Michael Crichton, the literary and literal giant (he was 6’9″!) passed away today after a long private battle with cancer. Crichton, known for his evocative writing and accessible but engaging style penned such works as The Andromeda Strain, The Great Train Robbery, and a fantastically successful string of works subsequently made in to movies such as Eaters of the Dead (adapted into “The 13th Warrior”), Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, The Lost World, and Timeline.
Crichton’s works focused primarily on technology, medicine and the potential for dystopian futures resulting from these fields. His focus sprouted naturally from Crichton’s past as he graudated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard University, tutored in anthropology at Cambridge University in England, and eventually received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School while writing award winning novels under two different pen names (John Lange and Jeffrey Hudson).
Crichton’s fingerprints can be found in more than just the huge literary success he achieved, having sold over 150 million books, as he delved deep into the world of moving pictures as well. Jurassic Park was groundbreaking in its effects, and 1973’s Westworld and 1976’s Futureworld were the first two movies to use 2D and 3D Computer Generated Images (CGI), respectively.
Additionally, Crichton wrote “Twister” and was the original writer and producer of the fabulously successful TV hospital drama “ER.”
As a result of his myriad projects, in December of 1994 Crichton achieved a never before seen feat, holding the prize for #1 Movie (Jurassic Park), #1 TV Show (ER) and #1 Book (Disclosure) simultaneously.
He was 66.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton)
(http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5092860.ece)
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Indeed Michael Crichton was one of the good ones of our time. Yet Tony Hillerman, a man who opened so many of our eyes to the Southwest, the world of the Navajos and the Hopis, was barely mentioned. AOL had an enormous story about an actress from Saturday Night Live who delivered a perfectly healthy baby the same day. They even had a poll about which character on SNL would be missed the most.
Tony Hillerman did so much more than write mystery stories about Navajo policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jimmy Chee. He also gave us the picture of a storm gathering over the mountains with its many colors and designs. The hope of the desert tribes that perhaps a rain would follow, be it a male or female rain. He told of ancient cures, not of the body but of the soul, and those few Navajo who still perform the ceremonies.
It wasn’t like just reading about it, it was being there. We were given a peek into the mysterious world of the Hopis and their customs that even today are only spread by word of mouth. Mr. Hillerman’s world empowered me to move from Kansas to the Four Corners region, where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico come together in hopes I could work a few years longer in the dry climate of the desert.
The world will be a much sadder place without retired Lt. Leaphorn and young Sgt Chee, trying to combine the customs of his tribe with the world of the 21st century. Thank you, Mr. Hillerman, for making my world so much larger and brighter.
Charlene, this is really well done. I personally haven’t read any of Hillerman’s work, but I can’t agree with you more about the disappointment I feel when you see what often qualifies as “news” when tested against the accomplishments of a great artist’s life.
SNL, despite its recent relative jump in popularity still is about as compelling as the current OJ Simpson trial. *Yawn*
Happy to hear that the written word still can move people, literally 🙂