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"Of course I copyright Jurassic Park. But if I could copyright all dinosaur stories on an island, I would. If I could copyright all rampaging animal stories, I would. I will take everything I can get. It's just common sense." --Michael Crichton
Crichton was born in Chicago on October 23, 1942. His journalist father encouraged Crichton to write stories as a young child. He attended Harvard University and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1969. Crichton did not major in English because he was dissatisfied with his teachers, so he focused on medicine. However, Crichton continued to write and published his first best seller, The Andromeda Strain while in medical school. After finishing his medical courses, Crichton quit medicine to become a writer and a teacher. Crichton taught anthropology and writing courses at MIT and Cambridge University. His background in science and biology can be clearly seen in his major literature works. He published 19 other major works, most famously Jurassic Park in 1990. Crichton was interested in biological science cautionary tales and most of his works have similar themes: the potential dangers of technology. After the success of his novels, Crichton moved to Los Angeles to work with directors and turned his writings into movies and television shows. Crichton also created the hit television series “ER” in 1994. He was also active in the political sphere and was skeptical about global warming. Crichton lived and continued to write in California until his death from cancer. He died in Los Angeles on November 4, 2008 and is survived by his wife and daughter.
"Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. 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." --- Director and Film Producer Steven Spielberg
Novels:
| THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1969) THE TERMINAL MAN (1972) THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1975) EATERS OF THE DEAD (1976) CONGO (1980) SPHERE (1987) JURASSIC PARK (1990) |
RISING SUN (1992) DISCLOSURE (1994) THE LOST WORLD (1995) AIRFRAME (1996) TIMELINE (1999) PREY (2002) STATE OF FEAR (2004) NEXT (2006) |
Non-fiction, Television, and Computer Games
| FIVE PATIENTS: The Hospital Explained (1970) JASPER JOHNS (1977) ELECTRONIC LIFE (1983) TRAVELS (1988) JASPER JOHNS (1994) |
ER (1994) Creator, (co-exec. producer) AMAZON (1982) |
Films and Screenplays
| PURSUIT (1972) (Director) WESTWORLD (1973) (Writer/Director) COMA (1978) (Writer/Director) THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1979) (Writer/Director) LOOKER (1981) (Writer/Director) RUNAWAY (1984) (Writer/Director) PHYSICAL EVIDENCE (1989) (Director) JURASSIC PARK (1993) (Co-writer) RISING SUN (1993) (Co-writer) DISCLOSURE (1994) (Co-producer) TWISTER (1996) (Co-writer, Co-producer) SPHERE (1998) (Co-producer) 13TH WARRIOR (1999) (Co-producer) |
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971)
WESTWORLD (1975) |