Michael Crichton, Died

What? Michael Crichton, died? Too many good people, science fiction and other authors, going off into the noosphere lately… there will be a private funeral…. too sad. He was one of the most prolific authors, and an exquisite talespinner.

Michael Crichton, around the web:

1. His families in memorium (site is down?)
2. Families statement on his death at the NYtimes
3. The all important wikipedia for Crichton.
4. An in depth appraisal.

He was known for technothrillers, and his books always had a great blend of science and excitement, the perfect golden bermuda triangle, for making science interesting to the part of the human thats not exactly scientific… He recently came out with the novel NEXT, not to be confused by the bad movie based on the Philip K. Dick short story “the Golden Man”, and there was a new novel, undisclosed, apparently supposed to be released this December. Michael Crichton’s NEXT is about genetic research and its dangers. Particularly important in the light of the recent PGP 10, 23andme, and the release of personal genetic data…. He is probably best known for Jurassic Park, reversing the “funeral of the dinosaurs” as recent DNA and cloning developments suggest may be possible, with all the developments in genetic science, for capturing the popular wave of rebuilding our past out of DNA. The Terminal Man is also a great read.

Some of his best books (personal bias alert):

1. The Andromeda Strain, a terrifying blood agent,
2. Binary, about nerve agents…
3. The Terminal Man, a great one, about mind control and behavior modification…