And part of that is just a reflection of my own interest, following different areas and saying, you know, look what they're doing now. CRICHTON: There is an idea of, you know, informing people about some emerging things. NEARY: Crichton courted controversy in the scientific world with his critique of global warming, the subject of his 2004 book "State of Fear." But as he told NPR, he never lost his interest in scientific discoveries.ĭr.
WHEN DID MICHAEL CRICHTON SPHERE COME OUT TV
In 1994, he used his background in medicine to create one of the most enduring TV shows ever, the hospital drama "ER." NEARY: A number of Crichton's books were made into films, which led to a career in Hollywood as a screenwriter and producer. Sir RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH: (As John Hammond) We have a T-Rex. Sir RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH: (As John Hammond) Aha. Ellie Sattler) You said you've got a T-Rex? Sir RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH: (As John Hammond) Mmm-Hmm. Sir RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH: (As John Hammond) Well, we clocked the T-Rex at 32 miles an hour. And in "Jurassic Park," its dinosaurs brought back to life by ancient DNA. In "Prey," the threat comes from nanotechnology. In his first big hit under his own name, "The Andromeda Strain," a deadly microorganism brought to earth aboard an American space probe threatens a small town. NEARY: In Crichton's fictional world, science and technology have a way of going awry. We would all be standing around a patient with our instructor, and everybody would be making notes about the patient and I would be making notes about the doctors. MICHAEL CRICHTON (Science Fiction Writer): Instead of writing thrillers to pay for my train bills, I was actually now going to medical school in order to have something to write about. Then, as he explained in an NPR interview, something started happening.ĭr. While still a medical student, Crichton began writing paperback novels under pseudonyms in order to earn extra money. LYNN NEARY: Michael Crichton was supposed to become a doctor, but somewhere along the line he left science behind in favor of science fiction.
He leaves behind books that sold millions of copies and sometimes became blockbuster movies. Michael Crichton was best known for "Jurassic Park," "The Andromeda Strain," and other thrillers about science gone wrong. Next we'll remember an author who created his own world by bringing to life the anxieties of the world we share.