Sphere (novel)
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| Sphere | |
 First edition cover |
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| Author | Michael Crichton |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction, Techno-thriller, Novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Publication date | May 12, 1987 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) Audio |
| Pages | 385 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-394-56110-4 |
Sphere is a science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton and published in 1987. It was made into the film Sphere in 1998.
The novel follows a psychologist named Norman Johnson, who is called with by U.S. Navy to join a team of scientists assembled by the U.S. Government to examine an enormous spacecraft discovered on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The depth of coral covering the craft proves that it has been lying there for over 300 years and so could be of only alien origin.
The novel begins as a science fiction story, but quickly transforms into a psychological thriller, ultimately exploring the nature of the human subconscious.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
In the book, the group of scientists, including psychologist Norman Johnson, mathematician Harry Adams, biologist Beth Halpern, and astrophysicist Ted Fielding, (along with the navy personnel) are placed in a deep sea habitat at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to explore the spacecraft.
To their surprise, they soon discover that the spacecraft is in fact not alien, but an American craft constructed fifty years in the future and apparently sent through time; although coral on the craft indicates that it has not been touched for over 300 years. On further exploration of the spacecraft, the team discovers a mysterious spherical artifact of clearly extraterrestrial origin, which quickly becomes the focus of the characters' mission and the book's plot. At this point a Pacific storm keeps the scientists on the ocean floor without contact or support from the Navy on the surface for what could be a week or more.
The story soon focuses on first asking thought-provoking questions about the sphere (namely whether it should be opened or not) and then on attempting to actually open the sphere and learn its nature, contents, and origin. Harry eventually opens it and goes inside. Upon returning he has a terrible headache and he remembers little about what happened inside the sphere and how he opened it. The rest of the team cannot figure it out either.
As they continue to study and theorize, they are contacted by an intelligent, seemingly friendly alien life form that calls itself Jerry who apparently is from within the spherical alien artifact. It first contacts them via a code, which Harry translates. But while they struggle to come up with answers to their questions surrounding Jerry and the sphere, bizarre and increasingly deadly events transpire involving sea creatures such as giant squid, sea snakes, and jellyfish, and soon it is apparent they are being manifested by Jerry himself. Members of the team start to die in various attacks while the survivors struggle to placate the unthinkably powerful, childlike and temperamental Jerry, who seems to have no concept of death and finds them a source of amusement.
Norman has a suddenly important role as he realizes he has to use psychology to keep the surviving team (now only himself, Beth, and Harry) alive by placating Jerry and keeping him from killing them all. But in a shocking twist he discovers that Jerry does not actually exist, and that the sphere, in fact, holds the power to allow subconscious thought to become manifested into reality itself. Thus after entering the sphere, Harry has this power. In other words, Jerry is nothing more than a part of Harry's subconscious mind. Harry has started subconsciously manifesting the squid (he mentions he was terrified of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea as a kid), Jerry, and other such dangerous visions and dreams come to life, and Norman and Beth have to somehow stay alive before Harry's subconscious kills them all.
Beth and Norman decide to tranquilize Harry with a powerful cocktail of sedatives and painkillers from the first aid box, and after successfully doing so, they wait for contact to be reestablished with the surface. However it is at this point that Norman discovers, much to his horror, that Beth has become psychotic and has also entered the sphere (gaining the power). He is now at her mercy as she starts irrationally planting powerful explosives around the spacecraft and the deep sea habitat in an act of self-destruction. Norman escapes and enters the sphere, thus also receiving the power to literally make his thoughts real, and races against the timed explosives to talk Beth out of her suicidal rampage and rescue Harry. Harry regains consciousness at this point and knocks Beth unconscious, and they scramble to the escape sub to the surface just before the explosives destroy the site.
Afterwards, while in a decompression chamber, the three survivors ponder what they are going to tell the navy happened underwater. Eventually, they decide to use their power to literally get rid of their power, changing reality so that the whole thing never happened and that a leak of toxic gas killed the crew as well as destroyed the habitat instead. They agree it can work only if they all do it together and think it and make it happen. As the novel concludes, it is clear that Norman and Harry have done so. However, Beth's decision is left in doubt.
[edit] Similarity to other works
The basic premise of a machine or an entity with the power to allow subconscious thought to manifest into reality is also explored in Forbidden Planet, a 1956 science fiction film; Cyril Hume screenwriter, from a story by Irving Block and Allen Adler.
It is also somewhat similar to the basic premise of the 1961 Polish science-fiction novel Solaris, which has itself been the basis for two films, one in 1972, and another in 2002.
In a science fiction short novel Roadside Picnic written in 1971 by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky and since deemed a classic, there is a "golden sphere" present which is rumored to have the power to fulfill the deepest human wishes.
[edit] Main Characters
Norman Johnson – Norman is the protagonist of the story and is probably the most important in terms of story revelation. Despite physically being the least fit to be in the underwater habitat, he is arguably the most level-headed of the group, though even he exhibits moments of irrationality. Nonetheless, Norman is usually the diplomat of the team, trying to make everyone get along with one another. Norman often wonders why he was called down into a submarine where he seems to have very little impact. He also occasionally butts heads with the others on why it was important to have a psychologist down with them.
Harry Adams – Harry is a young, highly intelligent mathematician. However, he is also very arrogant, unsympathetic, disdainful, and often uncooperative with the others. Harry tends to be the most thought-provoking character in the story, often outlining concepts that encourage readers to think about certain issues (some which remain solely within the context of the story and some which do not). While very secure intellectually, Harry tends to be lacking emotionally due to his isolation. Harry was a genuine mathematical prodigy growing up and living in ghettos. He was often picked on because of his lack of athletic talent.
Theodore Fielding – Though good-natured, Ted is portrayed as an annoyingly enthusiastic opportunist. His pretentiousness tends to inhibit his relationships with the others, despite his good intentions. It is revealed later that his annoying nature is due to his drive to do something that will make him famous, and the reality that (in his eyes) the time for him to do that is running out. Ted is still much of the life and energy in the submarine
Elizabeth Halpern – Beth is both gentle and caring while at the same time fierce, combative, and confrontational. She has seemingly contradictory (yet plausible) traits about her, being a weight lifter (fierceness) while possessing physical beauty (gentleness). Being the only woman scientist, she is sometimes the black sheep or the scapegoat of the story—and some of those times only in her mind. As evidenced later, she is arguably the most out of touch with her emotions. It may have been indicated that Beth did not rid herself of the power, as during the Novel, she used the "Power" to gain beauty. In the end, Norman compliments Beth, saying that he just realized how beautiful she was.
Harold Barnes – Harold (Hal) is the one in charge of the underwater scientific investigation. Given that he's more of a military man than a scientific one, his interests tend to conflict with the other main characters. His manner is usually cold, impatient, and distrustful. He also proves deceitful, as evidenced later when some of the others discover his mendacity about certain facts.
Tina Chan - Tina is a female navy crew member that is also in the habitat. She develops somewhat of a strong relationship with Beth throughout the book. She survives for most of the book, but is killed when the giant squid manifested by Harry attacks the habitat at one point in the book.
[edit] Film
The book was turned into the film Sphere in 1998, directed by Barry Levinson, with a cast including Dustin Hoffman (Norman Johnson, renamed Norman Goodman), Samuel L. Jackson (Harry Adams), Liev Schreiber (Ted Fielding), and Sharon Stone (Beth Halpern, renamed Halperin). The film largely follows the novel, although in the last act, "Decompression Chamber", the three agree to simply forget the event ever happened. Also, there is no mention of Harry knocking Beth unconscious to stop her manifestations.
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