Sphere (novel)

Sphere is a science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton and published in 1987. It was made into the film Sphere in 1998.

The novel follows a psychologist named Norman Johnson, who is called upon by the U.S. Navy to join a team of scientists assembled by the U.S. Government to examine an enormous spacecraft discovered on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The depth of coral covering the craft proves that it has been lying there for over 300 years and so could be of only alien origin.

The novel begins as a fairly straightforward science fiction story, but quickly transforms into a psychological thriller, ultimately exploring the nature of the human subconscious.