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 Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 8:31 am Post subject: Mike Crichton's "State of Fear" |
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I'm now reading "State of Fear", the latest novel by Michael Crichton, and I've got to say it's the first thing of his I've honestly loved since "Jurassic Park". That man has been a *beep* for the money lately, producing embarrassing Jurassic Park sequels and the ridiculous "Prey", but this one vindicates him. Has anybody else read it? If not, you'll find it at the book exchange tomorrow. (See the general forum.)
I'm mentioning it here because it's a scathing attack on the environmental movement in the US. It brings up a lot of real science including the evidence against global warming. I Googled it and found a lot of heated discussion of the book, for and against. I'm not decided about global warming and will be looking into it more; but having worked with some environmental fundraisers I've gotten a glimpse of the "dark side" of environmentalism. It's truly a multi-billion-dollar industry that exists to serve it self and, as a "non-profit" business, is rarely audited or exposed to scrutiny in the light of day.
An anti-Crichton book review from Slate. Sometimes a good hysterical "anti-" article makes the "pro" position even stronger.
A "pro" article on Amy Ridenour's blog, with links to a couple of other reviews worth reading. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Michael Crichton is complete crap. And yes I have first hand experience. I've read over a dozen of his books, and with each one I was hoping that 'this' would be the one where I wouldn't feel let down, where I wouldn't feel like he got bored of writing half way through the novel and just decided to finish it for the sake of contractual obligations. Yes the guy has come across some interesting ideas, but he sucks as a writer.
Airframe and Eaters of the Dead are the only two books of his which have not totally disappointed me.
State of Fear?
With so many good books out there, why would you waste your time on another Crichton techno-thriller?
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| I'm mentioning it here because it's a scathing attack on the environmental movement in the US. It brings up a lot of real science including the evidence against global warming. |
Yeah, and I trust Michael Crichton to tell me the unbiased truth. He's a NOVELIST.
http://www.metacritic.com/books/authors/crichtonmichael/stateoffear
Sure, theories on global warming and environmental destruction should be examined and discussed, but why do we have to line this hack's pockets to do it? |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the link- I like this one from the NY Times:
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The New York Times Book Review Bruce Barcott
This might all be good if not screamingly clever fun -- but for the footnotes. The annoying citations make it apparent that the author desperately wants to be taken seriously on the global warming stuff. That would be perfectly fine in a Weekly Standard cover story. In a thriller, it's a little like having the author interrupt the story to insist that Dr. Evil actually has a death ray. Crichton's proof is itself laughably rigged. |
And, From The L.A. Times:
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Los Angeles Times Steve Wasserman
The plot is contrived, the characters one-dimensional, the predicaments predictable. Crichton has an unerring instinct for cliché... Whatever his literary aspiration, Crichton's real genius is to have written the first neo-con novel. Inside this bloated 600-page book is a fierce and compelling Op-Ed piece desperate to get out. |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| ...it's a scathing attack on the environmental movement in the US. It brings up a lot of real science including the evidence against global warming. |
I appreciate your ability to reduce the book to its issue and thesis. I would probably enjoy reading Jurassic Park, but I don't see myself getting State of Fear if this is its subject matter.
The last one like this I read was Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, and that was a pretty bad treatment of the environmentalists, he even went pretty far overboard in his unrestrained comments about and ridicule of the Sierra Club. (Clancy seems to have decided that his job is to lecture us in his novels these days.) In any case, when I read that, about five years ago, I decided I wasn't going to read these kinds of books anymore. I mostly finished Rainbow Six because I don't like to start books without finishing them. That's the only reason I read all of it.
If you're looking for good novels, check out the stuff that's coming out of Latin America. Usually translated into English, esp. Garcia Marquez, Vargas Llosa, and Mexico's Carlos Fuentes. This is brilliant stuff. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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This is what I don't get about environmental issues- conservatives seem hellbent on disproving theories on global warming. Well that's fine, and if theories aren't sound, that's fine and we should move on to doing something about things we DO know are happening.
I simply do not understand why global warming not being proven is justification to stop worrying about the world's potable water supply, endangered species, arable land, dwindling fossil fuels, and increasing energy needs.
Seriously, does anyone have any sort of sane explanation for this? |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| Seriously, does anyone have any sort of sane explanation for this? |
On environmentalism: the lunatic fringe on the left provokes the lunatic fringe on the right. The rest of us get caught up in this turbulence, and serious discussion on the issue gets left behind as roadkill.
On the other issues it's the reverse: extremist conservatives provoking extremist liberals. On other issues it's back to extremist liberals provoking extremist conservatives. And so on, indefinitely.
As I've said in other threads. The extremists apparently have the floor. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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| That's what I don't get though- if we leave out the loonies on both sides surely every sane person can agree that there ARE indeed some extremely pressing environmental issues to be dealt with? |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| That's what I don't get though- if we leave out the loonies on both sides surely every sane person can agree that there ARE indeed some extremely pressing environmental issues to be dealt with? |
Many people are rational on most issues, but extremist on a few. For some it's the reverse. For others, they are mostly extremist and hardly rational. And most people's opinions change over time. So who are the extremists exactly?
In any case, have you ever tried to get an extremist to be quiet for a moment, or leave the floor? They just keep going and going and going and going and... |
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Clutch Cargo
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Location: Sim City 2005
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like the PC crowd are censoring anything that might contradict their pet theories. Talk about a closed mind. |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Clutch Cargo wrote: |
| Sounds like the PC crowd are censoring anything that might contradict their pet theories. Talk about a closed mind. |
Damn, now, to offer an informed opinion that contradicts someone is censorship?
The critics say things like:
Crichton's proof is itself laughably rigged.
Is that censorship or critique?
Dissent has become dangerous now even when it comes to critiquing fiction?  |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Clutch Cargo wrote: |
| Sounds like the PC crowd are censoring anything that might contradict their pet theories. Talk about a closed mind. |
I'd say that if you think that doesn't cut both ways then you've also got a closed mind. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| Airframe and Eaters of the Dead are the only two books of his which have not totally disappointed me. |
You know that's one of the strangest things about Michael Crichton...he's written some books that were awesome (Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, Eaters of the Dead...I personally think Airframe is his best), but he's also written a few (Sphere) that were complete and utter crap. And a few that were somewhere in between (Timeline). You would think that some of these were written by completely different people. Maybe he's too dependent on assistants and ghost writers, I don't know. ** shrug ** |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Remember Rising Sun? Utter crap. But of course they went ahead and made a movie of it anyway. Ditto Congo. And Sphere (both the book and the movie because I was stupid enough to think that they might actually take a crap book and turn it into decent movie) nearly made me cry with dissapointment. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Ah, Congo. That was another howler. Didn't read Rising Sun, but yeah, Sphere was about as interesting as going to the funeral home and watching the varnish on the coffins dry... |
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Dan
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Sunny Glendale, CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Regardless of whether he was trying to make a political statement or not, the book really was quite horrible.
I couldn't believe he had a female research character, who goes into the jungle, and all of a sudden she turns into some assassin who can kill natives with her legs. (I think it went that way, it's been a while).
Anyway, really poorly written book. Would have been better just to write an op-ed in some newspaper. |
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