tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37030133511728975392024-02-21T11:48:02.293-06:00Musings on Michael CrichtonNews, analysis, and reflections on the author Michael Crichton, his books, and his other worksMarla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-20294550714929950612020-09-22T18:18:00.000-05:002020-09-22T18:18:29.591-05:00HBO to Make Sphere Series<br><br>HBO Max is playing to make a series of Michael Crichton's novel Sphere. Very exciting news given the fastastic job HBO has done with Westworld. Sphere is a novel with limitless possibilities.
<br>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-55151483858243276402018-01-24T23:13:00.000-06:002018-01-24T23:13:39.527-06:00Happy New Year!Happy New Year!Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-23794261571928819432016-11-17T08:26:00.000-06:002016-11-17T08:26:17.326-06:00Read an Excerpt from Michael Crichton's Dragon Teeth<br>USA Today has published an excerpt of the recently discovered Michael Crichton novel <i>Dragon Teeth</i>.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/11/17/michael-crichton-dragon-teeth-exclusive-excerpt-book-buzz/93887780/">Check it out!</a><br><br>
Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-28683060938795846062016-07-30T21:34:00.000-05:002016-07-30T21:37:18.541-05:00Michael Crichton Manuscript to be Published in 2017<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">An unpublished book by Michael Crichton is scheduled to be published by Harper Collins in May 2017. Crichton's widow, Sherri Crichton, discovered the manuscript <i>Dragon Teeth</i> while going through his archives.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the press release:<br /><br />
</span>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Michael Crichton’s DRAGON TEETH follows the notorious rivalry between real-life paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh during a time of intense fossil speculation and discovery in the American West in 1878. The story unfolds through the adventures of a young fictional character named William Johnson who is apprenticed first to one, then to the other and not only makes discoveries of historic proportion, but transforms into an inspiring hero only Crichton could have imagined. Known for his meticulous research, Crichton uses Marsh and Copes’ heated competition during the ‘Bone Wars,’ the golden age of American fossil hunting, as the basis for a thrilling story set in the wilds of the American West.<br /><br />
Sherri Crichton has been working to honor her late husband by creating the Michael Crichton Archives through her company CrichtonSun. “When I came across the DRAGON TEETH manuscript in the files, I was immediately captivated. It has Michael’s voice, his love of history, research and science all dynamically woven into an epic tale.” She traced its genesis back to correspondence between Crichton and Professor Edwin H. Colbert, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. “DRAGON TEETH was clearly a very important book for Michael. I’m so pleased to continue the long relationship that he shared with HarperCollins with its publication.”</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
I've seen mentions of unpublished projects in Michael Crichton's interviews, but I don't remember anything about this one. Time to go through my own Michael Crichton archives. When <i>Pirates Latitudes</i> was published, I discovered that Crichton had mentioned it in an interview.
</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2009/11/origin-of-pirate-latitudes.html"><span style="font-size: large;">The Origin of Pirate Latitudes</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2010/06/origins-of-pirate-latitudes-part-2.html">Origins of Pirate Latitudes - Part 2<br /><br />
</a>
There's something else to look forward to. National Geographic is planning a mini-series based on <i>Dragon Teeth</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/new-michael-crichton-book-works-915943">The Hollywood Reporter</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">“Given Michael’s history with Amblin, and his love of science, I am delighted to have found the perfect home for Dragon Teeth at Nat Geo,” said Sherri Crichton. “Dragon Teeth was a very important book for Michael and is another example of his immense talent and versatility as a writer and his appreciation and understanding of a great page in the history of paleontology.”</span></i><br />
<br /></blockquote>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2016/07/michael-crichton-manuscript-to-be.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-size="small" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>
Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-46376212791777560802015-10-23T07:13:00.000-05:002015-10-23T07:13:56.831-05:0073 Years Ago<br>73 years ago, an extraordinary thing happened. Michael Crichton was born in Chicago. For many of us, that event would affect our lives in unimaginable ways.<br><br>
