Who2 Editorial Blog
Notes and Commentary from the Editors
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Obituary First Lines: Michael Crichton
A sampling of opening lines about the celebrated author:"Michael Crichton, who died on Tuesday at the age of 66, was like a character in a Michael Crichton novel." -The New York Times
"The gone-haywire theme parks of Jurassic Park and Westworld. The breakneck medical decisions of ER. The storm chasers of Twister. All these and more came from the mind of Michael Crichton..." -E! Online
"Michael Crichton, a Harvard-trained medical doctor who applied his love and knowledge of science to write some of the most iconic sci-fi tales of his generation, died Tuesday of cancer." -Wired News
"His 1969 novel, The Andromeda Strain, alone would have been enough to make him a science fiction legend, but he turned out string of taut technothrillers, even equalling The Andromeda Strain's iconic status with 1990's Jurassic Park." -Discover Magazine
"Michael Crichton may puzzle or annoy in his occasional lapses in taste, but he cannot be dismissed." -The Christian Science Monitor
Labels: Michael Crichton, Obituary First Lines
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 8:20 PM 
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Yikes! Author Michael Crichton Dead at 66
Startling but true: Michael Crichton has died of cancer. "Unexpectedly," says The Hollywood Reporter, putting it mildly.He was 66 and had been battling cancer for some time, according to the BBC.
Crichton's 1969 book The Andromeda Strain is one of the great sci-fi delights of all time, full of realistic top-secret clearances and creepy bio-security procedures that are as thrilling as the villainous organism itself. It's all the more astounding for having been written while Crichton was a student at Harvard Medical School.
Later he was famous as the author of Jurassic Park, still later as the creator of the TV series ER, and later yet as a bit of a crank about global warming. Too bad about the latter, but he had earned his place at the public table long before.
66 seems awfully young. Happy travels, Mr. Crichton, wherever you are.
Labels: Michael Crichton
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 11:57 AM Share on Facebook 0 comments
