Michael Crichton died today from cancer-related causes, something that will surprise most fans of his books and movies. This, as far as I can tell, was a very well kept secret.
Crichton, a man who literally stood out in a crowd because of his unusual height of six feet, seven inches, will be remembered most prominently, of course, for the great success of Jurassic Park, both in book form and as a huge movie. But there was a lot more to this man. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and spent some time teaching at both Cambridge University and MIT. He was a brilliant man who helped develop a type of "disaster novel" that is still very popular in print and on film.
He will certainly be missed.
My first thought upon hearing of Crichton's passing was how strange it is that it has happened again: a series of three, seemingly related, deaths within a very short period of time. First it was Tony Hillerman, than Studs Terkel, and now Michael Crichton. This is one of those old wives' tales that seems to prove itself true two or three times a year.
I thought about that, too! So strange how those deaths always come in threes. I'm so sad about Crichton, in particular. Cancer is just evil. He was too young.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we are "trained" to count deaths in threes, I don't know - but it is simply amazing how often it happens this way.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to hear about his death and long term cancer today also. He will be sorely missed.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked when I heard this too. I've spent many a night, lost in one of his books. The literary world lost a great fiction writer, that's for sure!
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