Crichton's work is still sparking new interpretations. We had the release of <i>Jurassic World</i> this summer and we'll be looking forward to the HBO remake of <i>Westworld</i>.<br><br>
And check out the changes on <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.com/">Michael Crichton's official website</a>. The folks over there have done an extraordinary job in remaking the website.<br><br>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-64301900657381528532015-06-15T14:00:00.000-05:002015-06-15T14:01:38.652-05:00Jurassic World—The Park is Open!<br><a href="http://www.jurassicworld.com/">Jurassic World</a> opened on Thursday June 11 and the numbers are in.<br><br>
The tagline for the film is:<br>
<blockquote><b>“The Park is Open”</b></blockquote>
And how! <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2015/06/15/weekend-box-office-jurassic-world-scores-record-breaking-209m-us-debut/">According to Forbes</a>, <i>Jurassic World</i> had the largest worldwide opening for a film ever—taking in $524 million over the weekend. <br><br>
From the article:<br>
<blockquote><i>It is already the fifth-biggest worldwide grosser of 2015 (it will be third in a matter of days), the third-biggest domestic box office champion of the year, and the 134th-biggest worldwide box office champion ever.</i></blockquote><br>
I’m imagining a sign reading “The Park is Open” in giant letters. Underneath is smaller printer reading:<br>
<blockquote><i>We’ve got it right this time. Really. You can trust us.</i></blockquote>
And in even smaller print:<br>
<blockquote><i>Please read all the legalese on the back of your ticket regarding our liability for your safety.</i></blockquote><br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2015/06/jurassic-worldthe-park-is-open.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-32088076069358659412015-06-11T13:30:00.000-05:002015-06-11T13:32:26.359-05:00Grantland Article Examines Michael Crichton's Literary History<br><a href="http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/michael-crichton-jurassic-world-westworld-literary-career/">His Jurassic World: Author Michael Crichton’s Entertainment Odyssey and Lasting Cultural Impact</a><br><br>
This article by <a href="http://www.michaelweinreb.com ">Michael Weinreb</a>, (in which yours truly is quoted), examines Crichton’s earlier works. <br><br>
From the article:<br>
<blockquote><i>My favorite of the John Lange books is Drug of Choice, a trippy little book involving that inexplicable blue urine and models and an illusory island; it ends with a lecture about the power of corporations. “Do you want to live in a certain neighborhood?” a villain named Harvey Blood (seriously) declares. “Do you find certain food tasty? Do you prefer certain climates, clothes, cars, paintings, movies, books, films, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, singers? Don’t you see your preferences are all conditioned? Don’t you see you are manipulated every minute of your life? You’re manipulated by Procter and Gamble, by Ford, by MGM, by Random House, by Brooks, by Bergdorf, by Revlon, by Upjohn—’’</i></blockquote><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2015/06/grantland-article-examines-michael.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-45816317623593775722015-06-08T12:20:00.000-05:002015-06-08T20:36:47.242-05:00Waiting for Jurassic World<br>It’s coming in three days. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369610/">Jurassic World</a>, the fourth installment of the franchise, will hit theaters on Friday June 12, 2015. Follow the countdown on the <a href="http://www.jurassicworld.com/">official website</a>.<br><br>
Though I, like many people, plan to see it on Thursday June 11. That date marks the 22nd anniversary of the release of the film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/">Jurassic Park</a> on June 11, 1993. And that is apropos because Jurassic World is meant to be a direct sequel of the first film, and will not be referencing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119567/">The Lost World: Jurassic Park </a>(1997) or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163025/">Jurassic Park III </a>(2001). <br><br>
Spielberg returns as executive director and he created the story along with Mark Protosevich. I won’t expect the film to be better than the original, because I think that would be impossible.<br><br>
From the description:<br><br>
<blockquote><i>Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly.</i>
</blockquote>
Things backfiring horribly is pretty much business as usual in any Jurassic film. The only character from any of the earlier films to return for <i>Jurassic World</i> is Dr. Wu, played by BD Wong. Dr. Wu is in charge of manipulating the dino DNA. <br><br>
