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Availability:
Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Saturday, Nov 7
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Dimensions
- 4.19 x 1.19 x 7.5 in
- Weight
- 10.4 oz
- Publisher
- Harper
- Publication date
- October 28, 2008
- Language
- English
- Print length
- 528 pages
Description
In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles—micro-robots—has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive.It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.Every attempt to destroy it has failed.And we are the prey. Read more
Specs 8
| Publisher | Harper |
|---|---|
| Publication date | October 28, 2008 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 528 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0061703087 |
| ISBN-13 | 89 |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces |
| Dimensions | 4.19 x 1.19 x 7.5 inches |
No specs match.
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Top Amazon Reviews
Horror thriller
Format: Kindle
As somebody who hasnt done much preliminary research on molecular biology manufacturing or nanotechnology, michael always does a good job in explaining the science in a generally clear and easy to understand format. This is only the third novel i have read from him and im happy i read it, has a splash of excitment that doesnt leave when you read chapter after chapter It truly opens your mind about how molecular manufacturing combined with business models and medine open the doors to innovative, yet horrorific ordeals that can one day happen, but this novel is a little bit scientifically out of its league for its time. But so were his genetical engineering novels; but for all entertaining purposes it has done justice to crave the sense of a scientifical thriller with plot twists and conspiracy. The dialogue is a but dulled down and simplistic, but the story is braud and eerie that makes you want to always figure out how the author thinks. The text at most part can put you at the scene of the action and therfore make you feel like your actually part of the characters, wanting to be apart of the conversation. Most characters are a bit annoying lacking debth, but i would reccomend this to somebody who wants a quick few day read but you moreso have to like the authors ideas and stories to be truly compelled
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Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2023 by Wilbert Galloway
Serve my nanobots with saccharine, please ....
Format: Audio CD
Mr. Crichton has developed a habit of taking current technologic challenges and submitting them to flights of fancy. Such is the case with his latest novel. Here is the thesis: increasingly complex systems become increasingly uncontrolable, and at some point may develop behaviors beyond those intended or anticipated by the designers. In a sense these behaviors may mimic evolution, at some point the creatures imitating if not in fact becoming sentient creatures. Of course these creatures would not be worth a novel if they didn't do Really Bad Things, and couldn't be contained or controlled in a conventional way. The creatures in this case are microscopic machines manufactured (bred?) to act as collectively as a camera, that take on the characterists of a predatory algorithm conveniently built into its programming by its designers. They attack things, multiply, threaten to take over the earth; well, you get the idea. The subplot concerns the marital relationship between an unemployed programmer who just happened to design the algorithm, and his wife, who just happens to be an executive in the company who inadvisedly included his algorithm into the microbots. Did she cheat on him or not? Does the world end? What unswered questions will we have at the last page? Sticky sweet melodrama to be sure, but worth an afternoon to read. The thought came to me as I read another of Mr. Crichton's books (Airframe) that he had written it with the movie rights in mind. No deep character development, thank you, and evenly paced, if not contrived, action. The same happened as I read this book. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. If you want a little more meat with your starch, maybe try Stephen King. A lot more energy could have been given to what the principals felt and though along the whole way. Narrated by a man who on the one hand is troubled by his wife's (possibly unfaithful) behavior, and on the other by the technology he spawned that threatens mankind, I would have liked a better image of what made him tick, and a little less stereotype. Being part geek by nature I didn't mind all the techno stuff, but it may be off-putting to some. These reservations aside, Prey is worth the time to read it, or as in this case, to hear while on the way to work. Keep your literary expecations in check, though, and try not to lose any sleep over the thought that there may be nanobots in your soup.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2002 by John Tilelli MD
They won't hurt you if you don't fight them...
Format: Kindle
I've read some of Crichton's early work like Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man as well as his recent novels like Next and Micro. In my opinion Prey was written at the peak of his career. And boy does it show... The first part is the setup for the rest of the book. It contains the perfect amount of mystery and character development to make you feel like you are right in the story. It's amazing to me how Crichton is able to make characters so relatable and so, dare I say, human. Things move slowly in the first part but with just enough bread crumbs relating to the bigger storyline that is developing. That storyline, and the science involved in it, are flushed out more in the second part. Part two is definitely more fast-paced but still keeps you in suspense. The science and technology explanations in this portion were a little harder to follow but you are able to still grasp the basic idea, at least enough to stay in the story. Crichton starts to present more of the ugly side of this technology, as well as the unsettling and disturbing power it holds. But that also sets up the plot even further as you can begin to see the roles that the main characters are meant to play out. The climax of the book is appropriately in the last part of the novel. You can feel the wheels of the story spinning faster and faster here. And yet the suspense keeps building and building. The climax finally happens and won't soon be forgotten. A great read with the trademark aspects of Crichton novels: suspense, thrills, the perfect dose of horror, and science and technology run amok by well-intended but largely flawed people.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017 by TheAssociate13
What Happened to Crichton's Skill at Writing Character Dialogue?
Format: Kindle
The plot is engrossing - a runaway AI with a twist. I'd normally give Crichton a 4+ rating. But somewhere along the line Crichton, in this novel at least, has completely forgotten how to write believable dialogue. The back and forth between the main character and his wife is flat and not believable. The bickering between his preteen children is annoying and the dialogue is terrible cliche along the lines of "Stop touching me!" "He called me a name!" "That's not fair!" over and over. It's virtually the complete set of lines between the children through the entire book. Among his super intelligent scientist fellows we have the same dialogue as between the children along with fart jokes. What's going on? Did a ghost writer write the dialogue? I completed the book but was not impressed - and given the context of the story I should have been impressed. Unless you're a hardcore Crichton fan this is a pass.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2026 by Darby
Finished the book - my heart is still racing.
Format: Kindle
From page one I couldn't put it down. Great read and food for serious thought. Maybe we should rethink this A. I. thing?
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2026 by SteffieM
Good story
Format: Kindle
This is a story that will make you think about how the events in this plot could happen in the real world. The plot was a little slow to get started, but once it got going,it was fantastic. Loved the ending.
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2025 by David & Kathy B.
Frightening Complications-Relevant Today
Format: Kindle
This was a fantastic book about nanotechnology. Hard to believe it was published in 2009, it is very much relevant today. It starts out as a family book, a stay at home father, Jack, with a hard working wife and three kids including a baby. Dad is quite capable and is better at taking care of the kids than mom is, and she is upset about it. Her high stress job keeps her busy. Jack was forced into unemployment and has been searching for work. He is offered a consulting job at his wife's company. He learns the horrifying details of what they were working on and it has gotten out of hand. I really liked how the story flowed, you were introduced to the family first, then to the disaster. Very thrilling and horrifying in the complications. For the audiobook, the author reads the introduction, his voice weak. The narrator was excellent. It needed an epilogue that we didn't get. Fantastic book, very enjoyable.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024 by Admiralu
Great
Format: Hardcover
What i ordered
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026 by Justin Conatser