R.I.P. Michael Crichton

[lazee]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105/ap_en_ot/obit_crichton


Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science thrillers as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," has died of cancer, his family said.

He died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after a long battle with the illness.

[JasonEvans]

He has been dead to me since State of Fear.

I do not want to speak ill of the dead so I will simply say that up until a few years ago he was one of my favorite authors. Sphere, Jurassic Park, Disclosure, and Timeline are fabulous page-turners.

--Jason "in an effort to keep this from PP territory, I would ask that we not debate the theories behind State of Fear" Evans

[YmoBeThere]

I have read and enjoyed most of his books. I enjoyed reading a new one every couple of years.

[rthomas]

State of Fear was BS. Or I should say how Crichton tried to make his fiction a reality was BS. He turned into Mr. Anti-Science.

Next was awful.

I'm not crying.

[blazindw]

Contrary to some of the others, I grew up on Michael Crichton books. I count he, along with John Grisham and JK Rowling, among my favorite authors. I never read State of Fear or Next, but the rest of them, in my mind, were top notch. I'm sad he's gone, but he leaves behind a catalogue of books that defined the sci-fi genre for years.

[Bob Green]

I read and enjoyed two Michael Crichton novels: Airframe and Rising Sun. I'm sad to hear of his passing.

[Tommac]

The local public library has a twice year sale of books donated by the public. In recent sales I've seen several Crichton books. Which of his would any of you recommend to someone who has never read any of his books?

[2535Miles]

So a guy writes a few bad novels and we lose our ability to show compassion for him and his family? Ouch. I am sad for his suffering, his family's loss, and for the literary world's loss as well.

RIP Mr. Crichton, you may find that difficult to do in this thread.

[Bluedog]

The local public library has a twice year sale of books donated by the public. In recent sales I've seen several Crichton books. Which of his would any of you recommend to someone who has never read any of his books?

His early works are classics. I've read The Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, Airframe, Timeline, and Prey. I heard his two most recent - State of Fear and Next - aren't that great, so I didn't read them. I'd especially recommend Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, and Timeline, but really, all of them are good. Fast reads, intense, at least somewhat intellectual (he did graduate from Harvard med) sci-fi thrillers. He will be missed. Also, for creating ER (I can't believe that show is still running).

[bigj4194]

RIP Mr. Chriton...you will be missed.

While I read Next and State of Fear and didn't think they were his best works they were still interesting and good reads...I still maintain that Jarassic Park, Andromeda Strain Timeline and Sphere are his four best works

[roywhite]

RIP Mr. Chriton...you will be missed.

While I read Next and State of Fear and didn't think they were his best works they were still interesting and good reads...I still maintain that Jarassic Park, Andromeda Strain Timeline and Sphere are his four best works

Wasn't aware that Crichton was sick, and sorry to hear of his passing. In the way that some of his works captured the public imagination with a combination of science and fiction, he reminded me a latter day Jules Verne.

The images of Jurassic Park, especially in movie form, became part of popular culture.

[JasonEvans]

So a guy writes a few bad novels...

It is not that they were bad, it was that through State of Fear he began an anti-science campaign that I consider to be extremely dangerous for all of mankind.

Look, when Eddie Murphy passes, I will miss him even though he has not made a worthwhile movie in quite some time. What Michael Crichton did was more, IMO, than bad art. He gave a voice and a champion (with scientific credentials) to a cause that (IMO) is just plain wrong and dangerous.

--Jason "but, as I said, I will miss his writing" Evans

[2535Miles]

It is not that they were bad, it was that through State of Fear he began an anti-science campaign that I consider to be extremely dangerous for all of mankind.

Look, when Eddie Murphy passes, I will miss him even though he has not made a worthwhile movie in quite some time. What Michael Crichton did was more, IMO, than bad art. He gave a voice and a champion (with scientific credentials) to a cause that (IMO) is just plain wrong and dangerous.

--Jason "but, as I said, I will miss his writing" Evans
Totally agree on your bad art analysis; I also thought State of Fear was dangerous and a major letdown. I just don't see how this justifies the lack of compassion for his death. Maybe I'm too sensitive today but I was disappointed in some of the posts in this thread.

[rthomas]

Totally agree on your bad art analysis; I also thought State of Fear was dangerous and a major letdown. I just don't see how this justifies the lack of compassion for his death. Maybe I'm too sensitive today but I was disappointed in some of the posts in this thread.

I'm assuming that you mean my post. I haven't posted anything since my original "I'm not crying" becasue I didn't want this thead to go PPB. The bottom line is that Crichton's ficton was fne. I liked Andromeda Strain. I thought Congo was awfully stupid (and the movie was worse).

