Rupert Murdoch has never shied from controversy, and this attitude has served News Corp. (NYSE:NWS) well. News Corp. subsidiary Fox Entertainment (NYSE:FOX) developed a formula for its Fox News that has been trouncing Time Warner's (NYSE:TWX) CNN in television ratings. Fox also took a major step forward recently in bringing its "fair and balanced" approach to radio through a deal with Clear Channel Communications (NYSE:CCU) that puts its brand of news head-to-head with Disney's (NYSE:DIS) ABC and Viacom's (NYSE:VIA) CBS.
Now, News Corp.'s HarperCollins book publishing division appears to be following the lead of the news segment. HarperCollins recently released State of Fear, a new novel by Michael Crichton. Crichton is well known for best-selling science-fiction novels, such as Jurassic Park and Andromeda Strain, that have been made into successful movies.
State of Fear reportedly follows the pattern of Crichton's earlier works in weaving cutting-edge scientific concepts into the heart of the story. In the new book, Crichton makes global warming a major theme. However, State of Fear differs in one important respect from earlier works. While Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park accepted certain scientific premises as facts, in State of Fear, Crichton suggests the scientific consensus on global warming -- that the planet is heating up and humans are to blame -- is inaccurate.
After just a few days in circulation, State of Fear is grabbing plenty of attention. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have featured articles both praising the novel's boldness and questioning its accuracy. The book may even make global warming a hot topic in the coming year, the same way TheDa Vinci Code's controversial claims and blending of fact and fiction brought Christianity into the spotlight this year. The initial indications look promising. State of Fear is now No. 2 on Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN) best-seller list. For HarperCollins, the message is clear: Controversy sells.
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Fool contributor Brian Gorman is a freelance writer living in Chicago. He does not own shares of any company mentioned here.
