Micro

By Michael Crichton

Enjoy some classic Crichton with this cutting-edge techno-thriller
three men are found dead in the locked second floor office of a Honolulu building, with no sign of struggle except for the ultra-fine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. the only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye.In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined.In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen Microtechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier.But once in the Oahu rainforest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. to survive, they must harness the innate powers of nature itself. An instant classic, MICRO pits nature against technology in vintage Crichton fashion. Completed by visionary science writer Richard Preston, this boundary-pushing thriller melds scientific fact with pulse-pounding fiction to create yet another masterpiece of sophisticated, cutting-edge entertainment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Dec 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781743096321

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.

Reviews for Micro

[moniquesnyman-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Got 100 pages in and, unfortunately, it’s not my cup of tea. DNF, because I’m not wasting time on books I don’t enjoy anymore.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No matter what anyone else says, I enjoyed this book. As I was reading it I felt like it could be a movie. It makes you wonder, are there people out there creating the equipment to shrink people, can you really survive out in the world that small and are there really crawly things that small in the dirt? Yikes. I thought it was an enjoyable read.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston is a techno-thriller that relies on an all too familiar theme of a greedy capitalist exploiting a technological breakthrough that could benefit humanity. In this story, a shrinking machine and mini-robots are being used for evil instead of for good and anyone who gets in the way ends up murdered.When a group of visiting grad students stumble on the truth, they are shrunk down to tiny beings and left in the Hawaiian wilderness to die. As the 7 shrunken characters battle giant beetles, wasps and spiders, one can’t help but be reminded of the Walt Disney movie, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. Of course as the story progresses, they are a number of grisly deaths each one progressively more horrifying than the last one.I understand this this was an unfinished novel of Crichton’s that was completed by Richard Preston and unfortunately this combination of nature against technology doesn’t really work. A story of this nature needs to embrace it’s silliness and so should have had more humour and a lighter touch. I did enjoy some of the survival aspects of the story but the villain was an over-the-top cartoon, the science was ridiculous and the plot felt rehashed from previous books.

[bravenewbks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This read like miax of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians (aka And Then There Were None) and the old movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. No, seriously. Gory and fantastical and fun.

[preetalina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't planning on reading this book. After reading Pirate Latitudes a few years ago, a "completed" book by Crichton that they "found" after he died (did the story change on this? That's what I recall reading after I finished that book), I thought that was the end of his legacy. Then all of a sudden I heard about this book coming out so I was extremely skeptical. It says at the end that the story was unfinished and that Richard Preston was selected to complete it.Then, when I was at the library the other day, I saw it among the New Books. I hesitated - I did love my old Crichton novels, I won't lie - and read the inside flap to find out what it was about. I found out it took place in Hawaii so I was sold. (If you'll notice my latest read books, most of them take place in Hawaii, which I'm currently obsessed with.)Now I will say that it didn't read like a typical Crichton book that I was used to, so I'm assuming it's way more Preston and much less Crichton. But in spite of myself, I really enjoyed it. It was definitely an adventure, and that's one of the reasons I've loved Crichton's books in the past. And adventure mixed with science? You've got me!I thought some of it was a bit predictable, but then in the middle it started getting wildly unpredictable, at least to me, so I really enjoyed that.I give Preston most of the credit for this one and will definitely be reading more of his stuff. In fact, I have The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story on my shelves waiting to be read. It could be coming up soon!Final say on this is 3.5 stars.

[burnit99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A posthumously published book by the late Michael Crichton, completed by Richard Preston, this requires a bit more suspension of disbelief than most of his books (except the two I've read involving time travel). Most of his books have seemed at least theoretically possible with present technology. Here we have a group of young researchers who have been invited to get in on a new research opportunity that involves shrinking humans down to insect-size, to better explore the unseen world for new pharmacological products. This takes place in Hawaii. Events go off-kilter when they stumble across the unscrupulous CEO's hidden agenda for this technology (needless to say, it involves secret government contracts for new weaponry), and the CEO shrinks them down to easier eliminate them. They escape, but are stranded in the forested research area, miles from their only hope for being restored to normal size before they die due to "micro-bends". Not Crichton's best (one wonders how much of this is Richard Preston), but the harrowing trek through the Hawaiian undergrowth at miniscule size is tense, fast-paced and seems well-researched.

[chndlrs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Honey, I shrunk Jurassic Park.

