Jump to content

RIP - Michael Crichton


pi

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 91
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

MY GOD!

He was my favourite American writer and the only one i collected every work . I was expecting a new novel to be released this year, and i Have a shelf reserved for his works. It will never be filled with more amazing and interesting stories :(

I did not even know he was ill.

My deepest condolences for his family, friends and fans.

Thank you for everything, Mr Crichton, new novels will be sorely missed, but what you wrote will never be forgotten ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my God, I didn't even know he had cancer. This is terrible news. I enjoyed every one of his books that I read, Jurassic Park, Congo, and Andromeda Strain, and The Great Train Robbery most of all. His books were always a fascinating read, of how much could go wrong with high technology in the wrong hands.

Rest in peace, Mr. Crichton. You will be missed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't saw that one coming. Not as shocking as stan winston but still did a lot for literature and movies for that matter. He will be missed

RIP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whaaaaaaa?!.....!!!!

So unbelievably sudden. RIP Michael - you gave us so many extraordinary stories :(

I might've seen the story on the BBC site, but it's full of election coverage atm. Forgot Stan Winston had left us as well - that's how much it didn't sink in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just learned of Crichton's death minutes ago, so it came as a big shock. :lol: Too bad, he really was a man with great imagination and the gift of transforming that into words. Were it not for his Jurassic Park, we'd be deprived for Spielberg's film and JW's wonderful soundtrack (and the sequels of course).

Be at peace, Mr Crichton. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had wondered why the next novel of his hadn't come out yet, now I know why, terrible news indeed.

Vosk you really should read something of his, he wrote many entertaining books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite author passed away, how terrible. I didn't even know he was ill.

Michael Crichton has had a significant influence on my life. In the first place because of his books, and because of the movies that were made from them. For me the two most notable books and movies were Jurassic Park and Timeline. Moreover, I have been impressed by Crichton's success since I was a child, not only because of his achievements as a writer but also as scientist and a medical doctor. I felt personally connected to his views and ideas. He continues to be a source of inspiration to me and I think to many.

Thanks for everything, rest in peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had wondered why the next novel of his hadn't come out yet, now I know why, terrible news indeed.

His next book was supposed to come out next month.

Even if his books became somewhat generic towards the end, I still love The Great Train Robbery and Jurassic Park.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quite a shock. I'll always love Westworld (Trailer), Crichton's 1973 blueprint story and movie for Jurassic Park.

And of course his prologue for Jurassic Park (novel) :

You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years. Bacteria first; later the first multicellular life, then the first complex creatures in the sea, on the land. Then finally the great sweeping ages of animals, the amphibians, the dinosaurs, at last the mammals, each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. Might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety.

Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not. If the ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet radiation sears earth, so what? Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will thrive with more UV radiation. Many others will die out. You think this is the first time that's happened? Think about oxygen. Necessary for life now, but oxygen is actually a metabolic poison, a corrosive glass, like fluorine. When oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells some three billion years ago, it created a crisis for all other life on earth. Those plants were polluting the environment, exhaling a lethal gas. Earth eventually had an atmosphere incompatible with life. Nevertheless, life on earth took care of itself. In the thinking of the human being a hundred years is a long time. Hundred years ago we didn't have cars, airplanes, computers or vaccines. It was a whole different world, but to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read mostly classics and non fiction - but I have read every single book by this man, and each one of them are a good read.

He is not only an excellent writer (Harvard graduate) but a brilliant plot strategist and a thorough researcher.

He will be missed! Go read one of his books in his honor.

Hating the cancer :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And of course his prologue for Jurassic Park (novel) :
You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years. Bacteria first; later the first multicellular life, then the first complex creatures in the sea, on the land. Then finally the great sweeping ages of animals, the amphibians, the dinosaurs, at last the mammals, each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. Might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety.

Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not. If the ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet radiation sears earth, so what? Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will thrive with more UV radiation. Many others will die out. You think this is the first time that's happened? Think about oxygen. Necessary for life now, but oxygen is actually a metabolic poison, a corrosive glass, like fluorine. When oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells some three billion years ago, it created a crisis for all other life on earth. Those plants were polluting the environment, exhaling a lethal gas. Earth eventually had an atmosphere incompatible with life. Nevertheless, life on earth took care of itself. In the thinking of the human being a hundred years is a long time. Hundred years ago we didn't have cars, airplanes, computers or vaccines. It was a whole different world, but to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences. That was my beef with Crichton. RIP, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always loved Jerry's anecdote about he and Michael walking through the cornfields near Denham studios London while recording THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY score. With Michael very tall, it looked as if he was talking to himself as they walked through the high field of corn while discussing the score. I finished reading PREY as few months ago. He was always a cracking good read. Loved his movies as director and always had a soft spot for THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY as a lot of it was filmed in Cork....my home county.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very sad.....I was as shocked as anyone else to read this story this evening.....I have all of his books and am actually re-reading "Next" at the moment....

The story I jave read stated that publication of his new book has been suspended indefinitely...

RIP indeed :ola:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And of course his prologue for Jurassic Park (novel) :
You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years. Bacteria first; later the first multicellular life, then the first complex creatures in the sea, on the land. Then finally the great sweeping ages of animals, the amphibians, the dinosaurs, at last the mammals, each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. Might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety.

Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not. If the ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet radiation sears earth, so what? Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will thrive with more UV radiation. Many others will die out. You think this is the first time that's happened? Think about oxygen. Necessary for life now, but oxygen is actually a metabolic poison, a corrosive glass, like fluorine. When oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells some three billion years ago, it created a crisis for all other life on earth. Those plants were polluting the environment, exhaling a lethal gas. Earth eventually had an atmosphere incompatible with life. Nevertheless, life on earth took care of itself. In the thinking of the human being a hundred years is a long time. Hundred years ago we didn't have cars, airplanes, computers or vaccines. It was a whole different world, but to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences.

No, not really, it jut made a great opener to a good thriller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh. I've read a few of his books, and Great Train Robbery has always been one of my favourite movies. Aside from writing, not only was Crichton responsible for ultimately turning me into a Goldsmith fan, he once was a bloody good director, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And of course his prologue for Jurassic Park (novel) :
You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years. Bacteria first; later the first multicellular life, then the first complex creatures in the sea, on the land. Then finally the great sweeping ages of animals, the amphibians, the dinosaurs, at last the mammals, each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. Might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety.

Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not. If the ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet radiation sears earth, so what? Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will thrive with more UV radiation. Many others will die out. You think this is the first time that's happened? Think about oxygen. Necessary for life now, but oxygen is actually a metabolic poison, a corrosive glass, like fluorine. When oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells some three billion years ago, it created a crisis for all other life on earth. Those plants were polluting the environment, exhaling a lethal gas. Earth eventually had an atmosphere incompatible with life. Nevertheless, life on earth took care of itself. In the thinking of the human being a hundred years is a long time. Hundred years ago we didn't have cars, airplanes, computers or vaccines. It was a whole different world, but to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences.

Hardly. He clearly says (at least in the JP bit, I haven't read the more recent controversial stuff) that mankind can easily make Earth uninhabitable for itself, i.e. wipe itself out. Doesn't change the fact that we'll hardly *destroy* the planet. If anyone thinks that from a human point of view, wiping out mankind is fine as long as the Earth's still spinning, "consequence" and "responsibility" are vain words to begin with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my God...this is one of the most shocking deaths of the year. Crichton was a brilliant author, the stories he concocted were entertaining, suspenseful, exciting, intelligent, and told interesting messages (though I did not agree with all of them). He will be incredibly missed by many, including me. I enjoyed 95% of the books that I read by him.

RIP! :ola:

:ola: "Theme from Jurassic Park"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And of course his prologue for Jurassic Park (novel) :
You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years. Bacteria first; later the first multicellular life, then the first complex creatures in the sea, on the land. Then finally the great sweeping ages of animals, the amphibians, the dinosaurs, at last the mammals, each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. Might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety.

Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not. If the ozone layer gets thinner, ultraviolet radiation sears earth, so what? Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will thrive with more UV radiation. Many others will die out. You think this is the first time that's happened? Think about oxygen. Necessary for life now, but oxygen is actually a metabolic poison, a corrosive glass, like fluorine. When oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells some three billion years ago, it created a crisis for all other life on earth. Those plants were polluting the environment, exhaling a lethal gas. Earth eventually had an atmosphere incompatible with life. Nevertheless, life on earth took care of itself. In the thinking of the human being a hundred years is a long time. Hundred years ago we didn't have cars, airplanes, computers or vaccines. It was a whole different world, but to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences.

Hardly. He clearly says (at least in the JP bit, I haven't read the more recent controversial stuff) that mankind can easily make Earth uninhabitable for itself, i.e. wipe itself out. Doesn't change the fact that we'll hardly *destroy* the planet. If anyone thinks that from a human point of view, wiping out mankind is fine as long as the Earth's still spinning, "consequence" and "responsibility" are vain words to begin with.

Careful. We're hedging on politics here.

No, not really, it jut made a great opener to a good thriller.

Actually, it came towards the end of the book where Malcolm and Hammond are in the bunker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Such terrible awful news! I just heard on TV. I also had no idea he was even sick. :huh:

I really got teared up...he was absolutely one of my favorite writers and I just can't believe he's gone.

Crichton was a treasure to modern sci-fi and he will be missed so much. Mr. Crichton, thank you for all the wonderful (and cautionary!) tales you gave us, and for the great films your stories have inspired.

May strength be with his family and may he Rest in Peace...

One of the saddest deaths of this year. :(

~Greta

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences.

No, it is just stating a fact that the earth will survive no matter what.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which is all just an excuse for us to act without inhibition and not worry about consequences.

No, it is just stating a fact that the earth will survive no matter what.

No kidding. It's a way of marginalizing the dangers of climate change by saying, "well, at least the earth will survive." I don't care about the earth surviving, I care about people surviving. Crichton's novels were often all about the folly of human arrogance and experimentation, so it's ironic that his personal views* put so much faith in humanity.

* I'm also referring to the pseudo-scientific downplaying of global warming in State of Fear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

* I'm also referring to the pseudo-scientific downplaying of global warming in State of Fear.

You should watch the video I posted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

* I'm also referring to the pseudo-scientific downplaying of global warming in State of Fear.

This also concerned me at first. However, he is still great at coming up with entertaining stories, and while I don't believe with his claim at all (at least in this case), it is a very fun read.

Having said that, I would have preferred that Crichton's stories have underlying messages that are productive to our scientific/political world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.