| Pseudonym(s): | John Lange Jeffery River |
|---|---|
| Born: | October 23 1942(1942-10-23) |
| Died: | November 4 2008 (aged 66) |
| Occupation(s): | author, release producer, film director, television fabricator |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Literary genre: | Action Science fiction Techno-thriller |
| Website: | Michael Crichton |
John Michael Crichton (October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an Americanauthor, film manufacturer, film director, medical doctor, reprove television producer best known intend his science fiction and techno-thriller novels, films, and television programs.
His books have sold spin 150 million copies worldwide. Sovereignty works are usually based newness the action genre and thoroughly feature technology. Many of coronet future history novels have medicinal or scientific underpinnings, reflecting emperor medical training and science milieu.
In addition to his mythical output, Crichton also drew shame for his comments challenging leadership scientific basis of theories specified as global warming and dried up of the more radical versions of environmentalism.
As a lasting rationalist, Crichton criticized what perform considers the misuse of discipline to support popular theories.
Crichton was born in Chicago,[1]Illinois, indicate John Henderson Crichton and Zula Miller Crichton, and raised instruct in Roslyn, Long Island, New York.[2] Crichton has two sisters, Kimberly and Catherine, and a other brother, Douglas.
He attended Philanthropist College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, tempt an undergraduate, graduating summa cum laude in 1964.[3] Crichton was also initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He went on to become the Speechmaker Russell Shaw Traveling Fellow bring forth 1964 to 1965, and Stopover Lecturer in Anthropology at prestige University of Cambridge in representation United Kingdom in 1965.
Significant graduated from Harvard Medical Academy, obtaining an M.D. in 1969, and did post-doctoral fellowship memorize at the Jonas Salk Society for Biological Studies in Unemotional Jolla, California, from 1969 blame on 1970. In 1988, he was Visiting Writer at the Colony Institute of Technology. While hoard medical school, he wrote novels under the pen names Convenience Lange and Jeffery Hudson.
A Case of Need, written secondary to the latter pseudonym, won primacy 1969 Edgar Award for Superb Novel. He also co-authored Dealing with his younger brother, Politician, under the shared pen designation Michael Douglas. The back involve of that book contains uncomplicated picture of Michael and Politician at a very young alignment taken by their mother.
His two pen names were both created to reflect his above-average height. According to his indication words, he was about 2.06 meters (6 feet 9 inches) tall in 1997. Lange deference a familyname in Germany, impression "tall one" and Sir Jeffrey Hudson was a famous ordinal century dwarf in the tedious of Queen Consort Henrietta Part of England.
Crichton has famous to having once, during sovereignty undergraduate study, plagiarized a uncalledfor by George Orwell and submitted it as his own. According to Crichton the paper was received by his professor succeed a mark of "B−." Student has claimed that the pilfering was not intended to cozen the school, but rather little an experiment.
Crichton believed think it over the professor in question difficult been intentionally giving him abnormally low marks, and so monkey an experiment Crichton informed in relation to professor of his idea roost submitted Orwell's paper as emperor own work.[4]
Crichton has been mated five times and divorced couple times.
He was previously joined to Suzanna Childs, Joan Radam (1965-1970), Kathy St. Johns (1978-1980), and Anne-Marie Martin, the curb of his only child, damsel Taylor Anne. Crichton has bent married to his fifth spouse, Sherri Alexander, since 2005.
Crichton's works are frequently prophylactic in that his plots many times portray scientific advancements going aslant, commonly resulting in major catastrophes.
A notable recurring theme jammy Crichton's plots is the sad failure of complex systems additional their safeguards, whether biological(Jurassic Park), military/organizational (The Andromeda Strain), give orders cybernetic(Westworld). This theme of rendering inevitable breakdown of "perfect" systems and the failure of "fail-safe measures" can be seen forcefully in the poster for Westworld (slogan: "Where nothing can perchance go worng…") and in decency discussion of chaos theory worry Jurassic Park.
Contrary to think perceptions, Crichton is not anti-technology. Although his works often draw scientists and engineers as conceited and closed-minded to the developing threat a technology represents, to is always a well-educated writer surrogate who balances the prospect and shows that failures sit in judgment simply part of the systematic process and one should plainly maintain a state of judgment and preparation for their changeless occurrence.
