Michael Crichton

[Einstein]

On Tuesday, Michael Crichton (the man who penned Jurassic Park, as well as the famous novel The Andromeda Strain) died of cancer. This didn't get much coverage because of the Presidential election, so I thought that I would mention this, and open it up to any discussion. I really loved his work and it's really sad that he's gone and won't continue to contribute intelligent and well-written novels to our society.

[Elvalia]

Oh my. I hadn't heard that he died... I read two of his books a few years ago, Airframe and Disclosure, and hated them both so much that I haven't read anything of his since. But I do intend to read Timeline and Sphere eventually, because I've heard that they're good.

[Capellini]

On Tuesday, Michael Crichton (the man who penned Jurassic Park, as well as the famous novel The Andromeda Strain) died of cancer. This didn't get much coverage because of the Presidential election, so I thought that I would mention this, and open it up to any discussion. I really loved his work and it's really sad that he's gone and won't continue to contribute intelligent and well-written novels to our society.

Ha, I just started a thread in Current Events on this. I am somewhat devastated, I adored Michael Crichton.

[Einstein]

Oh yeah, he was one of my favorite authors. I loved every book he wrote, and it's a testament to his writing that Jurassic Park the film turned out so amazing.

[Platypus Enthusiast]

Jurassic Park was the first book that I liked more than the movie.

[ke_mikiao]

....its the first movie i liked better than the book. of course that could be because i saw the movie a billion times before i read the book

[tris]

On Tuesday, Michael Crichton (the man who penned Jurassic Park, as well as the famous novel The Andromeda Strain) died of cancer. This didn't get much coverage because of the Presidential election, so I thought that I would mention this, and open it up to any discussion. I really loved his work and it's really sad that he's gone and won't continue to contribute intelligent and well-written novels to our society.

I'll agree with the "intelligent" but his stuff is hardly "well-written"... it's definitely penned for the masses!
Anyway I enjoyed almost all his books that I read.... not for their literary merits, but for their suspense and great ideas.
It is indeed a great shame the guy has "Passed on"... I seem to remember having a wee discussion about him in the "random thoughts" thread amonth or so ago.

[Roy Hunter]

I'll agree with the "intelligent" but his stuff is hardly "well-written"... it's definitely penned for the masses!

?

Are you trying to say that "well-written" and "popular" are mutually exclusive? I will agree that Dan Brown should be beaten daily by his editor until he learns to write properly, but I always found Michael Chrichton to be both literate and accessible. There are many others I could think of: Carl Hiaasen; Iain Banks; Bill Bryson to name but a few. Literature doesn't have to be obscure and unintelligible.

[KMill]

Are you trying to say that "well-written" and "popular" are mutually exclusive? I will agree that Dan Brown should be beaten daily by his editor until he learns to write properly...

I'm a bit on the mutual exclusivity side. I've never read Michael Crichton's stuff, so can't comment, but I am often aggravated by popular 'literary' works. Dan Brown is terrible.

Twilight - terrible. Harry Potter I found unbearable. Bryce Courtney should be shot.

I've never heard of Carl Hiaasen, Iain Banks or Bill Bryson. Obscure? Maybe I just don't get out much... time to google!

[Detective TurtleHolmes]

Definitely focus on Bill Bryson. He's an FSMsend, that man.

I must say, I've quite enjoyed Jurassic Park. It's a good book, well-written, and popular. (I mean, it's had an entire generation of nerds wetting their pants at the very mention of a... Velociraptor.

To say that well-written and popular are mutually exclusive, well, there are a lot of books that are popular, and there are a lot of books that are well-written, and there are a lot of books that are both. Michael Crichton was both.

[KMill]

Well, I'm no literary expert. Will take the advice - I'm getting bored with the crap offered in the 'library' at work. Deadly encounter and other stupid titles by Jackie Collins. The abstracts are hilarious, but every time someone at work offers one to me to 'read'... I can't even describe the feeling.

If quality and popularity were mutually exclusive, I hope the book I'm writing remains undiscovered. Maybe that's why no one has asked me to publish anything; 'cause it positively dripping with quality.

[daftbeaker]

If quality and popularity were mutually exclusive, I hope the book I'm writing remains undiscovered. Maybe that's why no one has asked me to publish anything; 'cause it positively dripping with quality.

Ooh, another forum member with creative talent. What kind of book is it?

On the good vs popular thing, I have one word for you, Discworld.

[KMill]

My book is going to be called A Technical Guide to Ectrocradygraphy; much betterer title than I had before (Arseholes I've known: A Guide to Middle Management). Thanks for that one, Roy!

Discworld.

YEA!!

[tris]

Are you trying to say that "well-written" and "popular" are mutually exclusive? ...... Literature doesn't have to be obscure and unintelligible.

No... not mutually exclusive, it's just that they rarely coincide! Anyway I enjoyed all the Crichton books I read, as well as The Da Vinci Code for that matter ... but that kind of "literature" doesn't have the linguistic verve and originality, the sophisticated style or the psychological depths of Ian McEwan for example.... It's just a rollicking good read which also stimulates the intellect... but if it wasn't for the interest of the ideas behind his books I'm sure Crichton wouldn't have reached anything like the level of success or popularity he did. I've read 5 or 6 of his works and I must say they were all pretty formulaic. (I explained this in another thread 1 or 2 months ago)

PS Are you trying to say that "well-written" means "obscure and unintelligible" (or vice-versa)??!!
If that were so, then L Ron Hubbard's guide to Dianetics (or the electrotechnical "NICEIC Guide to Domestic Installation Work - Updated to IEE Wiring Regulations" for that matter!) would be "classics" of good literary style!!!!

PPS I liked your evocative spelling of "Chrichton", as if he is the Christ-chton of popular fiction!

[Roy Hunter]

PS Are you trying to say that "well-written" means "obscure and unintelligible" (or vice-versa)??!!

No. Absolutely not. I am sick to death of idiots on arts shows who basically say "this book can't be literature because you see people reading it on the bus". There is nothing wrong with being both popular and good. If you are both popular and bad, you may as well change your name to Paris Hilton and be done with it.

PPS I liked your evocative spelling of "Chrichton", as if he is the Christ-chton of popular fiction!

Crighton / Chrighton is quite a popular name in Scotland. I just forgot how he spells it. My bad.