Sphere (novel)

Sphere is a 1987 science fiction psychological thriller novel written by Michael Crichton. The story follows a group of American scientists who are hastily assembled and sent to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to investigate a large, mysterious spacecraft that appears to have been submerged for approximately three hundred years.

The team, consisting of a psychologist, a marine biologist, an astrophysicist, and a mathematician, is led by a government representative. They discover a perfect, reflective sphere inside the spacecraft. The sphere appears to be of alien origin and possesses unknown properties.

As the scientists explore the sphere and their environment within the habitat constructed around the spacecraft, they begin to experience vivid and terrifying hallucinations and nightmares. These manifestations become increasingly dangerous and real. The novel explores themes of fear, the power of the subconscious mind, and the potential dangers of advanced technology. It delves into the idea that what people imagine, especially under extreme psychological stress, can become reality.

The scientists grapple with the mystery of the sphere and its purpose, as well as the increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior of their own team members. They ultimately uncover a horrifying truth about the origin of the spacecraft and the true nature of the sphere's power, leading to a desperate fight for survival. The novel concludes with a morally ambiguous decision made by the surviving characters. A film adaptation of Sphere was released in 1998, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson.