Point of view

State of Fear is written in the third person from the omniscient perspective, and except for dialogue, is told in the omniscient voice.

Setting

State of Fear is a techno-thriller, and is thus set in the present, or perhaps slightly in the future. The author supports his suppositions and speculations with up-to-the-minute, legitimate scientific research, creating a futuristic ambiance.

Language and Meaning

Crichton uses straightforward prose, neither eloquent nor overly colloquial. He relies on content more than nuances of language to tell his story, and in this is an excellent communicator. In a romantic novel, this style would come off rather bland, but it serves the science fiction and techno-thriller genres well, where the development of concepts trumps the development of characters. The only unusual language is some laborious - and largely unpronounceable - technical terms, sprinkled in for effect.

Structure

State of Fear is divided...