Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Michael Crichton

2008; Elsevier BV; Volume: 372; Issue: 9654 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(08)61833-4

1474-547X

Samuel Loewenberg,

Biomedical Ethics and Regulation

Physician, bestselling writer, and creator of television series ER. Born on Oct 23, 1942, in Chicago, IL, USA, he died from cancer on Nov 4, 2008, aged 66 years in Los Angeles, CA, USA.Michael Crichton was a doctor by training. The power of science, and the foibles of those who use it, was the consistent thread throughout all of his fiction and screenplays, from Jurassic Park to the Andromeda Strain to ER. His driving narratives were parables set in the world of cutting-edge technology, filled with geneticists, surgeons, and myriad technological savants. But the overriding themes were about fundamental human traits—greed, hubris, and the lust for power.Crichton's books were bestsellers—he sold 150 million books worldwide—and many of them were adapted for the big screen. His work was often derided by critics—two-dimensional characters, stultifying dialogue, and silly science were all frequent complaints. Still, The New York Times praised him for taking readers deep into the science behind his fantasies, noting “the author's extravagant care in working out the clockwork mechanics of his experiments”, from genetic replication of dinosaurs to time travel to voice recognition software. “These books thrive on yarn spinning, but they also take immense delight in the inner workings of things (as opposed to people, women especially)”, wrote the critic Charles McGrath.His 2004 novel State of Fear, which questioned the truth of climate change, brought down the rage of environmentalists and scientists, although it earned him an invitation to the White House from President George W Bush. At the same time, Crichton also spoke out on the need to revise US rules on genetic research. “For legislation, I identify four areas of concern: stop patenting genes, revise laws governing tissue collections, require reporting of therapy trials, and don't ban future research”, he told Congressional aides in 2006. That same year, he wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal defending the rights of medical researchers to use the tissue of deceased organ donors, claiming that once the patient had died they became the property of the research institution: “Unless researchers are allowed to do whatever they want, they warn patients the flow of live-saving miracles will dry up.”The oldest of four children, Crichton grew up in Long Island, New York. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, a one-time English major who switched to anthropology; he then spent a year teaching at Cambridge University in the UK. It was while attending Harvard Medical School, in 1966, that he began moonlighting as a writer to help subsidise his studies. After medical school, he moved to San Diego to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute of Biological Studies. But his urge to write got the better of him, and he produced The Andromeda Strain, a high-tech medical thriller about a team of scientists trying to stop a deadly pathogen from outer space that threatens to destroy the world. The book became a bestseller and in 1971 was made into a blockbuster movie.It was a cycle that would continue for most of his career. Crichton followed up the success of The Andromeda Strain with a non-fiction work, Five Patients: The Hospital Explained, but quickly returned to his natural niche, dystopian fiction, directing the film Westworld, a fantasy about a futuristic resort gone wrong, staring Yul Brynner. He then penned the novel The Great Train Robbery, which became a movie starring Sean Connery.This was followed by a series of book and film projects, none of which hit it big until 1990, with the release of Jurassic Park, the tale of a theme park inhabited by dinosaurs cloned from prehistoric DNA that go on a rampage. It became a Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster 3 years later. A year later saw the television premier of ER, his workplace drama set in a hospital emergency room; it became one of TV's longest running dramas and is now in its final season. Crichton once said that the show drew on his real experiences. “One of the things that distinguishes that show from other television shows is the degree to which it is based on real stories”, he said. “Viewers can tell.”Crichton, who moved easily between jobs as writer, screenwriter, and director, was married five times. He is survived by his wife, the former Sherri Alexander, and by a daughter, Taylor. Physician, bestselling writer, and creator of television series ER. Born on Oct 23, 1942, in Chicago, IL, USA, he died from cancer on Nov 4, 2008, aged 66 years in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Michael Crichton was a doctor by training. The power of science, and the foibles of those who use it, was the consistent thread throughout all of his fiction and screenplays, from Jurassic Park to the Andromeda Strain to ER. His driving narratives were parables set in the world of cutting-edge technology, filled with geneticists, surgeons, and myriad technological savants. But the overriding themes were about fundamental human traits—greed, hubris, and the lust for power. Crichton's books were bestsellers—he sold 150 million books worldwide—and many of them were adapted for the big screen. His work was often derided by critics—two-dimensional characters, stultifying dialogue, and silly science were all frequent complaints. Still, The New York Times praised him for taking readers deep into the science behind his fantasies, noting “the author's extravagant care in working out the clockwork mechanics of his experiments”, from genetic replication of dinosaurs to time travel to voice recognition software. “These books thrive on yarn spinning, but they also take immense delight in the inner workings of things (as opposed to people, women especially)”, wrote the critic Charles McGrath. His 2004 novel State of Fear, which questioned the truth of climate change, brought down the rage of environmentalists and scientists, although it earned him an invitation to the White House from President George W Bush. At the same time, Crichton also spoke out on the need to revise US rules on genetic research. “For legislation, I identify four areas of concern: stop patenting genes, revise laws governing tissue collections, require reporting of therapy trials, and don't ban future research”, he told Congressional aides in 2006. That same year, he wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal defending the rights of medical researchers to use the tissue of deceased organ donors, claiming that once the patient had died they became the property of the research institution: “Unless researchers are allowed to do whatever they want, they warn patients the flow of live-saving miracles will dry up.” The oldest of four children, Crichton grew up in Long Island, New York. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, a one-time English major who switched to anthropology; he then spent a year teaching at Cambridge University in the UK. It was while attending Harvard Medical School, in 1966, that he began moonlighting as a writer to help subsidise his studies. After medical school, he moved to San Diego to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute of Biological Studies. But his urge to write got the better of him, and he produced The Andromeda Strain, a high-tech medical thriller about a team of scientists trying to stop a deadly pathogen from outer space that threatens to destroy the world. The book became a bestseller and in 1971 was made into a blockbuster movie. It was a cycle that would continue for most of his career. Crichton followed up the success of The Andromeda Strain with a non-fiction work, Five Patients: The Hospital Explained, but quickly returned to his natural niche, dystopian fiction, directing the film Westworld, a fantasy about a futuristic resort gone wrong, staring Yul Brynner. He then penned the novel The Great Train Robbery, which became a movie starring Sean Connery. This was followed by a series of book and film projects, none of which hit it big until 1990, with the release of Jurassic Park, the tale of a theme park inhabited by dinosaurs cloned from prehistoric DNA that go on a rampage. It became a Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster 3 years later. A year later saw the television premier of ER, his workplace drama set in a hospital emergency room; it became one of TV's longest running dramas and is now in its final season. Crichton once said that the show drew on his real experiences. “One of the things that distinguishes that show from other television shows is the degree to which it is based on real stories”, he said. “Viewers can tell.” Crichton, who moved easily between jobs as writer, screenwriter, and director, was married five times. He is survived by his wife, the former Sherri Alexander, and by a daughter, Taylor.