The problem I had with Crichton was that he took his novel on climate change and then he began to belive what he wrote was not fiction, it was the truth and he began to preach his fiction as truth to anyone who didn't know better. It's a dangerous for artists to tell people that fiction is truth.

[YmoBeThere]

The local public library has a twice year sale of books donated by the public. In recent sales I've seen several Crichton books. Which of his would any of you recommend to someone who has never read any of his books?


Rising Sun was excellent and the film with Connery and Snipes was actually pretty good IMHO. I would recommend it but that's because I enjoy corporate intrigue. I would also recommend Andromeda Strain. The thing I enjoyed about his writing was a problem/crisis occurred on Wednesday and by Sunday afternoon it was pretty much handled. Relatively nice and compact. I thought it an interesting way to tackle things.

[pamtar]

Crichton was my favorite author for a few years growing up. Sad to see him go. I can remember faking sick so I could stay home from school and finish Sphere.

As for State of Fear...I really don't want to get started on global warming so I'll refrain. Hated the book though. ;)

[JasonEvans]

The local public library has a twice year sale of books donated by the public. In recent sales I've seen several Crichton books. Which of his would any of you recommend to someone who has never read any of his books?

Anything except State of Fear and Next would be a great read. They are all fun and strong page-turners. Personally, I think Congo and Airframe are the worst of the good stuff. Hmmm, I think I will rank them--



1. Jurassic Park - it is what he is known for for a reason
2. Andromeda Strain - amazing to think that this book was written in 1969. So far ahead of its time.
3. Sphere - perhaps his best mystery. Really threw me for a loop a couple times. The movie sucks.
4. Timeline - again, a terrible movie but I found his take on Time Travel pretty cool.
5. Disclosure - some clever twists. It is not about what you think it is about.
6. The Lost World - a nice sequel. Did not just do the same thing over again, which was cool.
7. Rising Sun - I can't believe a book this good is this low on the list. Really compelling insight into Japanese culture.
8. Prey - a bit hokey and too sci-fi but some very cool tension. Nanotechnology is fascinating to think about.
9. Terminal Man - not as cool or dangerous feeling as his other stuff, but a well-told story.
10. Congo - A bit too far-fetched. Super-apes? Puh-lease.
11. Airframe - Felt like I was reading a screenplay, not a novel. Didn't have the depth I would like.
12. Next - I got it at a used book sale a few months ago and haev been reading it slowly. The fact that it is not a page-turner makes this a weak effort.


I've never read State of Fear, The Great Train Robbery, or Eaters of the Dead. I think he has a few other non-fiction books too but I have not read them.

Everything above Congo is strong. Congo and Airframe are pretty decent too. The guy could write, that's for sure.

--Jason "I am sure others will say Timeline is too high, but I have a thing for good time travel stories" Evans

[Wander]

I've never read State of Fear, The Great Train Robbery, or Eaters of the Dead. I think he has a few other non-fiction books too but I have not read them.

--Jason "I am sure others will say Timeline is too high, but I have a thing for good time travel stories" Evans

You've never read State of Fear but you're sure it's a terrible and dangerous book?

By the way, I didn't like the novel.

By the way 2, I agree on Timeline - I actually would have it at number 3, as I liked it better than Andromeda. I like your ranking. I never got to Disclosure, I'll have to pick that up.

[JasonEvans]

You've never read State of Fear but you're sure it's a terrible and dangerous book?


I have read a great deal about State of Fear and I know -- from reading/listening to interviews with Crichton -- what he was trying to accomplish with the book. I think that is enough for me to say the book is dangerous. Also, even if the book sucked and failed to accomplish it's goal, the fact that Crichton wanted the book to do some things that I think are dangerous is enough, isn't it?

Look. Watch this. I am about to lose this argument.

Put another way-- I've never listened to one of Hitler's speeches, but I know they are terrible and dangerous too.

--Jason "that last analogy was weak and obvious -- sorry" Evans

[Deslok]

I have read a great deal about State of Fear and I know -- from reading/listening to interviews with Crichton -- what he was trying to accomplish with the book. I think that is enough for me to say the book is dangerous. Also, even if the book sucked and failed to accomplish it's goal, the fact that Crichton wanted the book to do some things that I think are dangerous is enough, isn't it?

Look. Watch this. I am about to lose this argument.

Put another way-- I've never listened to one of Hitler's speeches, but I know they are terrible and dangerous too.

--Jason "that last analogy was weak and obvious -- sorry" Evans

Actually, I'd even go so far as t say that last analogy was horribly wrong. While Hitler's speeches were dangerous, they were dangerous because they were, from an impact point of view only, fantastic. Had Hitler been a lousy speaker who couldn't string 5 coherent words together the world would have been a much better place. Instead, he could deliver lines that roused his fellow Germans and led them into the depths of Hell.

