Despite being an English major and having plenty of exposure to what we consider "good literature", i can't help but enjoy reading Crichton's State of Fear. I don't really care if its a little trashy, oversimplified, and cliche; its a nice change of pace! Not to mention, i at least have to give Crichton some sort of credit for his vast and complicated web of characters, events, places, and topics. I found it a little hard to keep up with him at times, but overall, I was impressed at his ability to create, at the very least, an entertaining plot.
One of the passages that I jumped out at me is actually near the very beginning of the novel, at the graphic shop Design/Quest. There are three different ad posters hanging in the office: "One said "Save the Earth" and beneath it, "It's the Only Home We Have." The other said "Save the Earth" and beneath that, "There's Nowhere Else to Go." Then off to one side was a framed photograph of a blond model in a T-Shirt: Save the Earth" and the copy line was "And Look Good Doing It."(30) I found this so spot on accurate to what I see are the three main concerns for most people concerning global warming. I love how Crichton boils it down to a simple advertising campaign. I currently have a job where I work next to graphic designers all the time, and so I have come to realize the importance of details, precision, simplicity, and how to most effectively grab an audience's attention. This poster campaign described in the book does just that.
Another passage that I found telling occurs on pages 101–104, when Evans is first introduced to John Balder, and Balder immediately calls him out on what considers to be a lack of knowledge on Evans part about the definition of global warming. I think its a bit of a case of semantic contagion, where a term becomes so overly cliche that it publicly takes on a meaning of its own that may not necessarily be the truth. But because of its usage, it becomes a sort of "public truth" that the average person may assume to be real. Interesting.
I don't think I have a particular love for any of the characters so far; Evans is certainly interesting, but I don't really love or hate him. The one downside of (Crichton) being so concerned with creating a good story is the lack of memorable characters. I found it interesting that Evans, who we hear from more than Morton, is introduced (in Iceland) in light of Morton. Similarly, Kenner, another big character, is introduced (in Japan) in light of Hitomi. I am interested in Crichton's use of smaller characters and their brief perspectives as well, like Nat Damon, the submarine guy, and Hitomi, the IDEC director. These characters set up a sense of uneasiness and suspicion which is important for the the reader.
I too enjoyed how Crichton boils down the problems with global warming down to a simple advertising campaign. But then I also enjoy that he discusses how complex things like environmental organizations are, they're political platforms and tools, among other things (like another classmate said). I also have hard time remembering all of the characters. There are so many characters that have so much potential for depth, but I just end up confusing Jennifer with Margo with Sarah. And I agree about the smaller characters creating a sense of uneasiness and doubt. (Love it!) It just makes you question the whole novel and context.
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