[narilka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Micro is Crichton's final book, finished by Richard Preston after his death. Cambridge grad students are invited to Hawaii by a technology company to talk about cutting edge jobs in micro-biology. Through a short series of events the students are shrunk to a half inch high and thrown into the Oahu wilderness to fend for their lives.The book feels like part Honey I Shrunk the Kids and part Jurassic Park. It's a bit formulaic and the characters aren't as developed as a regular Crichton novel, both of which may be a result of him only partially completing the manuscript before his death. This aside, once the book got going it was hard to put down. I could see Hollywood turn this into a movie.

[aagbay-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Micro is book much like the many that have come from Michael Crichton. Sadly, he died before he finished the novel, and Richard Preston picked up from where he left off. While Micro is still part of Michael Crichton's work of novels, it doesn't feel the same as the rest. Richard Preston did a great job on trying to recreate the same feel, but it doesn't live up to the other books. I could see the ideas and promise of the book, but the actual book only grazed the surface of what could have been.The premise of the book is simple. A high tech corporation develops groundbreaking technology: they can shrink living creatures and objects down to the micro world (hence the title). Something goes wrong and now a group of graduate students are thrown into an unfamiliar and dangerous world, fighting for their very survival. If this sounds very familiar, it should. The basic plot of the book very similar to that of Timeline, another of Crichton's stories. The whole idea of going into the micro world has endless potential for a thrilling book.The book starts off fairly slow. There is a lot of build up to the main plot of the book. Almost all of the characters are thrown at you at the very beginning of the book, creating a very confusing first quarter or so of reading. While the very act of introducing these characters early on is not that bad, the personalities of them are what make it so hard. Some characters are very well developed throughout the story, while some just are dragged along for the ride. Vin Drake, the chilling investor in the company is one of the better characters. Preston found a way to really bring out his cold and calculating mind and I felt a real loathing for him. Many times I found myself angry at what he did. But, Preston left some of the characters really underdeveloped, such as Danny Minot, one of the graduate students thrown into the dark, dangerous world. He was a bit plain and although Preston tried to bring across his personality, it seemed a bit forced and unnatural.Preston did, however, bring in a lot more scientific fact into the story. Micro is littered with small passages explaining some nuance of insects or poisons. While not exactly boring, I found these little tidbits a bit distracting from the hectic pace of the story. I am intrigued by science behind the characters actions, but it didn't feel like they added a whole lot to the story. They were added in more for the sake of having something to talk about than to explain bigger ideas.All in all, Micro doesn't exactly feel like a Michael Crichton book. I can see his influences in the writing and in the whole idea, but Preston didn't execute the whole idea perfectly. During some parts of the book, I was well into reading, but I just couldn't connect with some of the characters. While not the very best book, Micro is still a good read. It has suspense and action, but feels a bit short on character development.

[weeziesbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Micro" is a book that describes traveling to and from and living in in a microscopic world the scientists created where insects and flower pollen are gigantic and death and pain are just around the corner. Since the book is set in a rain forest type setting, there is an immense menu of insects and plant life to describe and use in the story line. The descriptions of injury and death are very graphic and were hard for me to listen to in many instances. They characters are interesting, though in many cases unlikeable. The idea of greed and money controlling scientific and innovative secrets is a somewhat familiar theme but no less distasteful. The investigation of the crimes, most notably murder, plays a minor role in the story but does keep it pulled together in a somewhat cohesive manner. This is one of my least favorite Crichton novels but it was well developed and full of action and mystery. I have rated this a 3.5 star book and recommend it to science fiction and medical thriller fans.

[ginafava · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Excellent premise by master crafter Crichton, sophomoric execution by another. Crichton is dearly missed.

[ague_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Micro has some good up to date science in it. It would also make an excellent movie.

[suzannie1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

have'nt read a book like this before , but i actually really enjoyed it , almost? believable, very clever.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second of Crichton's posthumous novels, published as having been co-written by him and Robert Preston. It isn't clear exactly how much of this novel Crichton completed before he died, but it was clearly the bulk of it, and this has all the hallmarks of a Crichton techno-thriller, misuse of science and technology by corrupt individuals and corporations, etc, entirely unlike his other posthumous novel, Pirate Latitudes (which felt more Bernard Cornwell than Michael Crichton). There are fewer characters in this one than in some of the others and it felt the better for it, and one got to know some of them quite well (Vin Drake is one of the most chilling fictional creations in any of his novels). In fact this posthumous book, while not in the Andromeda Strain/Sphere/Jurassic Park league, was for me definitely one of the highlights of his latter period.

[sherylhendrix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A partially finished novel when Michael Crichton died, Micro was finished and published with the assistance of Richard Preston who did a good job of keeping the feel of a Crichton book in this techno-thriller. Small robots, dealt with for the second time by Crichton, are the crux of this problem in this horror story, which ends without total resolution. A good and fast read.

