Michael Crichton Dead at 66

[Pangloss]

Author Michael Crichton died Tuesday due to cancer.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/11/05/obit.crichton/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

 

Crichton was a mixed bag for science fans. Clearly he motivated and moved many people toward a greater appreciation for science and scientific principles. I'm sure there are many scientists today who were inspired by such novels as The Andromeda Strain or Jurassic Park, which have attained a certain degree of "classic" status.

 

But he also drew criticism from many in science, in particular for his recent criticisms of global warming science, but also for his use of dramatization in his works. I always felt that his lessons were somewhat lost in what I called the "monsterization" of any science he felt was bad or dangerous. (Jurassic Park being the prime example -- the lesson seemingly that if you mess around with genetics you will have giant monsters roaming the streets before you know it.)

 

But he had his supporters, and they were legion. Here's a quote from Steven Spielberg from the article above:

 

"Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of 'Jurassic Park,' " said Spielberg, a friend of Crichton's for 40 years, according to The Associated Press. "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."

[marnixR]

what i liked about Crichton (i haven't read his controversial novel on the "global warming conspiracy") was how he could weave fact and fiction together so tightly that it was at times hard to distinguish which was which

 

for a long time i was in 2 minds whether "Eaters of the Dead" was fiction at all !

 

my favourite passage comes from Jurassic Park (the book, obviously, not the film) :

 

... Hammond said, "These animals ... might get out and destroy the planet."

"You egomaniacal idiot," Malcolm said, in fury. "Do you have any idea what you are talking about ? You think you can destroy the planet ? My, what intoxicating power you must have." ... "You can't destroy this planet. You can't even come close."

"Most people believe," Hammond said stiffly, "that the planet is in jeopardy."

"Well, it's not," Malcolm said. ... "Let's be clear. The planet is not in jeopardy. We are in jeopardy. We haven't got the power to destroy the planet - or save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves."

 

never was a truer word said in a work of fiction, and it's something to comes to mind whenever i hear someone claim hysterically that we're destroying the planet : we're not, we're just having a good go at destroying ourselves

[iNow]

There was a nice recap on Charlie Rose about him last night, as Crichton had been a guest numerous times:

 

http://www.charlierose.com/view/content/9496