Quotes from the trailers:<br><br>
<i>Claire: Corporate felt genetic modification would up the 'wow' factor.<br>
Owen: They're dinosaurs, wow enough.<br>
----------<br>
Claire: Every time we unveiled a new attraction, attendance has spiked.</i><br><br>
This does tie in with the <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-jurassicpark.html">Jurassic Park</a> novel, in which Dr. Wu suggested engineering the dinosaurs to be slower, so they would match people’s expectations. John Hammond rejected the idea, saying that people want to see real dinosaurs.<br><br>
So at what point does a dinosaur park become like an amusement park that adds a new roller coaster every year? Zoos already have the challenge of attracting more visitors while at the same time ensuring the health and safety of the animals.<br><br>
Here are three stories concerning visitors to zoos whose expectations are not being met:<br><br>
<a href="http://notalwaysright.com/extreme-primate-refereeing/1795">Story One</a><br>
Visitor wants zoo personnel to stop the gorillas from fighting because “it’s a bad example for the children.”<br><br>
<a href="http://notalwaysright.com/when-stupid-people-attack/1724">Story Two</a> <br>
Visitor complains that the bears are boring and wants the zookeeper to make them do something.<br><br>
<a href="http://notalwaysright.com/not-responsible-for-lost-or-eaten-children/2572">Story Three</a><br>
A zoo has added a robotic dinosaur exhibit. A father complains that the dinosaurs are fake. The mother says, “You know dear, maybe you should get real dinosaurs. That way, you won’t have problems like this.”<br><br>
She wants real dinosaurs….be careful what you wish for.<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2015/06/waiting-for-jurassic-world.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-4684165167435232382014-12-08T17:10:00.000-06:002014-12-08T17:11:37.089-06:00Living in a State of Fear<br><br>Before we delve into our exploration and analysis of <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-stateoffear-plot.html">State of Fear</a>, I want to share one of the highlights of my Michael Crichton collection. I found this T-shirt on eBay and I've never seen another for sale anywhere. <br><br>
Front:<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwv1TYhni6ztuhXppERbgPE9-kl9Efoq7q0kvixtZ88qilqyp7LbIw26RYtFBPMCjo4oxJirBMH6s6dH9waGGrOdX5q92B-PZWpLaUBmUlfgRsZo_nrSy7CHKBXFZGVV6i3aIYaNYYdo/s1600/SOF+T+front+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwv1TYhni6ztuhXppERbgPE9-kl9Efoq7q0kvixtZ88qilqyp7LbIw26RYtFBPMCjo4oxJirBMH6s6dH9waGGrOdX5q92B-PZWpLaUBmUlfgRsZo_nrSy7CHKBXFZGVV6i3aIYaNYYdo/s320/SOF+T+front+display.jpg" /></a></div><br><br>
Back:<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRvqWcNqmh2p-FRYV6jrTKLs_5EfeRq2LnljbXayESlx2whsr87XDNq4XsxjtYKiE2JhHyd0xh_2xjJxoGsBjgy8xNRk2VGCZejN79cAeZI2qQs13jVNbl5mDYornlPVj11eREZh3tzo/s1600/SOF+T+back+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRvqWcNqmh2p-FRYV6jrTKLs_5EfeRq2LnljbXayESlx2whsr87XDNq4XsxjtYKiE2JhHyd0xh_2xjJxoGsBjgy8xNRk2VGCZejN79cAeZI2qQs13jVNbl5mDYornlPVj11eREZh3tzo/s320/SOF+T+back+display.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2014/12/living-in-state-of-fear.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-4862532975850406262014-12-04T22:13:00.000-06:002014-12-04T22:14:47.963-06:00State of Fear - Ten Years Later<br><br>Ten years ago, <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-stateoffear-plot.html">State of Fear</a> was published. I remember the excitement when a new Michael Crichton book came out. I would clear my calendar because once I started reading a Crichton book I would do nothing else until it was finished.<br><br>
Crichton’s career can be split into three stages:<br><br>
1. <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-andromedastrain-history.html ">The Andromeda Strain</a>, which introduced his writing to the world.<br><br>
2. <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-jurassicpark.html">Jurassic Park</a>, which took Crichton from a genre writer to mainstream fame.<br><br>
3. <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-stateoffear-plot.html">State of Fear</a>, Crichton’s most controversial book<br><br>
In November 2005, I had the rare privilege of participating in a month-long online discussion with Michael Crichton about <i>State of Fear</i>. It was hosted by the <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/">Barnes & Noble website</a>. (Unfortunately, the discussion cannot be found online. Fortunately, I downloaded everything Crichton said.)<br><br>
During the next few months, I’m going to explore <i>State of Fear</i> and the science behind it. I’ll also take a look the current state of climate and of climate science. What has changed in ten years? What hasn't changed?