[szbrooks1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The writing was done well, but it lost me in some places .

[slagolas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anyone who knows and enjoys Crichton should enjoy this book which is essentially, like many of his others, a printed screen-play, potentially adapted to the big screen with minimal changes. Lots of action and adventure, and startlingly harsh treatment of characters, par for the course. Overall, very enjoyable, and a quick read. My only complaint would be that it seems surprisingly glaring that Crichton left this book unfinished. Which is surprising since Preston is a fully capable writer as well (I suggest Cobra Event for Crichton fans looking for something new). The conclusion leaves something to be desired. I almost got the impression that it was so close to complete that Preston never took ownership to truly dictate an ending, or something. It's hard to specify what exactly is missing from the ending, everything is wrapped up fairly neatly, but it still seemed a little unsatisfying.That said, the book is fun, and who knows, you might actually learn a little bit along the way.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

reads like a script for an action movie with lots of computer graphic. quick read. nothing too deep. black and whie characters and of course a happy end between the two perons who hated each other while being in their normal live. and it has an open end for a sequel.

[benkline · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sadly for what might have been Crichton's last (pre-posthumous mostly finished) work, I feel I'm being generous giving this 3 stars. Its not a HORRIBLE book by any means.... but basically if you've read any of his previous works, you could foresee where this was going.

Also, if you've seen any formulaic Hollywood action movie.... you know exactly how this pans out. Nothing really to throw out there, other than technology and different insects at you.

I think the only "loop" that is thrown is the survivors of the students who get shrunken down. As an opposite to this, it was pretty obvious that Eric was never really dead.

It was a decently fun romp, that, apparently took me roughly a year to finish. Didn't quite realize I let this shelf so long and gone back to read other books. This was pretty much just a typical action book that was set in the "micro" world, and because of that, it allowed Crichton/Preston to use insects almost like aliens, where throwing out a different random bug to attack or a bird, or Vin Drake who was mustache-twirling evil, just to try and throw "curveballs out of nowhere" at the protagonists. But sadly it was all too pretty much straight forward and formulaic.

[rexmedford · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Crichton never wrote leteratrue, but there are a few classics in his vault, (Andromeda Strain for one)....but what he does write are page turners. Novels that grab you and keep you interested in what happens next. Sometimes predictable, but as always, there are a few twists along the way. He always seems to deal with a "real" technology, and loads his books with facts, well researched. That is what attracted me to his writing from the beginning. This novel, finished by Richard Preston, is no different, and its just as enjoyable. Who doesn't love a novel with a bibliography at the end? RIP Dr. Crichton. And thank you for making fun, factual fiction...

[tomwheaton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that was started by Michael Crichton before he passed away in 2008 and was then finished by Richard Preston. I really liked this book! The whole premise was very believable and could be the future of medical treatment and/or warfare. It started a bit slowly but, then became a page-turner when the students were shrunk and had their battles with the micro world.

[stefferoo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is the literary equivalent of those cheesy sci-fi thriller movies -- you know, the kind where a whole bunch of characters set off on an adventure and then one by one they die off until only one or two are left. And like those movies, Micro was entertaining, but it was a rather shallow reading experience.I don't know how much of the book was completed by Michael Crichton before his death and how much was picked up by Richard Preston. I also don't know how far Crichton got in his research and editing. I just know that Micro had nowhere near the depth and detail compared to his past books, in all aspects but especially in the science. Books like Jurassic Park and Timeline at least tried to convince the reader that their premises were plausible; in contrast, parts of Micro read like a bunch of outline and research notes thrown together.

[angelajmaher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was taken aback when I first started reading this; it had a distinctly unfinished feel to it. Then I discovered the book had been incomplete at the time of the author's death and was finished by another author. I suspect as much of the original material was conserved as possible, but it's resulted in sections of stilted dialogue, characters that at times are more caricatures, repetition, and areas where the pacing is out.Either it improved in later parts of the book or I got used to it. The book is good enough to keep you interested, full of action and twists. If the author had lived to polish the story himself, it would have been an excellent book. As it stands, it has its faults, but its a good tale, and still better than a lot of books out there. The science has been well researched too, which is always good to see.If the plot appeals, stick with reading the book.

