Michael Crichton
Writer / Filmmaker
A specialist in science-related thrillers, Michael Crichton wrote some of the most popular mass-market novels of the 1980s and 1990s. He attended Harvard and trained as a doctor; before graduating from medical school he had already written the best-selling thriller The Andromeda Strain (1969). Later he wrote hit novels like The Terminal Man (1972) and Rising Sun (1992). He also directed several movies, including the film of his own 1975 novel The Great Train Robbery (1979, with Sean Connery). Crichton's popularity boomed in the 1990s, when his book Jurassic Park was made into a hit movie by director Steven Spielberg. Crichton also created the Emmy-winning TV series E.R. His 2004 novel State of Fear questioned the scientific validity of global warming, giving Crichton a reputation as a climate change skeptic; in 2005 he testified before a Senate committee and had a private visit with President George W. Bush to discuss the issue.Crichton and medical thriller author Robin Cook star in our loop on Doctors Who Write.
Four Good Links
Official Site of Michael Crichton
Crichton's own slick site, with an unusually thoughtful FAQ
Washington Center for Complexity & Public Policy
His latest venture involves being a public policy consultant
Random House: Michael Crichton
His publisher's site for his many books
Michael Crichton and Global Warming
2005 analysis of Crichton's views from the Brookings Institution
Vital Stats
Birth
23 October 1942
(age 65)
Birthplace
Death
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Best Known As
The author of Jurassic Park