If any readers know of something in particular they would like to discuss, please email me at kahlessa at gmail dot com<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2014/12/state-of-fear-ten-years-later.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-9619079711219657362014-07-02T22:13:00.000-05:002014-07-02T22:15:12.998-05:00Michael Crichton Speech - “Science Policy in the 21st Century”<br>On January 28, 2005, Michael Crichton gave a speech titled <a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?185495-1/book-discussion-state-fear">"Science Policy in the 21st Century"</a> for the American Enterprise Institute. The video lasts an hour and 15 minutes.<br><br>
The speech covers issues addressed in <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.com/books-stateoffear-video.html">State of Fear</a>, though much of what Crichton said can be applied to a number of other situations.<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2014/07/michael-crichton-speech-science-policy.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-60306572931996744172014-05-05T21:19:00.000-05:002014-05-05T21:21:46.929-05:00Video: Michael Crichton on 'Jurassic Park' – Today show 1990<br>Here's an interview with Michael Crichton from the Today show on November 16, 1990:<br><br>
<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/_28diM6SYIo?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/_28diM6SYIo?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br><br>
Many Thanks to Alec Riker for bringing this to my attention!<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2014/05/video-michael-crichton-on-jurassic-park.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-16895319040530675502014-03-10T21:35:00.000-05:002014-03-10T21:37:01.526-05:00At Long Last<br>At Long Last…. <br>
I am posting to this blog again.<br><br>
At Long Last….<br>
The Supreme Court <a href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/06/unanimous-supreme-court-decision-gene.html">declared gene patents illegal.</a><br><br>
At Long Last….<br>
the John Lange novels are back in print, and, as a result…<br><br>
At Long Last….<br>
I can stop feeling guilty for owning three copies of <i>Odds On</i>. All of my copies were obtained through eBay, but in the case of two of them, the sellers had no idea what they had—one cost $19.95, the other cost $9.99. Can’t imagine the sellers had any idea they were selling Michael Crichton’s very first novel.<br><br>
The Crichton website has <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-news.html">some links to reviews of the John Lange novels</a>. I’ll write more about the books soon. While I've read all the John Lange novels several times, this year I’d like to read them in the order they were published. What will that tell me about Michael Crichton’s evolution as a writer? We shall see. <br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2014/03/at-long-last.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-3456095531145092552013-12-22T18:01:00.000-06:002013-12-22T18:04:13.299-06:00A Michael Crichton Christmas 2013<br>On the first day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
A T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the second day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the third day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the fourth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the fifth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns <br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the sixth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns <br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the seventh day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the eighth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Eight Airframes crashing<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines <br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the ninth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Nine E.R.s in peril<br>
Eight Airframes crashing<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines <br>
Three Rising Suns <br>
Two Lost Worlds <br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the tenth day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Ten Congos drumming<br>
Nine E.R.s in peril<br>
Eight Airframes crashing<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the eleventh day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Eleven Spheres a-humming<br>
Ten Congos drumming<br>
Nine E.R.s in peril<br>
Eight Airframes crashing<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines<br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds <br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
On the Next day of Christmas Michael Crichton gave to me<br>
Twelve Micros munching<br>
Eleven Spheres a-humming<br>
Ten Congos drumming<br>
Nine E.R.s in peril<br>
Eight Airframes crashing<br>
Seven States a-Fearing<br>
Six Prey a-fleeing<br>
Five Pirate Latitudes<br>
Four Timelines <br>
Three Rising Suns<br>
Two Lost Worlds<br>
And a T-Rex who tried to eat me<br><br>
I wrote the original version of this on December 22, 2007. I intended it to be a fun treat for the holidays. With Michael Crichton's untimely death, it's poignant to think about what he gave us.<br><br>
In 2009 I revised “A Michael Crichton Christmas” to include Pirate Latitudes. My good friend Erik and his friend Angel, with some help from their families, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOJQq_-wvj0">created a video</a> based on it.<br><br>
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VOJQq_-wvj0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VOJQq_-wvj0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br><br>
In 2011, I updated it to include Micro, Crichton’s posthumous novel that was completed by Richard Preston.<br><br>
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!<br>