[atdcross · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm a bit disappointed in this book. I've read a few by Crichton and he usually keeps a sense of the credible and high suspense. This one, for me, had neither.Michael Chrichton had the knack of making the incredible credible. He fails to do so in thei book.A nano-technology company is seeking to recruit seven university students in the fireld of microbiology. However, when being shown around the company and what is involved in their research, the students are thrust into a a hostile world all to familiar and all too new; a dangerous world where the students find themselves in a life and death struggle against the forces of a nature they themselves have intensively studied but never dreamed of knowing by first-hand experience.It sounds great but the movement but as you read on, the characters seem remote and, in comparison to Crichton's other books, lacks high suspense. I was actually surprised and disappointed as to the main plot as it seemed an unlikely idea to come out of Crichton and too fanciful. There is an unexpected turn and a couple of characters are interesting, especially Karen King, but it does not help the story overall.I must add that, unfortunately, Crichton died before the book was finished and Richard Preston took over. To the latter's credit, there is no discernible difference, at least, to me of any change in style; however, wherever he started, his writing added nothing to improve the story.

[leyliagray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The cover itself is a hint as to the plot of the story and the details about science, specifically biology, gave a depth to the book. Having the book set in Hawaii with the detective and some of the characters speaking pidgin was delightful. I had to chuckle when I read the pidgin, the authors managed to get it. Its not perfect but its enough. Its hard to do a review on this book without giving away too much. Much of my enjoyment came from reading the book blind. My only warning was that the book got a little graphic. I didn't pay the warning any heed but the visuals when I read it made me gasp audibly and cringe in my seat. Much like Jurassic Park, the environment that the authors throw you into is something that you would not normally imagine yourself in, much less the beauty and danger. The unknown made this book a pleasure to read. I couldn't help but visualize scenes from Jurassic Park and Honey I Shrunk the Kids while reading this. The dynamic of the main cast of characters was well put together. You have the one you admire, the one you feel wary of, the one you have a soft spot for, and the one you detest; among many others. The challenges each character goes through.. I can't help but think that the authors had a bit of fun planning and detailing each one. The details are what I appreciated. For readers who have read the book, you know what I'm talking about.The ending was a bit abrupt. Things wrapped up rather quickly but I think many may feel it was lacking because it left a lot of questions up in the air.RIP Crichton, you will be sorely missed.

[twodot_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Easy read, good action but few surprises. Not up to Crichton's normal standard. I like Richard Preston's other work, but I think this book would have been better if Michael Crichton had been able to finish it himself.

[delightedlibrarian · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Reading it now... too many flashbacks to "Honey I shrunk the kids". And at least so far the villin is too 1 dimensional.

I finally stopped about halfway through... Interesting idea, way to melodramatic. Actually now that I really think about it once the only character I liked was killed, I decided to stop reading. I finished by reading the summary on Wikipedia.

[sue24_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was a decent adventure novel, once it got going. In the beginning, there were several plot problems which I found amazing in a book by either Crichton or Preston (both of which I like very much). And the characters were just JERKS. Out of 7 graduate students, most of them were full of themselves, and you were rooting for them to die. And they were super competitive with one another. As a former graduate student, I do not find this to be a realistic portrayal at all, but I suppose it depends on your school and the personalities involved.Once they got to Hawaii the book finally got going, and after that it was a good read. Overall, I give it 3 stars because of the painful beginning...

[brucemmoyer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three stars for a book from a talented author who knows how to tell a story, but in this case he has put together a ridiculous premise which his excellent writing can only go so far to ameliorate the story. Jurassic Park, while fantastic, was believable and so was the Andromeda Strain. MICRO is not. Once you start with a silly premise, even the best writer, and I believe Crichton falls into that category for sheer escapism, will find it hard to put together a cogent story. Yes, there were some interesting events portrayed skillfully by the author, but to make them at all palatable, you had to swallow the premise, which I found difficult to do. Three stars for the writer, zero stars for this book

[mintypink · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I expected more out of a Michael Crichton book but perhaps since Richard Preston finished it, the book understandably wouldn't match previous novels. A previous reviewer had this right, it's a mashup of Honey I Shrank the Kids and Jurassic Park. I would not be surprised if the authors had also watched "Ants" or "Bug's Life" (Pixar Films) as part of their research. Micro is the pulp equivalent of a B-film. The characters are convenient and flat (although I did find myself rooting for some and hating others), the science is painfully formulaic, and the authors makes the characters sock-puppet explain background science for the reader. It feels as if either of the authors went to a conference to study graduate students and left believing that everyone communicates with their elevator pitch to a simple question from a colleague such as, "What are you doing?"The fun part of the book, once you lower your expectations, is discovering the microscopic world. It's like Stuart Little or Flushed Away, everything is teeny tiny and oh-so-fun.