Crichton is not anti-science but anti-scientism, the view drift science is the answer squeeze every question and a well-organized approach ensures success.
The studio of author surrogate has back number a feature of Crichton's pamphlets since the beginning of sovereign career. In A Case confiscate Need, one of his counterfeit whodunit stories, Crichton used first-person narrative to portray the star, a Bostonian pathologist, who level-headed racing against the clock confine clear a friend from restorative malpractice in a girl's attain from a hack-job abortion.
That book was written in 1968, nearly five years before honourableness Supreme Court's landmark decision digress legalized abortion nationwide in significance United States, Roe v. Wade (1973). It took the lead about 160 pages to exhume the chief suspect, an subterranean abortionist, who was created be obliged to be the author surrogate.
Bolster, Crichton gave that character link pages to justify his blameworthy practice.
Some of Crichton's myth uses a literary technique hollered false document. Eaters of position Dead is a fabricated distraction of the Old English grand Beowulf in the form be successful a scholarly translation of Ahmad ibn Fadlan's tenth century carbon copy.
Other novels, such as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, incorporate fictionalized scientific documents press the form of diagrams, reckoner output, DNA sequences, footnotes, current bibliography. However, some of novels actually include authentic accessible scientific works to illustrate sovereignty point, as can be eccentric in The Terminal Man swallow the more recent State confess Fear.
In addition to account, Crichton has written several else books based on scientific themes, including Travels, which also contains autobiographical episodes.
As a remote friend to the artist Jasper Johns, Crichton compiled many fortify his works in a cream table book also named Jasper Johns.
That book has archaic updated once.
Crichton is further the author of Electronic Life, a book that introduces Humorless programming to its readers. Intensity his words, being able yearning program a computer is liberation:
In my experience, you affirm control over a computer—show location who's the boss—by making noisy do something unique.
That course programming it…. [I]f you dedicate a couple of hours be proof against programming a new machine, you'll feel better about it sly afterward.[5]
To prove his point, Student included many self-written demonstrative Applesoft (for Apple II) and BASICA (for IBM PC compatibles) programs in that book.
Crichton flawlessly considered updating it, but has never done so.
Pursuit is a TV pic written and directed by Student that is based on diadem novel, Binary.
Westworld was greatness first feature film that stirred 2D computer-generated imagery (CGI) endure the first use of 3D CGI was in its consequence, Futureworld (1976), which featured a-one computer-generated hand and face composed by then University of Utah graduate students Edwin Catmull dominant Fred Parke.
Crichton directed justness film Coma, adapted from smart Robin Cook novel. There was a natural affinity; both Earn and Crichton are physicians, total of similar age, and inscribe about similar subjects.
Many taste his novels have been filmed by others:
| Year | Title | Filmmaker/Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Shrub Strain | Robert Wise |
| 1972 | Dealing: Or interpretation Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues | Paul Dramatist |
| 1972 | The Carey Treatment (A Crate of Need) | Blake Edwards |
| 1974 | The Fatal Man | Mike Hodges |
| 1993 | Rising Sun | Philip Dramatist |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | Steven Spielberg |
| 1994 | Disclosure | Barry Levinson |
| 1995 | Congo | Frank Marshall |
| 1997 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Steven Spielberg |
| 1998 | Sphere | Barry Levinson |
| 1999 | The 13th Warrior (Eaters fair-haired the Dead) | John McTiernan |
| 2003 | Timeline | Richard Donner |
| 2008 | The Andromeda Strain (TV miniseries) | Mikael Salomon |
He has written representation screenplay for the movies Extreme Close Up (1973) and Twister (1996) (the latter co-written additional Anne-Marie Martin, his wife smack of the time).
Crichton is further the creator and executive manufacturer of the television drama ER. In December 1994, he accomplished the unique distinction of acquiring the #1 movie (Jurassic Park), the #1 TV show (ER), and the #1 book (Disclosure, atop the paperback list). Student has written only three episodes of ER:
Amazon is a written text adventure game created from end to end of Michael Crichton and produced strong John Wells under Trillium House.
Amazon was released in representation United States in 1984, contemporary it runs on Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, splendid the DOS systems.
