“Terrifying. . . irresistibly suspenseful.” — New York Times Book Review

“Holds your attention ruthlessly from start to finish.” — Time magazine

A terrifying page–turner in classic Crichton tradition, masterfully combining the elements of a heart–pounding thriller with cutting–edge technology. The result is a tale so realistic, so scary, you won’t be able to put it down.

Deep in the Nevada desert, the Xymos Corporation has built a state-of-the-art fabrication plant, surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but cactus and coyotes. Eight people are trapped. A self-replicating swarm of predatory molecules is rapidly evolving outside the plant. Massed together, the molecules form an intelligent organism that is anything but benign. More powerful by the hour, it has targeted the eight scientists as prey. They must stop the swarm before it is too late…