I've read State of Fear, and its an alright book, definitely not one of his better(but then, I haven't liked overly much of what he'd done for the last decade or so). But it was an ok read so long as you read as what it was... fiction. If you start going Da Vinci code on it(another fiction book that got way too much made over it when people started taking it as something other than fiction)... well then you lose track of what the book was, fiction, and shouldn't be read for deeper meaning than entertainment(even if Crichton was intending another message).

[aimo]

I loved Jurassic Park. I liked the movie b/c of the amazing affects (for that time) but was disappointed that they changed the ending, having the old man and Malcolm both survive. I eagerly bought a copy of Lost World, only to toss it on a shelf after reading the first page about how Malcolm's death was mistakenly reported, blah blah blah. That really pissed me off, b/c I felt Crichton did that for the movies' sake.

I did enjoy Rising Sun, though a long time ago. I liked Congo, until I got to the end and decided I'd just lost a chunk of my life that I'll never get back.

[JasonEvans]

I did enjoy Rising Sun, though a long time ago. I liked Congo, until I got to the end and decided I'd just lost a chunk of my life that I'll never get back.

Dude, if you want to lose a chunk of your life, watch the Congo movie. Whew, was that thing ever a stinker!!

This picture should tell you all you need to know--

http://www.scifimoviepage.com/images/congo.jpg

Congo gets a 4.5 out of 10 on IMDB -- that's bad!

--Jason "I think it was a comedy-- though they did not intend for it to be one" Evans

[billybreen]

Dude, if you want to lose a chunk of your life, watch the Congo movie. Whew, was that thing ever a stinker!!

This picture should tell you all you need to know--

http://www.scifimoviepage.com/images/congo.jpg

Congo gets a 4.5 out of 10 on IMDB -- that's bad!

--Jason "I think it was a comedy-- though they did not intend for it to be one" Evans

Probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen in the theaters. Batteries Not Included was better.

[2535Miles]

Probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen in the theaters. Batteries Not Included was better.
Which one had better special effects?

[2535Miles]

I'm assuming that you mean my post. I haven't posted anything since my original "I'm not crying" becasue I didn't want this thead to go PPB. The bottom line is that Crichton's ficton was fne. I liked Andromeda Strain. I thought Congo was awfully stupid (and the movie was worse).

The problem I had with Crichton was that he took his novel on climate change and then he began to belive what he wrote was not fiction, it was the truth and he began to preach his fiction as truth to anyone who didn't know better. It's a dangerous for artists to tell people that fiction is truth.
I understand everyone's disappointment in his last books, and I share in that as well. I can also understand why you didn't post for fear of moving this to the PPB. I was just literally surprised at some of the comments because we (DBR) typically don't exhibit that kind of behavior here. I'm over it though and still love you guys.

[billybreen]

Which one had better special effects?

Chucky Cheese has better animatronic primates than Congo.

[Cavlaw]

I liked Congo (the book) fairly well. The movie was terrible. I think Jason ranked Timeline a little high, but it was still a pretty enjoyable read. The Great Train Robbery was really terrific, and Eaters of the Dead was even better (the movie version, The Thirteenth Warrior with Antonio Banderas, was also fun).

I think I would rank them:

1. Jurassic Park
2. Sphere
3. Eaters of the Dead
4. The Great Train Robbery
5. Congo
6. Timeline
7. Rising Sun
8. The Andromeda Strain
9. Disclosure
10. The Lost World

I haven't read the others.

[Tommac]

Can someone explain or describe State of Fear and why they didn't like it? I'm looking at it strictly from a recreational/entertainment reading standpoint. Thanks.

[YmoBeThere]

Can someone explain or describe State of Fear and why they didn't like it? I'm looking at it strictly from a recreational/entertainment reading standpoint. Thanks.

I don't think you are going to get an answer. Several who have expressed a dislike for it have a particular environmental agenda and dismiss it because of that.

[rthomas]

I don't think you are going to get an answer. Several who have expressed a dislike for it have a particular environmental agenda and dismiss it because of that.

Actually YmoBeThere, It's very easy to dismiss Crichton's book on scientific grounds. But Tommac didn't ask for criticism of Crichton's book that it was bad because he used his fiction to express his own enviromental agenda based on his flawed and misleading interpretation of real science on climate change and then tried to be a deceitful shill for Senator Inhofe and Rush Limbaugh to fool people into believing that his fiction book was real science. But that's not what Tommac asked for. Tommac asked for criticism of the book based on recreational/entertainment reading standpoint.

[Cavlaw]

Can someone explain or describe State of Fear and why they didn't like it? I'm looking at it strictly from a recreational/entertainment reading standpoint. Thanks.
Do what I did - go to wikipedia to see what the fuss is all about.