Michael Crichton — #100FavouriteAuthors
Another author who left us too early…
His bibliography reads like a ‘Greatest 70s-90s Hits’ reel.
And maybe even beyond, into the 2000s. Michael Crichton (God bless his soul) gave us some of the most compelling science fiction stories. What made Crichton’s stories compelling is the combination of world-building and character development — not one of his characters felt out of place. I don’t have to elaborate on the world-building bit — Jurassic Park and The Lost World are prime examples. Speaking of which, here are my favourite Michael Crichton stories:
- Jurassic Park: Obviously. Funny thing is I saw Spielberg’s movie before I read the book, but that didn’t alter my experience. I was as awestruck reading the book as I was watching the film. The advantage? John Williams’ beautiful background score kept playing in my head when I was reading the book.
- The Andromeda Strain: One of Crichton’s most underrated works. The Andromeda Strain made biological warfare cool before it was considered cool. Add to that strange alien organism returning to earth from outer space, and boy do we have a thriller.
- Congo: This was the first Michael Crichton story I read. And I like this book even more than the Planet of the Apes movies — Amy is my most favourite fictional primate.
- The Terminal Man: Artifical Intelligence? Check. Mind control? Check. And this story was published in 1972. Needless to say, it’s one of my favourites in the AI genre. The ending gets me every single time I read it.
Sadly, Michael Crichton passed away on November 4, 2008. There are many other stories of his that I like, but these 4 come straight away to mind. Rest in peace, genius — my favourite author #20.
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