<br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/12/a-michael-crichton-christmas-2013.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-37309645234762640452013-11-09T12:33:00.000-06:002013-11-09T12:35:07.249-06:00Michael Crichton: “What I Have Learned from Reactions to My Books”<br>Michael Crichton: <a href="http://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3634&context=cklawreview">“What I Have Learned from Reactions to My Books”</a><br><br>
This is a publication of a speech that Michael Crichton made on May 21, 2007 at the <a href="http://www.whoownsyourbody.org/conference.html">"Who Owns Your Body?"</a> symposium at the Kent School of Law in Chicago. It was published in the <i>Chicago-Kent Law Review</i> in 2009 and has recently been made available through Law Commons.<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/11/michael-crichton-what-i-have-learned.html" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-30932957209682897642013-11-04T22:34:00.001-06:002013-11-04T22:37:07.192-06:00Five Years Ago<br><i>(I apologize for not posting something on what would have been Michael Crichton’s 71st birthday on October 23. It could not be helped, as my health has not been good lately. Mea maxima culpa, Michael, and to all my Musings readers.)</i><br><br>
Five years ago today, we lost Michael Crichton. I still find it difficult to accept. I feel he is still a part of the universe somehow. Anything else would be unthinkable.<br><br>
Here’s <a href=" http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=1&apage=10#comment-10711">a comment</a> I posted in the New York Times story about his death:
<blockquote><i>Michael Crichton was far more than a novelist. He was a brilliant philosopher who explored ideas and issues through fiction. On a wide range of important topics, he ignited analysis and debate among readers around the world as few writers have ever done. Crichton’s strength was not in the answers he provided, but in the questions he provoked. His death is a tragic loss, but his books will continue to entertain and educate readers.</i></blockquote>
I just went back to the article and found some other comments that illustrate how Michael Crichton will continue to live through his work. Many future readers will have their minds illuminated through his words.<br>
<blockquote><i>I was an extra in the movie version of “Coma” which Crichton directed back in 1977. (It was filmed in and around Boston.) I remember being shocked the first time I saw him on the set – he was 6 ft. 7 and I don’t think I’d ever seen anyone that tall before! My memory of him as a director is that he was low key and in control, everything went smoothly during the production. It is so sad to hear of his untimely death.</i>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=0&apage=7#comment-10549">— laurel</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>Michael was unassuming, good natured, and a friend, though we were separated by years and distance. We often breakfasted together on Saturday mornings on Kauai after the farmer’s market when we both lived there. He told me he always considered himself more of an anthropologists and each novel, a paper for class. He had a wonderful sense of humor. I miss him.</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=1&apage=8#comment-10599">— Myles Ludwig</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>Michael Crichton is to a large degree responsible for at least one professional biologist – upon reading The Andromeda Strain as a small boy (and I still have that copy), I became enthralled with molecular biology. His writing launched me on my scientific career path thought MIT and Harvard, and I have read all of his subsequent books. Thank you so much , Dr. Crichton, and rest in peace. My life would have been much different without you.
I see a last book was scheduled for publication in early December – was it near enough to completion to be finished and released?</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=1&apage=8#comment-10603">John Greene, Ph.D.</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>A big lost for the literature world!
Today I’m a researcher, thanks to the Crichton’s works, not because I’m influenced, but because his books kept the paleontology “flames” burning inside me. And then I choosed paleontology as work. His books also had told us that we must never accept the obvious without think deeper about it, as most scientist do…
Official mourning decreed…</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=1&apage=10#comment-10699">— Henrique (Brazil)</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>I have never read a Michael Crichton book, but I am still a big fan of his.
By the time my daughter Alice turned 12, she had read eight of Crichton’s books. I took her to see him at a book signing for the novel Prey. At the time, Alice was a shy girl, and she fretted about what to say to someone she looked up to so much.
Mr. Crichton immediately made her feel at ease and was wonderfully kind to her, asking her questions about her favorites. Alice and I both left that meeting as enthusiastic fans of Michael Crichton.</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=1&apage=4#comment-10431">— Maggie</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>I read all his books in high school, and still count Sphere as a top 5 book – always fascinating and engaging stuff – but his non-fiction book ‘Travels’ really changed the way I saw the world, made me very curious about things I’d never thought about. I have huge respect for him. His legacy for me and hopefully a lot of others is to let laziness and incuriousness be damned.</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=2&apage=6#comment-10503">— Chris</a><br><br>
<blockquote><i>after admiring him for many years, i met mr. crichton at a fundraising talk he gave for a community center. i was working the sound system for him. he was so incredibly gracious and appreciative toward me, the lowly sound guy. after it was over, he sought me out and thanked me for my work. he was not only a brilliant thinker and gifted storyteller. He was a genuinely kind & caring person. to his family, i’m so sorry for your loss.</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/michael-crichton-dies/?_r=2&apage=6#comment-10533">— peter c</a><br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/11/five-years-ago.html" data-colorscheme="light" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-send="false"></div>
Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-50897556087899647242013-10-09T22:26:00.000-05:002013-10-09T22:29:56.010-05:00Now Online: Michael Crichton's 1969 Review of Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five<br>The <i>New Republic</i> has given us a very special treat: online publication of Michael Crichton's<a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114833/michael-crichton-sci-fi-and-vonnegut"> 1969 book review </a>of Kurt Vonnegut's <i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i>. Crichton wrote a number of book reviews in the 1960s, but most are not available on the web. I've had to scrounge around university libraries and wrestle with microfilm to find many of them.<br><br>
From the review:<br><br>
<blockquote><i>We live in an age of great seriousness. We are accustomed to getting our art in heavy, pretentious doses. Anything funny is suspect, and anything simple is doubly suspect. Here we come to the second difficulty with Kurt Vonnegut. His style is effortless, naive, almost childlike. There are no big words and no complicated sentences. It is an extraordinarily difficult style, but that fact is lost on anyone who has never tried to write that way.</i></blockquote>
<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/10/now-online-michael-crichtons-1969.html" data-width="The pixel width of the plugin" data-height="The pixel height of the plugin" data-colorscheme="light" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-show-faces="true" data-send="false"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-67938789660730960192013-09-02T12:14:00.000-05:002013-09-02T12:16:26.320-05:00HBO to Remake Westworld<br>According to <i>Variety</i>, HBO has given the go for the production of a pilot of a series remake of <i>Westworld</i>. Michael Crichton wrote and directed <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/?ref_=sr_1">the 1973 film</a>. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634300/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Jonathan Nolan</a>, who has written the films <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/">The Prestige</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/">The Dark Knight Rises</a>, plus the TV series <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839578/">Person of Interest</a>, will be writing and directed the remake. <br><br>
From <a href="http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/hbo-gives-pilot-nod-to-westworld-remake-from-jonathan-nolan-j-j-abrams-1200593476/">Variety</a>:<br><br>
<blockquote><i>The HBO rendition of “Westworld” is described as “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.” The pilot production commitment is a big one by HBO’s standards, indicated the depth of the pay cabler’s interest in the project.</i>
</blockquote><br>
While you’re waiting, check out Michael Crichton in “The Making of Westworld”:<br><br>
<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/NfKbqB5a-8E?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/NfKbqB5a-8E?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/09/hbo-to-remake-westworld.html" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true" data-send="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-40911401426148655342013-08-14T14:26:00.000-05:002013-08-14T14:30:10.815-05:00John Lange Novels to be Published in Paperback<br>
Ask and <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-paperback.html">ye shall receive.</a><br><br>
When the digital publication of Michael Crichton’s pseudonym novels was announced, many people said they wished they could get print editions. Most of the titles were out of print and the second hand copies were often quite expensive. <br><br>
Especially <i>Odds On</i>, <i>Drug of Choice</i>, and <i>The Venom Business</i>.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/">Hard Case Crime</a>, which republished <i>Grave Descend</i> in 2006 and <i>Zero Cool</i> in 2008, will be publishing the eight novels Crichton wrote under the name “John Lange” in October/November 2013.<br><br>
Charles Ardai, the owner and publisher of Hard Case Crime, worked with Crichton in getting two of the books republished—Crichton even wrote two extra chapters for Zero Cool—but he was unable to persuade “John Lange” to reveal his true identity. <a href="http://bishsbeat.blogspot.com/2013/08/hard-case-crime-michael-crichtonjohn.html">In a recent interview</a>, Ardai said:<br><br>
<blockquote><i>Working with Michael (even if we had to keep it secret) was one of the great pleasures and privileges of my career, and ever since, I've wished we could have completed what we began. I've also wondered whether Michael might eventually have given in to temptation and written a whole new Lange novel for us -- no less persuasive a figure than Stephen King was encouraging him to do so! Alas, a new Lange novel will never be…but we’re very pleased to announce that five years later we finally will get to finish what we started. We’re going to be bringing all eight John Lange novels back to bookstores for the first time in more than four decades – and with the blessing of Michael’s family, the first time ever under the his real name.</i></blockquote><br><br>
I work in a bookstore and I remember telling several Michael Crichton fans about the John Lange novels we had for sale. Most were very surprised, having had no idea that Crichton had written under a pseudonym.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Odds%20On">Odds On </a>(1966)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Scratch%20One">Scratch One</a> (1967)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Easy%20Go">Easy Go </a>(1968)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Zero%20Cool">Zero Cool</a> (1969)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=The%20Venom%20Business">The Venom Business </a>(1970)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Drug%20of%20Choice">Drug of Choice </a>(1970)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Grave%20Descend">Grave Descend </a>(1970)<br><br>
