How to write

Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, Congo and Timeline has passed away, after waging a private battle with cancer.  He was 66 years old. 

His family issued the following statement “While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes.  He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget.”

Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1969.  His education and medical experience was evident in many of his works, including Jurassic Park, in which the scientific basis of cloning, extracting DNA samples from mosquitoes trapped in amber to create theme park dinosaurs was absolutely believable.    He often wrote about the dangers of technology and the arrogance of man, falsely believing in complex systems of containment and control. Inevitably chaos wins in the end, whether genetically manipulated dinosaurs breed or rogue robots embark on a killing spree.  Crichton didn’t rest in the comfort of his massive success.  He explored genres: futuristic sci fi, medical thrillers, drama and whodunits; and mediums: print, television, movies and games.

I imagine most writers want to leave the world with a bit of themselves,  immortalized in an idea, a story or a poem.  Michael Crichton’s legacy will delight readers and inspire writers for years to come.