Topic: Michael Crichton RIP

[46&2]

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Crichton, who helped create the TV show "ER" and wrote the best-sellers "Jurassic Park," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere" and "Rising Sun," has died in Los Angeles, his public relations firm said in a news release.


Crichton died unexpectedly Tuesday "after a courageous and private battle against cancer," the release said.

He was 66.

Crichton, a medical doctor, was attracted to cautionary science tales. 

"Jurassic Park" -- perhaps his best-known work -- concerned capturing the DNA of dinosaurs and bringing them to life on a modern island, where they soon run amok; "The Andromeda Strain," his first major fiction success, involves an alien microorganism that's studied in a special military compound after causing death in a nearby community.

Crichton also invited controversy with some of his scientific views. He was an avowed skeptic of global climate change, giving lectures warning against "consensus science." He later took on global warming and the theories surrounding it in his 2004 novel, "State of Fear," which attracted attacks in its own right from scientists, including NASA climatologist James Hansen.

Crichton was a distinctive figure in the entertainment business, a trained physician whose interests included writing, filmmaking and television. (He was physically distinctive as well, standing 6 feet 9 inches.)

He published "The Andromeda Strain" while he was still a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He wrote a story about a 19th-century train robbery, called "The Great Train Robbery," and then directed the 1979 film version.

He also directed several other films, including "Westworld" (1973), "Coma" (1978), "Looker" (1981) and "Runaway" (1984).

In 1993, while working on the film version of "Jurassic Park" with Steven Spielberg, he teamed with the director to create "ER." The NBC series set in a Chicago emergency room debuted in 1994 and became a huge hit, making a star of George Clooney. Crichton originally wrote the script for the pilot in 1974.

"Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of 'Jurassic Park,' " said Spielberg, a friend of Crichton's for 40 years, according to The Associated Press. "He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth. ... Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place."

Crichton was "an extraordinary man. Brilliant, funny, erudite, gracious, exceptionally inquisitive and always thoughtful," "ER" executive producer John Wells told the AP. "No lunch with Michael lasted less than three hours and no subject was too prosaic or obscure to attract his interest. Sexual politics, medical and scientific ethics, anthropology, archaeology, economics, astronomy, astrology, quantum physics, and molecular biology were all regular topics of conversation."

Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942 and grew up in New York's suburbs. His father was a journalist and Michael loved the writing profession. He went to medical school partly out of a concern he wouldn't be able to make writing a career, but the success of "The Andromeda Strain" in 1969 -- the book was chosen by the Book-of-the-Month Club and optioned by Hollywood -- made him change his mind, though he still had an M.D.

Though most of Crichton's books were major best-sellers involving science, he could ruffle feathers when he took on social issues. "Rising Sun" (1992) came out during a time when Americans feared Japanese ascendance, particularly when it came to technology. "Disclosure" (1994) was about a sexual harassment case.

Crichton won an Emmy, a Peabody, a Writers Guild of America Award for "ER," and won other awards as well.

"Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," the news release said.

Crichton was married five times and had one child.

A private funeral service is expected.

Rest in Peace.... another dead hero. If you have never read any of Crichton's books, I highly suggest them. Any of them. So far I have only read Jurassic Park, Lost World, Eaters of the Dead (13th Warrior), and Sphere, but all of his work is equally entertaining, fascinating, and thought-provoking. There are few authors who can even compare to Crichton. RIP.

[NorCalToy]

dang... RIP

ive read jurassic park, good read actually

[46&2 [OP]]

Lost World is even better. Not too many authors can actually give you sweaty palms while READING their book....

[jimbo74]

awwwww.... that's said, truly a great author

[ninja turtle]

bummer... sphere was my favorite.

[Trunkz]

oh man so we wont have another 50 jurrasic park movies to look forward to? i liked em.. but they didnt improve with each new tale

[46&2 [OP]]

oh man so we wont have another 50 jurrasic park movies to look forward to? i liked em.. but they didnt improve with each new tale

 

Dude he wrote the books not the movie screenplays and only the first movie remotely resembles its corresponding book (basic line of events and character names). The second two just take bits and pieces from JP and Lost World and combine them to make a poorly thrown together 2nd & 3rd movie. If Steven Spielberg hadn't wanted to appease to an audience of all ages, Jurassic Park would have been rated R. The book is way more violent and bloody than the movies "inspired" by the book. I highly suggest picking up any of his novels, he was a great author and also challenged many aspects of the scientific world ahead of its time in a way that someone that doesnt have a PHD can understand. Jurassic Park the book was all about how far should we take cloning, and the book itself was written in in the 80s, A long time before Dolly the Sheep.

[Trunkz]

i have read the books.... just beginning to really hate sequals (and remakes) in a way that cannot be described without a pitchfork and torch
he was a great author

[84xcab]

Great author, he will always be remembered. Two other great ones of his I read were Prey and Airframe.

[46&2 [OP]]

Great author, he will always be remembered. Two other great ones of his I read were Prey and Airframe.

Both books I need to read!