“Micro”: A Review
This novel, published in 2011, is an enigma. Love it? Hate it? Most have chosen to hate it. Full of imperfections? Yes. But maybe loving or hating it aren’t our only choices. I choose to “cherish” it.
The book has a fascinating premise. Little robots? Tiny robots? How about micro robots. What if it were possible? What if they were developed in secret? What if some glitches got covered up? What if the cover-up spiraled out of control?
Set in beautiful Hawaii, this story is compelling if for nothing else to just vicariously enjoy the beauty and wonder of this amazing place. Of course, I read the book with my iPhone in my pocket and used Google Earth to 3-dimensionally fly in from above to the various locations mentioned in the book. I also Wikipedia’d the back stories of the sites so by the end of the book I felt like I’d visited and been there myself.
Michael Crichton envisioned the premise and technology for this story, but died before it was complete, or as many say, before it was barely started. For Michael Crichton aficionados the fact that the story was finished by Richard Preston, and that Richard Preston doesn’t bring as much reality and believability to the characters and technology is unbearable. But to me reading Preston’s completion of Crichton’s work is akin to the the heartfelt thrill I would get if for example an Olympic champion marathoner dropped dead during his race and his wife or best friend suddenly marched onto the course and started to run to complete the distance for him in his honor. So yes, it’s not as fast or elegant a read as it would have been but I enjoyed its fluffiness without any feelings of betrayal. Thank you Richard Preston for finishing this story.
Well then what is the micro world like? It’s another frontier possibly more exciting than the bottoms of the oceans or the reaches of outer space. This book gives a glimpse into its magnificence and gives the imagination a springboard into another world.
It’s a light read even with all the technology. Not perfectly written but a perfect example of why great writing is so rare and should be rightly appreciated. If you choose to read it, enjoy, and remember how lucky we are to have been blessed to have access to the works of the great writers.
This is the last of Michael Crichton’s novels. Best to read it now before the today’s technology surpasses the imagined technology in “Micro”.
Ted Welti – August 2, 2012
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