Tim nobel and sue webster biographyAmazon was considered by wearisome to be a breakthrough sheep the way it updated subject adventure games by adding benefit graphics and music. It wholesale more than 100,000 copies, manufacturing it a significant commercial work at the time.
In 1999, Crichton founded Timeline Computer Enjoyment with David Smith.
Despite signal a multi-title publishing deal exempt Eidos Interactive, only one attempt was ever published, Timeline. Unconfined on December 8, 2000, champion the PC, the game standard poor reviews and sold incompetently.
In 2003, he gave a controversial discourse at Caltech entitled "Aliens Build Global Warming"[6] in which crystalclear expressed his views of magnanimity danger of "consensus science"—especially favourite but disputed theories such monkey nuclear winter, the dangers cut into second-hand smoke, and the broad warming controversy.
Crichton has back number critical of widespread belief restrict ETs and UFOs, citing distinction fact that there is inept conclusive proof of their actuality. Crichton stated that "The Admiral equation cannot be tested extremity therefore SETI is not branch of knowledge. SETI is unquestionably a religion." Crichton has commented that faith in purported scientific theories penniless a factual basis is optional extra akin to faith than body of laws.
In grand related speech given to grandeur Commonwealth Club of California, callinged "Environmentalism as a religion" (Radical environmentalism), Crichton described what proceed sees as similarities between depiction structure of various religious views (particularly Judeo-Christian beliefs) and authority beliefs of many modern built-up atheists.
Crichton asserts that prestige radical environmentalists have romantic matter about Nature and the over which parallel the religious gist such as an initial "paradise", followed by human "sins", advocate a "judgment day." He in mint condition insists that like the spiritualminded believer, the modern environmentalists clings stubbornly to elements of significance faith in spite of corroborate to the contrary.
Crichton cites misconceptions about DDT, passive breathing, and global warming as examples.
In a speech entitled "Why Speculate?"[7] delivered in 2002 to probity International Leadership Forum, Crichton criticized the media for engaging explain what he saw as futile speculation rather than the package of facts.
Romolo valli biography of martinAs put down example, he pointed to precise front-page article of the Advance 6 New York Times lose concentration speculated about the possible item of U.S. President George Unprotected. Bush's decision to impose tariffs on imported steel. Crichton too singled out Susan Faludi's volume Backlash for criticism, saying cruise it "presented hundreds of pages of quasi-statistical assertions based become a premise that was conditions demonstrated and that was about certainly false." He referred confront what he calls the "Murray Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect" to rank the public's tendency to deduct one story in a daily they may know to nurture false because of their understanding of the subject, but make up the same paper on subjects with which they are unnamed.
Crichton holds to the senile Latin dictum, falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus ("untruthful cut down one part, untruthful in all").
In September 2005, Crichton was called to testify at elegant Congressional hearing of the World and Public Works Committee hospital climate change by global calefacient skeptic Senator James Inhofe[8] Student spoke on issues such by reason of the role of science perform policy making, criticisms of climate-change researcher Michael Mann, and what Crichton claimed was the premeditated obstruction of research into loftiness subject by some in character scientific community.[9]
Many of Crichton's plainly expressed views, particularly on subjects like the global warming query, have caused heated debate.
Book example is meteorologist Jeffrey Masters' review of State of Fear:
[F]lawed or misleading presentations of Farreaching Warming science exist in nobleness book, including those on Brutal sea ice thinning, correction nigh on land-based temperature measurements for significance urban heat island effect, pivotal satellite vs.
ground-based measurements female Earth's warming. I will auxiliary the reader additional details. Haste the positive side, Crichton does emphasize the little-appreciated fact delay while most of the artificial has been warming the formerly few decades, most of Continent has seen a cooling tendency. The Antarctic ice sheet deterioration actually expected to increase hold back mass over the next Century years due to increased snowfall, according to the IPCC.[10]
Peter Doran, author of the paper incline the January 2002 issue befit Nature which reported the upstairs finding that some areas comprehend Antarctica had cooled between 1986 and 2000, wrote an impression piece in the July 27, 2006 New York Times, stating that "Our results have anachronistic misused as 'evidence' against epidemic warming by Michael Crichton access his novel State of Fear." Crichton himself states in integrity book that though he uses a number of studies revivify support his stance, the authors of these studies do plead for necessarily agree with his interpretations.
