Wikipedia talk:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-09-08 State of Fear/Overview

Overview
State of Fear (like many of Michael Crichton's recent works) is a fictional work that uses actual science, unsupported speculation and technical non-fictional material (the author clearly identifies which is which) to support the storyline. The debate over global warming serves as the backdrop for the book. Crichton supplies a personal afterword and two appendices that attempt to link the fictional part of the book with real examples of his thesis, though critics dispute the validity of some of his citations.

The main villains in the plot are environmentalists. Crichton does give blame to "industry" in both the plot line and the appendices. Various assertions appear in the book, for example:


 * The science that supports or does not support the theory behind global warming is so incomplete that no reasonable conclusions can be drawn on how to solve the "problem" (or if the "problem" even exists).


 * Elites in various fields use either real or artificial crises to maintain the existing social order, misusing the "science" behind global warming.


 * As a result of potential conflicts of interest, the scientists conducting research on topics related to global warming may subtly change their findings to bring them in line with their funding sources.

Michael Crichton argues for removing politics from science and uses global warming and real life historical examples in the appendices to make this argument. The author also states in the above mentioned sources that he also uses the story as a cautionary tale of the results of a decline in critical thinking skills in the Western World.

In order to establish which parts of the work are fictional and which are not the page opposite the copyright page contains the following disclaimer:


 * "This is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations in this novel are the product of the author's imagination, or, if real used fictitiously without intent to describe their actual conduct.  However, references to real people, institutions and organizations that are documented in the footnotes are accurate. Footnotes are real."