Michael Crichton's latest novel entitled \State of Fear"" has stirred up more controversy in the last month than any of his previous novels combined. His fiction has often been deemed anti-science for its portrayal of cutting-edge technology gone wrong. While ""State of Fear"" is one of Crichton's weaker narrative efforts, his controversial views on global warming-and, more importantly, the spirit behind his conclusions-are more timely and applicable than ever.
The protagonist is Crichton's typical everyman. Peter Evans serves as an accountant for an environmentally concerned millionaire, George Morton. After suddenly withdrawing a $10 million grant from an environmental group, Morton dies in a drunk driving accident. While Evans is fighting to prevent the National Environmental Resource Fund from attaining said grant, he meets the mysterious Professor Kenner. Kenner had recently become friends with Morton and slowly Kenner unravels his suspicions-that NERF leaders, in an attempt to raise money and continue pushing his agenda, are planning to cause large natural disasters to support claims of an upcoming conference on the effects of global warming.
The rest of the book features Evans, Kenner and company racing around the world to prevent these disasters, including a tsunami that would crush the West coast of the U.S. It's all very typically Crichton-action pushing suspension of disbelief interspersed with lecture points on the topics he wants to discuss-but ""Fear's"" characters are even more flat than usual. As a story, ""State of Fear"" is below par for Crichton.
However, Crichton excels when he drops into the various theories at ""Fear's"" backbone. Many environmentalists have confused Crichton's message. His actual conclusions take concrete shape in the ""Author's Message"" following the novel. Most show good, cautious judgment and should by no means be threatening to environmentalists. He promotes a shift from fossil fuels (in fact, he expects it) and further research into proper evaluation and management of the environment.
However, he questions conventional thought on the cause, effects and existence of global warming. More importantly, he casts doubt upon the effectiveness of predictive models and questions the wisdom of implementing serious national policy based on such models.
The environmentalist backlash has obscured the most important fact-at heart, ""State of Fear"" isn't about global warming. Two-thirds into the novel, Professor Norman Hoffman finally lays out the underlying theme of the novel-the creation and maintenance of societal control through fear. Hoffman links the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise in reporting on environmental crises. Outlining thoughts on a complex, shifting entity called the ""politico-legal-media complex,"" Hoffman describes a sudden rise in media usage of terms like ""catastrophe"" and ""disaster."" He lashes out at lawyers, lawmakers, journalists and universities, pointing out their role in creating a modern ""state of fear.""
This topic is particularly enticing to liberals and conservatives alike. Anyone suspect of a liberal media bias or a neo-conservative governmental conspiracy can identify with the politics of fear. More importantly, he calls for the de-politicization of scientific research-equally important for journalism, intelligence analysis and governmental policy. Crichton should not be seen as a right-wing stooge for his views on global warming. Rather, he should be seen for what he is-a conscientious citizen begging for objectivity in a world of spin.
-""State of Fear"" is published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
