Rating: 
Summary: "Prey" Preys on Unsuspecting Buyers
Review: Save your money and just go see the movie, when it inevitably comes out."Prey" is nothing more than a script; It's a verbal storyboard with near-vacuous paragraphs substituing for subtitles. I've become disillusioned with Michael Crichton's "formula" novels that may have an interesting plot but no development - style but no substance - and will probably not bother with another Crichton novel. That's a real shame, given what he's contributed over the years. "Prey" could have been a fascinating look at the 21st-century confluence of corporate greed, social relationships, biology, computing and nanomanufacturing technology. Crichton had the potential to develop the characters and the imagery into an epic, with a mature plot line and dozens (if not hundreds) of intertwined subplots. Instead, we get an awkward first-person rendition of mostly monosyllabic dialogue written to eighth graders - perfect for the movie studio, but terribly unfulfilling to the reader. This book could have been a classic but instead, it won't even be a footnote. In the kitchen of science fiction, this book qualifies as a rice cake: bland and not very filling.
Rating: 
Summary: plausible science; subtract one for implausible humans
Review: I have read all of Crichton's novels, I like this one the best. It made something outlandish almost believable (moreso than dinos coming back) through good explanations. I actually learned some useful things about emergent behavior programming and I work in software. I am reaching for the Google to verify him and pick up where he left off. Some of the human reactions though, were implausible. Example: Jack's former firm built cutting edge software and he catches employees on the take by installing email snoop software? Or: what happened to everybody else at the plant, they just dissolve while the action revolves around the small cast of programmers.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining in places, mostly good science
Review: The science is well researched and interesting, but told as too much exposition and not enough worked into the story itself. The characters are reaonably well drawn, and the silicon valley atmosphere (before the crash) is recognizable although a little too much of a stereotyype. The first two thirds of the story run well, but starts to get fantastic towards the end and the denouement is a little too far fetched, although if you can manage a willing suspension of disbelief it's quite thirlling. It does manage to keep you guessing to the end. If you like Crichton you should like this somewhat formulaic novel, and for sci fi fans generally it's worth a read. Not the kind of book you are likely to read more than once. It does have a good bibliography for those who want to follow up on the science. The Amazon editor provides a good plot outline.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining... Again.
Review: Another Crichton novel, and like all the others I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Unfortunately, the similarities don't stop there. The plot is a 21st century update of the Andromeda Strain, with elements of Jurassic Park thrown in for good measure (even the 'iterations' preceding each part). Parts of the book come off as techno-preachy as Chrichton warns us once again of the (legitimate) risks that we meddlesome humans are stirring up. But complaints aside, this is still a great novel by any standards. Just knock off a star because it's not his best.
Rating:
Summary: A great novel, ruined by its ending
Review: This is one of those books that can receive the cliched comment, "Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down." While this is true for most of the book, the ending becomes quite far-fetched (even for a Crichton sci-fi) and is ultimately predictable. It follows his tried-and-true formula to a fault. What I found quite pleasant was that this novel was written in the first person, giving it an interesting twist. As usual, the characters seems real, and the story comes to life. All-in-all, this is a good book, but should have had some more work done to it before its release.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling read
Review: A thought provoking novel that creates a very believable possible scenario as to what man's capabilities could create. We have plenty of current and historical examples of what can happen when mankind gets ahead of itself. I thought the characters were well done in this novel, in that their reactions to the extraordinary circumstances were quite realistic. If you enjoyed this novel check out the novels SILICON SECRETS by Catherine Burr and CLONED LOVE by Thorne Peters.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Read
Review: As much as I enjoyed it, this novel is not perfect. I feel that there are a few loose ends not explained at the end of the novel, although there is an attempt to wrap things up. In a good move Crichton provides a glimpse into what is to come with a few paragraphs at the start of the novel, but when you get to the actual text where the words should have been taken from, they don't match. These things aren't so bothersome to shun the book, the plot is worth the few discrepancies. It's also easy to imagine a sequel, if not in book form, but after it's made into a movie, as this will no doubt be done (the film rights were purchased right off). I'm not sure why that bothers me, but I guess I feel a little manipulated, but hopefully I'm wrong and that this was unintentional. I also think the title is misleading or at least unimaginative. All in all this is an Okay good read. I liked it. Other books I liked are Jeremy Leven's Satan:His Psychotherapy and Cure and Paul Omeziri's Descent into Illusions.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointing experience
Review: In no time at all you will be "preying" for relief. One-third whine about the travails of a stay at home father, one-third info chunks gleaned by Dr. Crichton's research team and one-third loosely structured story, the novel is filled with logical incongruities and haphazardly conceived story development. Having read many of the authors earlier works which provided enough of a scientific framework to create a believable possibility, Prey indifferently attempts to fabricate a storyline with apparently little interest in whether or not the "facts" presented as the building blocks of the novel fit together in any cohesive or particularly interesting manner. It will probably make a visually interesting movie. Don't waste your money on the book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book...
Review: Michael Crichton has always been one of my favorite authors...hes also one of the most skilled writers i know...he has a medical doctorate from Harvard med., hes obviously a very accomplished writer and playwright, and he is a 6'5, 60 year old man! how amazing! but this book will not fail to keep you reading day in and day out...i finished it in a day and im only 15! He does make all the technical jargon very easy to understand with the surrounding text...its a great investment to buy this book...do it ! you wont regret it! (If you want to know more about the book just read the other reviews around here...or read a couple of the pages above!) Buy this book and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Prey - a realistic view into our possible future...
Review: The premise of this book is both fantastically interesting, yet phenomenally disturbing! The read was fast-paced & the technological aspects were easy to follow...I could not put this book down. Crichton's mixture of cutting edge nanotechnology as it relates to practical uses is astounding. The mishap/extinction issue of humans is real & is currently being discussed by our government! EVERYONE with a shred of interest in the future of technology and of the human race should read this book! I also recommend reading the Bill Joy essay from WIRED magazine of April 2000, included in Crichton's bibliography.
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