renamed Beth Halperin). The film largely follows the novel, although there are differences. The film received negative reviews from critics and has been described as having "bombed" at the box office. It was rated 12% by Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus opinion: "Sphere features an A-level cast working with B-grade material, with a story seen previously in superior science-fiction films". Film critic Roger Ebert described Sphere as "a watered-down take on the sci-fi classic Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, which was made into an immeasurably better film by Andrei Tarkovsky". Planned television series In August 2020, Entertainment Weekly reported that HBO would be developing a television series based on the novel. Reception Reviews were mostly positive for the novel in contrast to its film adaptation. For example, The New York Times Robin McKinley wrote, "Part of the fun of Sphere is that it keeps you going even when you're pretty sure of what will happen next." See also Flatland, a novel by Edwin Abbott Abbott "The Red One", a short story by Jack London References External links 1987 American novels American science fiction novels 1987 science fiction novels Techno-thriller novels Novels by Michael Crichton Books about cephalopods Novels about extraterrestrial life American novels adapted into films Alfred A. Knopf books Underwater novels