Prey - Michael Crichton

Prey [UNABRIDGED] (Audiobook)
2002
Read by - George Wilson
Harper Audio
Unabridged - 11 discs (~13 hours)

In a Nutshell -
Jack Forman, an unemployed computer programmer gets called in to help solve a problem at the bio-technology company where his wife is a VP. The problem turns out to be an escaped swarm of artificially intelligent nano-bots that have begun to display predatory behavior.

The Whole Enchilada -
The story starts with Jack forcing his children to vomit (for reasons we discover later), then immediately back tracks to several chapters of establishing his life as a house-husband with a wife who is acting increasingly odd. But Jack used to be an expert on multi-agent systems in artificial intelligence, and his wife's company needs his help with a "little" problem with the software he wrote. Enter the rampant nano-technology, greedy corporate types, and disgusting gooey sludge. You never quite know what the real situation is, which ramps up the tension. And as each strange new adaptation of the swarm is revealed, it is definitely disturbing.

The book is typical Crichton fare - issues ripped from recent science headlines, psychological drama, and social commentary. I always enjoy his stories, but this one just didn't have the same level of suspense for me. While the insight into nano-technology was interesting and thought-provoking, I just didn't feel as connected to the characters as usual. Maybe it was due to Crichton's use of first person storytelling; maybe the characters just weren't as well developed. Regardless, it was entertaining and worth a listen if you need a Crichton fix.

About the Reading -
George Wilson has a pleasant enough voice that seems fit well with Jack's first person narration of Prey. Unfortunately, there was less distinction with the voices for the other characters. That could be put down to the nature of first person perspective, but I've heard it done better under similar circumstances. Overall Wilson's pacing matches the tempo of the story and he makes Prey an enjoyable listening experience.