<a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=Binary">Binary </a>(1972)<br><br>
Unfortunately, <i>Dealing or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues </i>(1970) by Michael Douglas is still available only in digital or out-of-print editions. <br><br>
<i>A Case of Need </i>(1968) by Jeffery Hudson was out of print but was republished in 1993 with Crichton’s name on the cover. It’s available in paperback and has been for years. There’s an interesting story behind that. (Coming Soon: “A Special Case of Need”)<br><br><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/08/john-lange-novels-to-be-published-in.html" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true" data-send="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-61387229888461210802013-07-31T20:44:00.001-05:002013-07-31T20:48:15.629-05:00“A Portrait of Michael Crichton” video<br>This video, made in 2001, contains an extensive interview with Michael Crichton. It’s included in The Andromeda Strain (1971) DVD. Crichton talks about his writing during the <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-overview.html">Med School Years</a>, and explains how he chose the pseudonyms “John Lange” and “Jeffery Hudson”. <br><br>
<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/sYF56PzqE7E?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/sYF56PzqE7E?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/07/a-portrait-of-michael-crichton-video.html" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true" data-send="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-74722972875330390802013-07-29T20:07:00.000-05:002013-07-29T20:10:22.824-05:00Michael Crichton Pseudonym Novels Released<br>
Eight of the <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-overview.html">ten pseudonym novels</a> by Michael Crichton were released in digital format on July 23. Ebook releases of <i>Grave Descend</i> and <i>Zero Cool</i> have been pushed back to August 27, 2013. No explanation has been given, but the other books will provide plenty of reading for now.<br><br>
I have print copies of all the titles. My favorites are <i>Binary</i>, <i>Easy Go</i> (aka <i>The Last Tomb</i>), <i>Drug of Choice</i>, and <i>Scratch One</i>. But all are fascinating reads, not only for what they reveal about Crichton as a writer, but in their own right. <br><br>
<b>Bonus</b><br>
The ebooks contain a special treat for Michael Crichton’s fans—nine photos from the Crichton archives:<br><br>
• A photo of Michael Crichton with his brother Douglas when they were boys. This photo was taken by their mother and appeared on the hardcover dust jacket of <i>Dealing</i>.<br><br>
• A telegram informing Crichton of his acceptance to Harvard<br><br>
• Crichton’s Harvard yearbook photo in 1961. He was in Lowell House. (I have a 1964 Harvard yearbook which shows Crichton in his senior year.)<br><br>
• A photo of Crichton as an anthropology student at Harvard. He’s measuring some statues that I believe are the Elgin Marbles.<br><br>
• Cover page for a paper Crichton published with the Peabody Museum<br><br>
• 1969 Harvard Crimson article about Michael Crichton. As I documented <a href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/02/michael-crichton-harvard-crimson.html">in an earlier post</a>, Crichton also wrote a number of articles for the Crimson.<br><br>
• A photo of Crichton as a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute in 1969<br><br>
• A photo of Crichton scuba diving, which was taken for his autobiography <i>Travels</i><br><br>
• A photo of Crichton “hiking while doing research for his novel Micro”. This choked me up a bit. As you know, Crichton died before he could finish the novel. <i>Micro</i> was published in November 2011 after Richard Preston completed the novel based on Crichton’s drafts and notes.<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/07/michael-crichton-pseudonym-novels.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-16141234281587507602013-07-19T23:29:00.000-05:002013-07-19T23:32:38.085-05:00Michael Crichton “The Med School Years” video<br>To promote and celebrate the release of Michael Crichton’s pseudonym novels, the Crichton website now features a short video giving some background on these books. Interviews with Michael Crichton are included, as well as some comments by Crichton’s longtime agent Lynn Nesbit. (I believe I read that she became his agent on the second John Lange novel, <i>Easy Go</i>. Will have to find the reference.)<br><br>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yqv1TIArz4c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br><br>The <a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-overview.html">main page</a> of “The Med School Years” contains links to order the books from Amazon or Apple. I get my books from Barnes & Noble, so I’ll post the links for any who want to go there.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/easy-go-michael-crichton/1115897408?ean=9781453299258">Easy Go</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/odds-on-michael-crichton/1115897402?ean=9781453299234">Odds On</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-venom-business-michael-crichton/1115897405?ean=9781453299302">The Venom Business</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drug-of-choice-michael-crichton/1115897404?ean=9781453299272">Drug of Choice</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/binary-michael-crichton/1115897401?ean=9781453299289">Binary</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scratch-one-michael-crichton/1115897400?ean=9781453299241">Scratch One</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-descend-michael-crichton/1115897403?ean=9781453299296">Grave Descend</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zero-cool-michael-crichton/1115897407?ean=9781453299265">Zero Cool</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/case-of-need-michael-crichton/1102380357?ean=9781453299319">A Case of Need</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dealing-or-the-berkeley-to-boston-forty-brick-lost-bag-blues-michael-crichton/1115897406?ean=9781453299326">Dealing or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues</a><br><br><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/07/michael-crichton-med-years-video.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-60093439273990571372013-06-28T12:44:00.001-05:002013-06-28T12:46:30.518-05:00Michael Crichton—The Med School Years<br>The Michael Crichton website has a new section on his pseudonym novels:<br><br>
