Michael Crichton (1942–2008)
Author of Jurassic Park
About the Author
John Michael Crichton, known as Michael Crichton, was born on October 28, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He wrote novels while attending Harvard University and Harvard Medical School to help pay the tuition. One of these, The Andromeda Strain, which was published in 1969, became a bestseller. After show more graduating summa cum laude, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute in California before becoming a full-time writer and film director. His carefully researched novels included Eaters of the Dead, The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, Disclosure, The Lost World, Airframe, and Micro. He also wrote non-fiction works including Five Patients: The Hospital Explained, Jasper Johns, and Travels. In the late 1960s, he also wrote under the pen names Jeffrey Hudson and John Lange. He has received several awards including Writer of the Year in 1970 from the Association of American Medical Writers and two Edgar Awards in 1968 and in 1979. Many of his novels have been made into highly successful films, six of which he directed. He was also the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television series ER. In addition to his writing and directorial success, his expertise in information science enabled him to run a software company and develop a computer game. He died of cancer on November 4, 2008 at the age of 66. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Michael Crichton also wrote under the pseudonyms John Lange and Jeffery Hudson, during his medical studies. He also co-authored one book with his brother Douglas under the pen name Michael Douglas.
Series
Works by Michael Crichton
Westworld: Season 3 [DVD] [2020] 11 copies
ER: The Complete Series 9 copies
4 Film Favorites: Horror — Director — 6 copies
Our John Willie, Centennial, Harlequin, Eric (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Vol. 1-1975) 5 copies
Westworld: The Complete Fourth Season — Author — 5 copies
Michael Crichton Value Collection: Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, and The Lost World (The Michael Crichton… (2000) 5 copies
Michael Crichton 4 copies
Blood Doesn't Come Out — Author — 3 copies
Rising Sun (audio abridged) 2 copies
State of Fear / Next 2 copies
Parque jurasico, el comienzo... 2 copies
Our John Willie, Centennial, Harlequin, Eric (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Vol. 1-1975) (1975) 2 copies
Jurassic Park: Screenplay 2 copies
Haksız Yasak 1 copy
Congo / Next / Prey / Sphere / The Terminal Man — Author — 1 copy
The Andromeda strain 1 copy
Andrómeda 1 copy
Det stora tågrånet/Emily/En amerikan i Gulag/De vilda elefanterna (Det bästas bokval, sammandrag) 1 copy
Readers Digest Auswahlbücher: Endstation / Bischu, der Jaguar / Der alte Mann und ich / Haus in Angst (1974) 1 copy
Michael Crichton Set 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Vanished Man • Don't Look Back • Prey • Street Boys (2003) 12 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 200 : Der Klient. Spiel des Schicksals. Enthüllung. Das Glück hat sanfte Pfoten. (1995) 7 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 124 - Vogelfrei. Wettlauf mit dem weißen Tod. Mein linker Fuß. Expedition Kongo. (1982) 6 copies
The Great Train Robbery • Blind Love • Brown on Resolution • Where are the Children? • Among the Elephants (1974) 5 copies
Reader's Digest Select Editions: Airframe • Birds of Prey • The Partner • The Falconer (1997) 4 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Terminal Man • Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian • The Sunbird • A Falcon for… (1973) 4 copies
Kirjavaliot - Verkossa (Disclosure) / Ihmeiden aika (St. Agnes' stand) / Tuhon siemenet (Growth) / Piinaava pelko… (1995) 2 copies
Tom Selleck Triple Feature : Runaway/Shadow Riders/Ike: Countdown to D-Day — Director — 2 copies
Kirjavaliot - Kongo / Tohtori Gibsonin vastaanotto / Kohtaaminen Firenzessä / Oikeuden voitto (1984) 2 copies
Selecciones Reader's Digest: (libros condensados) El Gran Robo del Tren. Un Hombre Contra un Crucero. La Canción de… (1977) — Contributor — 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (1998) vol 196: En dröm om frihet; Skamgrepp; Tre unga lejon; Handen som gungar vaggan (1998) — Author — 2 copies
Het Beste Boek 77: De baby en het slagschip / De grote treinroof / De gevaarlijke erfenis / De patiënten — Author — 2 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Disclosure • The Fist of God • The Hills Are Lonely • Diamond Solitaire — Author — 1 copy
Reader's Digest Select Editions: Airframe / A Woman's Place / The Unlikely Spy / The Notebook — Author — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Crichton, John Michael
- Other names
- Lange, John (pseudonym)
