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Michael Crichton 1942-2008

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Michael Crichton 1942-2008

Postby JT » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:34 am

My favorite pop fiction author, Michael Crichton, died yesterday. I've read all his books. He had a unique way of researching his science thriller subjects and weaving science fact into a fanciful story. He included a bibliography with his novels listing the many sources he used in researching his science topics! You could learn science and be entertained at the same time when reading his novels. My favorite novel of his is 'The Andromeda Strain'.
He earned an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Harvard, and then graduated from Harvard medical school, working briefly in medical research before turning to writing full-time. He was actually writing while a student at Harvard med.
His favorite author was Sir Conan Doyle.
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Postby Lil » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:37 am

Thank you for making a thread about him.

What a cool guy he was.

God Bless, Mr. Crichton.
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Postby Wezzo » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:38 am

We did mention this yesterday, but yeah, I think a thread is probably warranted, given his significance and undoubted brilliance.

Rest in peace.
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Postby CatNamedRudy » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:39 am

I haven't read all of his stuff and there are some that I read that I didn't like much (If I'm perfectly honest, I have to say that I hated Prey) but Sphere, Jurassic Park and The Lost World are three of my favorite books.

I didn't much care for the movie adaptations of JP or TLW but I loved the books.

The man was talented no doubt and his talent will be missed.
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Postby Mr Blue Sky » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:36 am

I decided to try and find some ER torrents as my own personal tribute to the man ( :wink: ) but I can't find any on the sites I usually go to. I've got three eps I really want to see. Love's Labor's Lost (an S1 ep, thankfully) and the much-praised, emotional The Letter and On The Beach. Unfortunately I'd have to wait until S8 for those...

Still it's all moot right now as I can't find the show. M-C PM'd me some links a while back, I'll have a look at those...
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Postby Paul B » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:38 am

Seriously don't watch those latter 2 episodes. They're milestones in character development and if you end up loving the show, it could ruin the surprise and emotional impact.

RIP, Crichton.
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Postby Mayday Malone » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:38 am

Of his, I've read Jurassic Park, Lost World, Andromeda Strain, Disclosure, and Airframe as well as seeing the movie adaptations and Westworld. Not a bad author. Though I think a serious remake of JP is needed. The whole hog and Sam Neill. Crichton will be missed.
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Postby Wezzo » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:45 am

Paul B wrote:Seriously don't watch those latter 2 episodes. They're milestones in character development and if you end up loving the show, it could ruin the surprise and emotional impact.


God yes, it's like seeing Everybody's Waiting before the rest of Six Feet Under.
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Postby Mr Blue Sky » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:18 am

Wezzo wrote:
Paul B wrote:Seriously don't watch those latter 2 episodes. They're milestones in character development and if you end up loving the show, it could ruin the surprise and emotional impact.


God yes, it's like seeing Everybody's Waiting before the rest of Six Feet Under.


No don't worry Paul/Wes, I simply meant those three eps are what's motivating me to start watching the whole of ER. I've never seen a single ep. I was just relieved to see the first major ep I wanted to watch was in S1, so I'll only have to watch a few eps to get to that. I need to watch about 200 or so to get to On The Beach!! :shock:

I started watching SFU basically because I wanted to see Everybody's Waiting, but I obviously started from the beginning, there's no way I'd just flick forward to that final ep. Unfortunately the show wasn't for me. I may return to it at some point though, especially as Michael C Hall is now one of my favourite TV actors!
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Postby CatNamedRudy » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:24 am

Mr Blue Sky wrote:
Wezzo wrote:
Paul B wrote:Seriously don't watch those latter 2 episodes. They're milestones in character development and if you end up loving the show, it could ruin the surprise and emotional impact.


God yes, it's like seeing Everybody's Waiting before the rest of Six Feet Under.


No don't worry Paul/Wes, I simply meant those three eps are what's motivating me to start watching the whole of ER. I've never seen a single ep. I was just relieved to see the first major ep I wanted to watch was in S1, so I'll only have to watch a few eps to get to that. I need to watch about 200 or so to get to On The Beach!! :shock:

I started watching SFU basically because I wanted to see Everybody's Waiting, but I obviously started from the beginning, there's no way I'd just flick forward to that final ep. Unfortunately the show wasn't for me. I may return to it at some point though, especially as Michael C Hall is now one of my favourite TV actors!


How far did you get into Six Feet Under?
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Postby Mr Blue Sky » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:27 am

CatNamedRudy wrote:
Mr Blue Sky wrote:
Wezzo wrote:
Paul B wrote:Seriously don't watch those latter 2 episodes. They're milestones in character development and if you end up loving the show, it could ruin the surprise and emotional impact.


God yes, it's like seeing Everybody's Waiting before the rest of Six Feet Under.


No don't worry Paul/Wes, I simply meant those three eps are what's motivating me to start watching the whole of ER. I've never seen a single ep. I was just relieved to see the first major ep I wanted to watch was in S1, so I'll only have to watch a few eps to get to that. I need to watch about 200 or so to get to On The Beach!! :shock:

I started watching SFU basically because I wanted to see Everybody's Waiting, but I obviously started from the beginning, there's no way I'd just flick forward to that final ep. Unfortunately the show wasn't for me. I may return to it at some point though, especially as Michael C Hall is now one of my favourite TV actors!


How far did you get into Six Feet Under?


