Sphere

"This has got to be one of my all-time favourite books. As you say, Crichton manages to incorporate countless scientific details without it becoming too overwhelming. One of the ways in which Crichton makes this read so compelling is his writing style. He doesn’t create many long flowery passages of description, but rather gives the readers just enough to visualise his scenes in the amount of detail necessary. His characters are one of the elements which help drive the plot—the group dynamic creates passages of tension as well as humour which you just can’t help but laugh at! The main character, Norman, a psychologist, adds humour that is relatable despite the situations that he’s put in, and Ted, a physicist, helps explain some of the very complex scientific ideas, making them easy to follow as well as intriguing. This book is just as much a psychological thriller as it is a sci-fi novel: there were so many places where I had to put the book down and just think over everything that was happening, and this makes the book such a page turner. It’s really addictive and that’s what I think makes it so compelling."