Hudson, Jeffrey (pseudonym)
Douglas, Michael (shared pseudonym with his brother Douglas) - Birthdate
- 1942-10-23
- Date of death
- 2008-11-04
- Burial location
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Cause of death
- Lymphoma
- Places of residence
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
New York, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA - Education
- Harvard University (MD|1969)
Harvard College (AB|1964) - Occupations
- screenwriter
director
producer
novelist
physician - Relationships
- Martin, Anne-Marie (former wife)
Crichton, Douglas (brother) - Organizations
- Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Author's Guild
Writers Guild of America
PEN America Center
Directors Guild of America
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (show all 7)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Awards and honors
- Phi Beta Kappa
Association of American Medical Writers Award (1970)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Technical Achievement Award ∙ 1995)
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Journalism Award (2006) - Short biography
- Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. His novels include Next, State of Fear, Prey, Timeline, Jurassic Park, and The Andromeda Strain. He was also the creator of the television series ER. One of the most popular writers in the world, his books have been made into thirteen films, and translated in thirty-six languages. He died in 2008.
- Disambiguation notice
- Michael Crichton also wrote under the pseudonyms John Lange and Jeffery Hudson, during his medical studies. He also co-authored one book with his brother Douglas under the pen name Michael Douglas.
Members
Discussions
Chricton's Sphere Arrived in Easton Press Collectors (July 2023)
Jurassic Park - Folio edition in Folio Society Devotees (September 2021)
Reviews
Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton
Reading this book as an early teen right after the success of the movie of the same name I was fascinated by the wonders of the science described in the book and of course by the thought of reviving such fantastic giant ancient creatures. The dangers of such experiment and horrors of unleashing such power were also not taken for granted by my teen mind. I confess, however, that more moral and ethical questions about the message transmitted by the author were to populate my mind only a bit later as more dense and complex topics would show up in my adult mind: What would humanity do if such power of (re)creation was sudden really in its hands? To use it or not to use it? The answer is getting clear by the day...… (more)
This was an unfinished novel found in Crichton's computer files after his death. You can tell.
I don't hate it as much as a lot of the reviewers here seem to, probably because the caribbean age of piracy is a personal interest, but it's no Treasure Island or On Stranger Tides. It's rough, missing characterization, bare-bones, and the writing needs a couple punch-up passes. Plus, Surprise Pedophilia. That the preteen in question is absolutely wanton to a cartoonish degree makes it worse.
I don't hate it as much as a lot of the reviewers here seem to, probably because the caribbean age of piracy is a personal interest, but it's no Treasure Island or On Stranger Tides. It's rough, missing characterization, bare-bones, and the writing needs a couple punch-up passes. Plus, Surprise Pedophilia. That the preteen in question is absolutely wanton to a cartoonish degree makes it worse.
The ‘Grave Descend’ (“a hell of a name for a ship”) is a boat, a sunken boat. In Jamaican territorial waters. Jim Mcgregor, a salvage diver, is hired to find out why it went down. But, as his friend Sylvie says, “It is very peculiar that they would hire you to salvage a yacht which is afloat.” Peculiar indeed!
A very quick read, that has a nice crisp pace! Lots of shady dealings, and double crossing, and action! And nasty ocelots! This definitely could have had a sequel or two! Just watch out for those hammerheads!
“The curious fish,” Yeoman said, “gets the hook.” (Yeoman was my favorite character in this book!)… (more)
A very quick read, that has a nice crisp pace! Lots of shady dealings, and double crossing, and action! And nasty ocelots! This definitely could have had a sequel or two! Just watch out for those hammerheads!
“The curious fish,” Yeoman said, “gets the hook.” (Yeoman was my favorite character in this book!)… (more)
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To Read - Horror (1)
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1970s (1)
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 151
- Also by
- 32
- Members
- 152,119
- Popularity
- #40
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 2,287
- ISBNs
- 1,987
- Languages
- 37
- Favorited
- 474