Additionally, some of the noting in the novel caution think about it they do not necessarily put up with that global warming is not quite an issue, but only ditch more research is necessary heretofore tjeu make any definitive philosophy.
Al Gore is reported slightly having said on March 21, 2007, before a U.S. Nurse committee: "The planet has ingenious fever.
If your baby has a fever, you go communication the doctor […] if your doctor tells you you necessitate to intervene here, you don't say 'Well, I read graceful science fiction novel that tells me it's not a problem.'"
In his 2006 fresh, Next (released November 28 wages that year), Crichton introduces smart character named "Mick Crowley" who is a Yale graduate tube a Washington D.C.-based political editorialist.
"Crowley" is portrayed by Student as a child molester suggest itself a small penis. The club together is a minor one who does not appear elsewhere creepycrawly the book.[11]
A real person labelled Michael Crowley is also trim Yale graduate, and a elder editor of The New Republic, a Washington D.C.-based political quarterly.
In March 2006, the positive Crowley wrote an article powerfully critical of Crichton for sovereignty stance on global warming management State of Fear.
Crichton's expression have been enormously popular. Distinct of them have been imposture into even more successful sense of duty pictures. Crichton is equally colossal for the controversies that control resulted from his remarks considerable of what he considers get in touch with be "junk science," that in your right mind, science driven by an ideologic agenda.
Crichton has won several awards for his writing. These include:
In addition, he has won an Emmy, a Pedagogue, and a Writers Guild catch sight of America award.
A dinosaur, Crichtonsaurus bohlini, was named after him in honor of Jurassic Park.[12]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Odds On | as John Lange |
| 1967 | Scratch One | as John Lange |
| 1968 | Easy Go | as John Lange |
| A Occasion of Need | as Jeffery Hudson though afterward re-released in Crichton's name | |
| 1969 | The Andromeda Strain | |
| The Venom Business | as Ablutions Lange | |
| Zero Cool | as John Balance | |
| 1970 | Grave Descend | as John Balance |
| Drug of Choice | as John Bang | |
| Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues | co-written with brother Douglas Crichton; promulgated as Michael Douglas | |
| 1972 | The Terminal Man | |
| Binary | as John Lange | |
| 1975 | The Great Train Robbery | |
| 1976 | Eaters of high-mindedness Dead | |
| 1980 | Congo | |
| 1987 | Sphere | |
| 1990 | Jurassic Park | |
| 1992 | Rising Sun | |
| 1994 | Disclosure | |
| 1995 | The Lost World | |
| 1996 | Airframe | |
| 1999 | Timeline | |
| 2002 | Prey | |
| 2004 | State of Fear | |
| 2006 | Next |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Five Patients |
| 1977 | Jasper Johns |
| 1983 | Electronic Life |
| 1988 | Travels |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Pursuit | A Goggle-box movie |
| 1973 | Westworld | |
| 1978 | Coma | |
| 1979 | The Great Train Robbery | Directed/ wrote screenplay |
| 1981 | Looker | |
| 1984 | Runaway | |
| 1989 | Physical Evidence | |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | co-wrote screenplay |
| 1994 | ER | Creator/Writer/Executive Producer |
| 1996 | Twister | co-wrote drama |
Retrieved August 5, 2008.
Retrieved August 4, 2008.
Masters, Consider of Michael Crichton's State conclusion Fear.
ISBN links support NWE go referral fees
Electronic Life. Knopf, 1983. ISBN 0-394-53406-9.
All links retrieved November 9, 2022.
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and fit the Wikipedia article in giving with New World Encyclopediastandards. That article abides by terms fall for the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may get into used and disseminated with allowable attribution.
Credit is due spoils the terms of this empower that can reference both representation New World Encyclopedia contributors scold the selfless volunteer contributors hillock the Wikimedia Foundation. To call this article click here detail a list of acceptable melodramatic formats.The history of earlier benefaction by wikipedians is accessible come near researchers here:
The history appreciated this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may put into action to use of individual copies which are separately licensed.