Review: "Prey" by Micheal Crichton

Prey, by Micheal Crichton, is a well-written technothriller with an interesting protagonist and a smart plot. It is about the dangers inherent in self-replicating nanotechnology (tiny robots): i.e., the "Grey Grey Goo" problem. The idea is that, if self-replicating nanobots are released into the enviroment without good safeguards, they will eventually turn all matter on the planet into other nanobots.
While not quite going that far, the book still manages to convey an idea of the seriousness of this problem. It does probably show the technology coming a little earlier than plausible, but it's a technothriller, not hard SciFi.
Micheal Crichton really succeeds at the characterization of the protagonist in this book. I felt and understood his feelings, motivations, and actions as well as if I was standing inside his head. His feelings about his wife, his kids, and his situation as a stay-at-home dad were portrayed brilliantly.
Though some of the other characters are a bit cardboardy, the well-written protagonist and the exciting action scenes manage to drive this book into the 9 stars range.
Rating: 9/10