<a href="http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books-medschoolyears-overview.html">Michael Crichton “The Med School Years”</a><br><br>
It contains a good deal of fascinating information. Although the phrase “The Med School Years” is a little misleading as four of the novels—<i>Grave Descend</i> (1970), <i>Drug of Choice</i> (1970), <i>Dealing Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues </i>(1970), and <i>Binary</i> (1972)—were published after Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1969.<br><br>
I've always wondered why he published the last few John Lange novels after he published the highly successful <i>The Andromeda Strain</i> (1969) under his own name. Did Crichton already have them written or did he have a contract for a specific number of John Lange novels?<br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/06/michael-crichtonthe-med-school-years.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-64279302713302955732013-06-13T21:51:00.000-05:002013-06-13T21:53:23.379-05:00Unanimous Supreme Court Decision: Gene Patents Illegal<br>In a <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-398_8njq.pdf">unanimous decision</a>, the Supreme Court ruled that patents cannot be issued for “naturally occurring” substances. In the case <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/association-for-molecular-pathology-v-myriad-genetics-inc/?wpmp_switcher=desktop">Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics</a>, Myriad had claimed that the act of isolating the two genes that indicate a higher risk of breast cancer justified the company receiving a patent on said genes.<br><br>
The court did, however, allow patents for cDNA (complementary DNA) but stated that they were not declaring that cDNA was entitled to be patented—just that right now there is no legal reason for forbidding it. This is a boon to biotech companies, who will be able to patent some products and therefore, receive some compensation for their research and hard work. However, as the court did not hold that cDNA is legally eligible for patents, this leaves the door open for Congress and the patent office to close this exception.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/?p=164985">Gene patent decision: In Plain English</a><br><br>
Somewhere, Michael Crichton is grinning broadly. <br><br>
<div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/06/unanimous-supreme-court-decision-gene.html " data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703013351172897539.post-50520483839838153902013-05-30T12:34:00.000-05:002013-05-30T12:36:24.331-05:00Alert! John Lange Novels to be Released as Ebooks<br>It was <a href="http://openroadmedia.com/blog/2013-05-30/Open-Road-Integrated-Media-Announces-Michael-Crichton-s-The-Med-School-Years.aspx">announced today</a> that Open Road Integrated Media will publish the ten novels Michael Crichton wrote under pseudonyms as ebooks. Release date is July 23rd, 2013 (the day before my birthday). This will include the eight books Crichton wrote under the name “John Lange”, plus the one he wrote under the names of “Jeffery Hudson” and the one he co-authored with his brother Douglas Crichton under the name “Michael Douglas”. Here is a list of the titles:<br><br>
<b>The eight novels published under the pseudonym “John Lange”:</b><br><br>
<i>Odds On</i> (1966)<br><br>
<i>Scratch One</i> (1967)<br><br>
<i>Easy Go </i>(1968) – later republished under the title <i>The Last Tomb</i><br><br>
<i>Zero Cool </i>(1969)<br><br>
<i>The Venom Business </i>(1969)<br><br>
<i>Grave Descend </i>(1970)<br><br>
<i>Drug of Choice </i>(1970)<br><br>
<i>Binary </i>(1972)<br><br>
<b>The novel Crichton published under the pseudonym “Jeffery Hudson”:</b><br><br>
<i>A Case of Need</i> (1968)<br><br>
<b>And the novel Michael Crichton wrote with his brother Douglas Crichton – published under the pseudonym “Michael Douglas”:</b><br><br>
<i>Dealing Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues </i>(1970)<br><br>
I've long suspected that the pseudonym novels might be released as ebooks. It’s a very cost efficient way to do it.<br><br>
Two of the John Lange novels were recently republished. Hard Case Crime republished <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-descend-john-lange/1005887740?ean=9780843955972">Grave Descend</a> as a paperback in 2006, and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zero-cool-john-lange/1102407949?ean=9780843959598">Zero Cool</a> in 2008. They were published under the name “John Lange” with no indication that they were written by Michael Crichton. But 2008 edition of <i>Zero Cool</i> had a fascinating addition. Crichton wrote a prologue and epilogue in which the main character’s grandson is interviewing him and recording it on a camcorder. It’s as though Crichton was reflecting back on his early writing. <br><br>
Those sections of <i>Zero Cool</i> are the last publication of new material by Crichton before his death. <br><br>
Stay tuned for upcoming posts about what Michael Crichton has said about these earlier works.<br><br><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.musingsonmichaelcrichton.com/2013/05/alert-john-lange-novels-to-be-released.html" data-send="true" data-width="450" data-show-faces="true"></div>Marla Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16901742264851381451noreply@blogger.com3