In Sphere, they deal with jellyfish and squid.Īs a teenager in 1998, I certainly had not heard of Solaris in any capacity. In Solaris, the astronauts are confronted with their past through subconscious hallucinations of their past. Both Solaris and Sphere consider humans in a foreign habitat exploring an object of extraterrestrial interest and being plumbed for their worst fears. Yet, Solaris and Sphere have such similar plots that it wouldn’t be a stretch to consider this a case of trainspotting at best. As an American film starring George Clooney, it still hadn’t been made. As a three-hour Russian film, it was still relatively unseen other than among film devotees. As a science-fiction novel, it was still a Polish novel that only piqued certain interests. In 1998, Solaris was an experience barely known outside certain geek circles. More to the point I think the ending was left ambiguous for a reason our interpretation of it says more about us than it does about the ending, much the way Beth and Harry's interpretation of the ship, crew and sphere said more about them than it did the ship, crew or sphere.An interstellar ocean of subconscious fear-exploiting goo from Solaris Since it's implied that neither Beth nor Norman actually gave up the power, it's likely Harry did not either, and their earlier discussion about whether or not they had "the power to forget they had the power" becomes more relevant. Immediately after 'giving up' the power, an experienced crew member is immediately attentive, respectfully asking Norman if there is anything they need. At the start of the final chapter, Norman awakes earlier than the others and, looking out the door window, laments the young and inexperienced crew members who are ignoring them when they should be doing their job, respecting what they had just gone through. There's more evidence that Norman kept it, than there is that Beth did. Neither Beth nor Norman gave up the power. Serene despite the hardships of their time underwater, Norman Clearly someone must still have "the power" and since she was the only one who was reluctant to give it up, we can reasonably conclude that she tricked the others into relinquishing their power while retaining it herself. On the final page we see that she's retained her beauty. He looked at herĪrms, which had been sinewy, veins bulging. Her nose did not seem so sharpĪny more the line of the mouth was softer, fuller. It was odd afterĪll the time down here she should seem so radiant. Norman went up to the lab to see beth, but she was asleep, curled up Later, the effect becomes even more pronounced She actually looked rather beautiful, he thought. If anything, she looked better than ever.
Halfway through the book, the sphere starts messing with their perceptions and his description becomes much more favourable Was cut short, hardly longer than a man’s. Beth was a serious weight-lifter and runner the veins and musclesīulged at her neck and on her forearms, and her legs, beneath her shorts, were powerful. In the years since Norman had last seen her, she seemed to have emphasized her
Thirty-six who could be called pretty despite her sharp features and the almost masculine quality He acknowledges that she's "pretty" but he mostly concentrates on her muscles and physiqueīeth Halpern, the team zoologist, was a study in contrasts. The major clues are in Crichton's description of how Norman views Beth throughout the book.Īt the start of the book he describes her as "masculine" and " sharp-featured". "You know, Beth," he said, "you look lovely."īeth did not seem to hear, but then she turned toward him slowly. Serene despite the hardships of their time underwater, Norman thought
Into space, preoccupied with her own thoughts. "Actually, Beth," Harry said, "she looks a little like you."Īlso Beth apparently would make use of the power to make herself look very attractive, what brings me to what happenes in the end: "I don't think there's any need for comments of that kind." "What's wrong-offended on her behalf?" Harry said. Reporters would go crazy with this, wouldn't they? Sexy woman from theįuture found nude and mummified. "She's pretty good-looking," Harry said, peering through the glass. They found a mummified woman in a hibernation chamber that looks like Beth (page 250): It seems to me that in the novel Sphere by Michael Crichton, Beth (the woman that also had the power) didn't forget the whole thing at the end.