First 6-8 eps. Trouble is I'd just finished watching The Sopranos and nothing interested me for a while after that. Until Dexter, that is.

I do plan on picking it up again at some point.
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Postby Mr Blue Sky » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:28 am

Sorry JT, I've taken your Michael Crichton thread a little off track here.
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Postby CatNamedRudy » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:31 am

I've never seen a complete episode of ER.

What was the time travel book Crichton wrote? I didn't like that one either.

And I STILL can't recall if I read State of Fear!
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Postby Lil » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:35 am

Mayday Malone wrote:Of his, I've read Jurassic Park, Lost World, Andromeda Strain, Disclosure, and Airframe as well as seeing the movie adaptations and Westworld. Not a bad author. Though I think a serious remake of JP is needed. The whole hog and Sam Neill. Crichton will be missed.


Here here.
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Re: Michael Crichton 1942-2008

Postby Moon-Crane » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:52 am

JT wrote:My favorite pop fiction author, Michael Crichton, died yesterday. I've read all his books. He had a unique way of researching his science thriller subjects and weaving science fact into a fanciful story. He included a bibliography with his novels listing the many sources he used in researching his science topics! You could learn science and be entertained at the same time when reading his novels. My favorite novel of his is 'The Andromeda Strain'.
He earned an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Harvard, and then graduated from Harvard medical school, working briefly in medical research before turning to writing full-time. He was actually writing while a student at Harvard med.
His favorite author was Sir Conan Doyle.


I'd probably rate that my favourite book, too.

Filmwise, i like Westworld most, but a couple of relative bombs that I like are Looker and Runaway.
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Postby Karin » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:27 pm

CatNamedRudy wrote:What was the time travel book Crichton wrote? I didn't like that one either.

Timeline, I think? I read that one (I liked it. Wasn't it made into a movie too?), Jurassic Park, Prey and Next. I might check out some other books of his.
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Postby CatNamedRudy » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:39 pm

Karin wrote:
CatNamedRudy wrote:What was the time travel book Crichton wrote? I didn't like that one either.

Timeline, I think? I read that one (I liked it. Wasn't it made into a movie too?), Jurassic Park, Prey and Next. I might check out some other books of his.


Yeah. Timeline. There was just something about it I didn't like. Didn't see the movie but that's because the only other movies I've seen that were adapted from his novels were Jurassic Park, The Lost World and Sphere. I wasn't thrilled with adaptation of those books that I really liked.
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Postby Lil » Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:42 pm

Karin wrote:
CatNamedRudy wrote:What was the time travel book Crichton wrote? I didn't like that one either.

Timeline, I think? I read that one (I liked it. Wasn't it made into a movie too?), Jurassic Park, Prey and Next. I might check out some other books of his.


Timeline was very good, if you're into that sort of movie, which I am. Paul Walker stars in it.
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Postby JT » Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:43 am

I said I have read ALL of his books, but thats not quite true. Some of the ones written under his nom de plumes I have not read. I did read 'Case of Need' which was written while a student. A very good treatment of abortion in the 1960's. I did not like his last, 'Next'. Evidently he does have a final novel due out this May.
Crichton has become somewhat controversial due mainly to 'Rising Sun' and 'State of Fear'. Although I have read criticism of him from science writers who think that he gives technology a bad name due to his technology-run-amok themes. Though I think those criticisms were just tailgating on the Rising Sun and State of Fear uproar. Open the gate and everything spills out.
I guess everyone has their 'hero', someone who embodies what they themselves value - Che Guevara, Bozo the Clown, Barrack Obama, or whoever. I guess Michael Crichton - a thoroughly dispassionate, intellectually honest , scientific-minded and creative person - would be that for me.
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Postby JT » Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:38 am

I didn't intend to steer this into a political direction, which as you know JT is wont to do, but reading through Michael Crichton's website discussion forum brought me to this post. It is a thread about an interview with MC:

Seven Answers From Michael Crichton
The Daily Ablution, March 28, 2007

question: What is the most serious threat facing our civilization?

answer:

"Loss of classical liberal values in those western societies that embraced them.
England was the first modern state, the first superpower, the first nation to deal with moral issues around the world, and the first nation to install the benefits of what we might now loosely term a liberal society. I mean that in the 19th century sense of liberalism. That notion of liberalism was also present in America, but made it to the Continent only in a pale and limited form. It is a wonderful social conception that must be vigilantly guarded. It is not shared by other nations in the world. Nor is it shared by many citizens in English-speaking countries. Peculiarly, many of our most educated citizens are least sympathetic to classical liberal ideals. Indeed the term 'liberalism' in the modern day has come to imply a constellation of attitudes that John Stuart Mill would not recognize as liberal at all. Nor would, say, John F. Kennedy recognize them as liberal. Kennedy's conception of liberalism was simultaneously more tolerant and more tough-minded: tolerant about varieties of behavior within the society, and tough-minded toward threats to a tolerant society from without.
That's all gone, now. Today there is far too much sensitivity within societies, and too little hard-nosed recognition of threats from without. We are inclined to be intolerant of speech by our friends and neighbors, and tolerant of beheadings, rape, and homophobia in distant lands.
This makes no sense. But here we are."

I admire the man even more now.
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Re: Michael Crichton 1942-2008

Postby tenpercenter » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:22 pm

ER

still to this day my all time fav drama
s1-10 cannot be touched
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