This summer I started reading Michael Crichton. So far I have read Jurassic Park, Lost World, Timeline, and Congo. State of Fear and The Great Train Robbery are next. Timeline might be the coolest book I’ve ever read.
What fascinates me is his diversity. He masterfully researched and wrote about dinosaurs, corporate business, Africa, medieval France, and a slew of other topics. I don’t know how many other authors cover such a breadth of topics.
Have you come across other authors like Crichton in this regard?
by MN_Beast
5 Comments
Kim Stanley Robinson
When I went through my deep dive in Crichton phase, I loved Sphere the most.
I read it again recently, and while it doesn’t hold up on a lot of levels, the premise is terrific. He’s a great plot writer.
>He masterfully researched
eeeeeeh. He did a lot of research. That’s not necessarily the same thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy Critchon’s stories, and he’s got a great way of weaving technical info into plot and character development. But if you do a deep dive into most of the subjects he covers, you start to see the holes and leaps.
State of Fear was tough to get through…glad you liked it though!
I first read Jurassic Park when I was in high school almost 30 years ago. I had to read everything he wrote after that. I honestly have never found another author that equates to his level of brilliance. But that said… try Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Jeff Long, Dean Koontz, and/or James Rollins. Once I discover an author I like, I tend to obsess and read everything by them. Those authors have some solid escapism writing skills that allow you to lose yourself in the story, similar to MC.