’’Prey’’ weaves a marriage between human stupidity & expanding technological power, a common theme among Crichton’s best-sellers.
In this instance, the focus is on the progressing field of nano technology. Crichton explores this intriguing matter with great enthusiasm, & the novel is fast & thrilling. Indeed, the subject matter --- fast-evolving, artificial life --- naturally lends itself to a story of escalating drama.
However, the novel itself is troubled. Character development is at an all-time low, with our lead protagonist, Jack Forman, feeling stale & perfunctory. So too are the bulk of the surrounding people, who beg for further development.
Prey is also, at it’s back end, absurdly far-fetched, forcing the reader to truly stretch their imagination to the limit just to avoid becoming detached from the story. Further, the conclusion is fast-tracked & not thought through well enough.
Even so, Prey is not without it’s charms. It’s well-paced & quite enthralling at times, & it carries it’s better moments with just the right tension.
Ultimately, Prey is not among Crichton’s better works, but it remains worth a read. A novel that has it’s moments, but which exits with potential still untapped.