Capturing the Imagination

Michael Crichton's Legacy of Creativity

I can't think of a single person who's had more of an influence on my love of entertainment and fiction than Micheal Crichton, which is why the news of his death on Tuesday, November 4th hit me with such intensity.  The author of such best sellers as "Jurassic Park" and "The Andromeda Strain" and creator the hit TV series "ER" died at the age of 66 from a little known battle with cancer, and I can think of no better way of commemorating his life than presenting my recommendations from his varied and fruitful career as  author, director, producer, and visionary.

Literature:

Michael Crichton books have always gotten a bad wrap as "junk fiction," lacking a certain literary merit, and while I probably wouldn't hand any of his books the Pulitzer, Crichton's knack for telling compelling and entertaining stories with a good dollop of modern scientific theory and ethical commentary make any of his books a worthy use of your free time.  And compared to Dan Brown, Michael Crichton is practically James Joyce. (No offense to the Dan Brown fans out there...damn you!)

My Favorites:

• "Jurassic Park" - Probably Crichton's most well known novel, this story of a slightly deranged Walt Disney who fills an island with bioengineered monsters from the past is not only an exciting read but a great essay on bioethics and the monetization of the scientific endeavor.  And what right minded geek doesn't harbor a childhood fixation with Dinosaurs? 
• "The Lost World" - this followup to "Jurassic Park" tackles the concepts of evolutionary and extinction, interweaving mathematical concepts of Chaos Theory into a compelling story of survival on the infamous Site B breeding grounds for the original park.  It's also nothing like the movie, which in this case is a huge plus.
• "The Andromeda Strain" - one of Crichton's earlier novels and one of his best, this story of alien life in the form of a deadly mutating pathogen is still one of my favorites today.  From the intricacies of the underground viral research facility to the pulse pounding suspense as the alien germ threatens to escape and destroy the masses, this is a must read from the Crichton library.
• "Timeline" - Crichton was well known for his fascination with all forms of knowledge, and whether he's explaining the concepts of quantum computing and multiverse theory or the subtleties of medieval languages and jousting etiquette, this book is a fountain of knowledge wrapped up in one of the best anachronistic stories since "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
• "State of Fear" - Probably the most controversial novel penned by Crichton, "State of Fear" addresses the concept of global warming and extremist environmentalism as a religion, providing solid commentary on dangers "consensus science" and politically driven scientific research.  While their are many who question the facts presented in the book, Crichton drives home the follies of fear based Science and Politics in way few of his contemporaries would dare address.
• I wish I could talk about all of his novels, but I'll spare you simply list off the other worthy pics from his vast catalogue of literature: "Sphere,"  "Congo,"  "Prey,"  "Next,"  "The Terminal Man."

Film:

You probably recognized a lot of the names of the books above because you've seen them before in big black letters at your local cinema.  Michael Crichton's books were resoundingly sought after for adaptation into film, and while all were not great works of cinema, some still rank among my favorite movies of all time.  Here's my list of Crichton related film that you should add to your Netflix queue post-haste.

My Favorites:

• "Jurassic Park" - It's almost cliche to walk out of a movie and say "It wasn't as good as the book," but this is film is one of the few exceptions that I can think of where people I know who've seen the movie and read the book felt both were exceptional examples of their particular medium.  While the Spielburg thriller differs significantly from its penned predecessor, "Jurassic Park" the film is still, in this is writer's humble opinion, the best screen adaptation of any written work, not to mention probably my favorite action/adventure movie of all time.
• "The Andromeda Strain" - I can't speak to the recent TNT made-for-TV movie, but the original 1971 classic is one of the best pre-Star Wars science fictions movies ever made.  While it can be a bit campy from time to time, it still manages to capture the palpable intensity of working with the deadly unknown.  Nominated for 2 Oscars, you owe it to yourself to see this sci-fi masterpiece.
• "Westworld" - This little known sci-fi flick was written and directed by Crichton in 1973 and is probably the spiritual parent of Jurassic Park, featuring a futuristic vacation resort where you can live out the fantasy of the medieval England, ancient Rome, or the old West by interacting with roleplaying androids.  That is, of course, until they start going haywire and killing everyone.  This movie is surprisingly entertaining for a campy sci-fi film and worth checking out.  There's also a remake being penned by Billy Ray, the writer behind "Breach," but no director is attached as of yet.
• "Twister" - You may not realise this, but this tornadic box-office smasher was written by none other than Michael Crichton.  I absolutely adore the imagery and characterization of tornados in this movie and probably have a somewhat unreasonable love of this film, but despite's it's rather ridiculous scientific premise, it's still, in my opinion, one the best adventure movies of all time, and by the far the best Bill Paxton ever made (No, "Titanic" doesn't count.  Nor does "Aliens."  Or "Apollo 13"...hey, shut up!).
• "The Thirteenth Warrior" - Based on the book "Eaters of the Dead" this action epic stars Antonio Banderas as an Islamic envoy who ends up embroiled in the defense of a Nordic town from an ancient menace.  Again, not going to win any Oscars, but when you've got gigantic Norse warriors lopping off heads, how can you go wrong?  Please don't bring up "Beowulf"...
• Other notable favorites: "Congo," "Coma," "Sphere."

Needless to say, Michael Crichton had a huge impact on my life, and was one of the driving influences in my love of literature, movies and science as a whole.  After reading one of his books, I always felt like I had not only enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining novel, but learned something as well, and I'll be the first to say that a Crichton novel and Wikipedia are a dangerous combination. 

It's heartbreaking that he had to leave us at such an early age and his presence will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on through the manifests of his expansive and inventive imagination. The day the first Dinosaur emerges from the cloning vat before an astonished crowd of onlookers, you can bet Michael Crichton will be looking down from somewhere and smiling.

Rest in peace Michael.