I know this probably gets asked a lot "who should I read if I like Dan Brown?". What makes this post different is that I've already exhausted all the usual suspects.
If you're into the whole "museum mystery" genre...
- Steve Berry
- James Rollins
and then if you want the more techno-leaning stuff like Digital Fortress or Deception Point
- Michael Crichton
So ... what are some good authors to fill either of these niches now?
My favorite author of all time was Michael Crichton. His particular flavor of science fiction featuring accurate science, combined with the immensely enjoyable storytelling, got me hooked on every one of his books. When he died, I didn’t think any other books would satisfy my like his.
The Martian by Andy Weir was great, but I kinda figured it was a one-off. But, I’m currently about a quarter of the way through Hail Mary Project and I am thoroughly enjoying it. A few pages ago I realized this style of story telling is exactly what I’ve been missing since Crichton passed. I’m not finished yet, but so far it’s a 10/10.
Edit: just want to add that one of my favorite books of all times is Travels, Michel Crichton’s autobiography. Not only was he a great author but he lived an interesting life. It probably helps that a great story teller[himself] told his story 😆.
After "Jurassic Park", a lot of Michael Crichton novels got green-lit for movies.
"Sphere" is probably my favourite Michael Crichton novel, and the movie is a very nice and very faithful adaptation that I simply love.
Plot teaser: The US Navy has discovered an alien space craft at the bottom of the ocean. They assemble a team of "experts" to investigate.
Deep sea claustrophobia. Mind games with alien life forms, computers, and seas swarms.
I revisit it every few years and I'm never disappointed.
He's a name that's not typically considered when it comes to horror, but frankly that's a mistake. Many of his books are as much horror as they are sci-fi/techno-thriller.
I've found Mark Alpert to be an enjoyable Crichton clone, but I'd love to hear of anybody else who writes in the same niche. Hmu with your best recommendations.
TIA!
I love the books from these authors as it usually has a gripping story and you learn a lot. But it’s never overly scifi or fantasy. It’s based in a “what if” reality.
Date: Friday, December 17, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM PT
Location: Bell Centre, Quebec, Canada
Stream: ESPN+
Artur Beterbiev vs Marcus Browne
12 rounds
WBC light heavyweight title
Bear with the vague title. I've only watched through the show once, back when it was on the SciFi channel. In one episode, some bad guys/kidnappers board Moya and kidnap one of the characters (it's been so long, I don't even remember who). As they're getting away, the dialog went something like this:
Crichton: Put a tractor beam on that ship!
Everybody: [puzzled looks] What? What's a tractor beam?
Crichton: Alright, put a [something else similar] on that ship!
Everybody: [more puzzled looks] What's a [something else similar]?
Crichton: The thing you used to pull me into the ship when I first showed up.
Everybody: Oh, a docking web.
Crichton: Alright, a docking web! Put a docking web on that ship!
Everybody: Too late. They're out of range.
This was probably one of the earlier seasons; Zann may still have been on the show, and I'm pretty sure it was before the Scorpio/wormhole knowledge story arc.
What was the [something else similar] that Crichton called for? It's synonymous to a tractor beam, something scifi fans would recognize from a different scifi universe. Every time I remember that I've forgotten what it was, it bugs me.
Edit: it's been so long, I even biffed the character names. 👎🏻
Grain of salt obviously but it's nice to hear.
Just read my first Michael Crichton book Sphere, and was absolutely blown away by it. I want to get more into his work and need some of the goodies
https://i.imgur.com/IgTgJwZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3TBb2Tg.jpg
I was just about 10-11 years old when the novel and movie came out and I remember a school project where we were to write our favorite authors to see what their response was. I don't remember the content of the letter I wrote, but this was what I got in the mail a few weeks later. It has a special place in my display cabinet along with other odds and ends of sentimental value I've collected over the years.
Michael Crichton's book have sold millions of copies worldwide so it makes sense that Hollywood would adapt a lot of his work. The most successful adaptation has been 1993's Jurassic Park. However, what are some other great Michael Crichton adaptations? They don't have to be completely accurate to the source material, just good movies on their own.
Examples:
- Rising Sun (1993)
- Disclosure (1994)
- Congo (1995)
- The 13th Warrior (1999) - Based on Eaters of the Dead
- Sphere (1998)
- Timeline (2003)
Just read my first Michael Crichton book Sphere. I couldn’t put it down. Even though the characters feel hollow sometimes, the science and action keeps you coming back for more .
Beterbiev loses a bucket of blood toward winning by 9th round KO.
Crichton never wants to kill, but he ends up having to defensibly cause a great deal of destruction. Between gammack bases, shadow depositories, Scarran dreadnoughts, moon bases, and the odd charrid, how many people killed is Crichton responsible for? Not debating the ethics of it, just trying to get a sense of the extent.
