TJKeranen on 6/11/2008 at 00:13
Oh, a bit unexpected.
I have often been more than a little pissed off, reading his dodgy writing style, but I did read both Sphere and Jurassic Park in one sitting, and that is saying something.
Fucking cancer.
Stitch on 6/11/2008 at 00:45
Quote Posted by Brethren
Pretty shitty to say that someone dying is a good thing, just because their beliefs differ.
While I agree with "there's a time and a place" and all, belief really has nothing to do with it. Michael Crichton was a vocal advocate for a destructive lie, we're not talking about the guy having a different favorite Stones album.
paloalto90 on 6/11/2008 at 01:55
Don't you know you can boil down the worth of an individuals life as to how PC their views are including the sacred belief of man made global warming?
Muzman on 6/11/2008 at 02:18
I wonder some times if he just took great delight in pissing off mainstream science by mangling stuff in the guise of popularising it and taking it seriously at the same time. If so, this move at least means he won't have to write that inevitable intelligent design themed story.
Jurassic Park was a good wheeze anyway.
BEAR on 6/11/2008 at 02:36
Mixed feelings here - some of my favorite movies have been based on his books and I was a fan of a few of the books of his that I read, but in recent years he seemed to have been making a self-righteous ass as often as possible so I'm not as bothered as I might otherwise have been.
jay pettitt on 6/11/2008 at 02:36
ooh, hello page 2.
It's got zip to do with what you might 'believe' and everything to do with evidence and intellectual integrity. Crichton implied that he had substantial evidence that clearly demonstrated that Global Warming was a massive conspiracy against humanity perpetrated by governments, NGOs, schools, colleges, baby lambs and the (generally inept apparently) scientific community at large when he knew very well he had nothing of the sort and did nothing to clarify the situation when people took him for his word. He even tried to make the case to congress ffs. The thing with science is that it's a discipline. To gain a scientific qualification you learn how to reliably collect and analyse data. How to reduce errors, what kinds of errors may occur, how they might affect your work and how you might properly account for them. You learn about the need to publish and share your work as an essential process of peer review. Science is rigorous stuff. Even if Crichton was deluded and personally convinced that global warming was a hoax it doesn't excuse the fact that he claimed to be able to speak authoritatively because of his academic qualifications.
The trouble with State of Fear is that it presented itself as something akin to an investigative documentary by an author who is considered by many as qualified to do so - which was fundamentally dishonest (journalistic ethics demand that you are clear about whether you are communicating opinion or attempting a factual report, Crichton was deliberately unclear) and given the gravity of it's subject matter it was ill considered if not just down right reckless, perhaps worse. It was pretty shameful all told and the Senate were justified IMO to rip him to bits when he testified against the scientific case for global warming and climate change. I can't say that justifies dying or cancer, he could have just put his hands up and admitted that he'd been wrong and not done it again, but I doubt the world will be much worse off if we don't get a sequel.
Fafhrd on 6/11/2008 at 04:56
Quote Posted by Shug
it's heart? Michael Crichton would be ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE, FAF
CLEARLY I did it on purpose as a clever statement of my opinion of Crichton's writing.
stupid apostrophes...
Scots Taffer on 6/11/2008 at 09:08
Jurrassic Park and Sphere were both flawed but altogether awesome movies, I can respect the guy for that much.
Rogue Keeper on 6/11/2008 at 12:09
Of movies based on his sotries JP, Andromeda Strain and Coma were good, because they were just done good.
Regretfully Sphere and Congo were bad.
Of his books I've read only first JP book.
Anyway his decease is an unexpected sad surprise. I didn't know he's 66 already anyway.
RIP Michael and thanks for all the technothrillers.
