New Michael Crichton thriller later this year?

robotpo

As you guys may know, Michael Crichton was working on a "techno-thriller in the vein of 'Jurassic Park'" at the time of the his death; his editor announced in Spring of 2009 she was looking for a writer to complete the novel, which was already a third finished, based on Crichton's notes. The book was originally slated for a Fall 2010 release, then pushed back to late 2012. However:

-The Official Michael Crichton website recently added "Coming Soon" to the forum for the "Untitled Techno-Thriller", and an announcement on the main page telling us to stand by for updates

http://crichton-official.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=20

-Here's the information for the book from Amazon:

# Hardcover: 464 pages
# Publisher: Harper (November 22, 2011)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0060873027
# ISBN-13: 978-0060873028
# Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
# Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds

http://www.amazon.com/Unti-Crichton-Novel-Michael/dp/0060873027

Could we finally be seeing this new, final novel from the mind of the late genius and Jurassic Park creator? I hope so...:cool:

waroftheworlds01

I hope so too. I remember reading about an unfinished novel that he was working on and that they were looking for a writer. I'll buy and read it when and if it comes out but I'll also keep in mind that it is someone else writing the novel and not Michael Crichton. I think with Pirate Latitude it was still mostly if not all of Michael Crichton writing it so it was still good and had the same feel as his other novels. With someone writing a novel based off of unfinished notes then I don't know. But still, I'll buy and read it just out of respect for the man.

Panther10

My question is who could possibly fill Crichton's shoes? Lee Childs maybe? Or possible Steeve Alten or even Michael Cerasini? There aren't a lot of authors out there who can match Crichton's ability when it comes to storytelling and prose. And assuming the book becomes a best seller; if and when its even sold...wil the author in question continue to work as a ghost writer for Crichton?

Icedhope

I don't think anyone can, Crichton left his legacy, and we need to honor it not find a replacement.

robotpo

Well, the novel is definitely coming out, so too bad.

There are a lot of deceased authors who are still "producing work", BTW, (Ian Flemming, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft), or still-living authors whose name has become a brand ALA Tom Clancy, and a lot of this new stuff is pretty good; I'm not sure if Kathleen Kennedy's argument of "he's dead, so there will never be any more Crichton stuff" makes sense, really...?

Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston are basically "Crichton-lite", so they're definitely candidates. Others would be Steve Alten, David Goleman, James Rollins or Scott Sigler.

Panther, Crichton's agent stated that they're not planning to have someone else writing under his name, but inferred there may be partially-completed novels, or notes for novels, in Crichton's archives which could be fleshed-out and published in the future.

I'm hoping he started a third novel in the JP universe which may be finished one day...well, I can dream. :cool:

Irishmile

Crichton had a really rare gift of making facts and really technical stuff accessible and entertaining without having to dumb it down... Its not really something that can be imitated.

robotpo

Then don't buy the new book...:cool:

Cozur

Irishmile wrote: »

Its not really something that can be imitated.

How do you know?

Ofnir

This won't be his first post-death book. Pirate Latitudes was like 80%-90% done on his computer when he died, and they did some quick final polish to it. It's also part of the reason, I think, that it wasn't as good as a lot of his other works. I seem to recall when it was released that there was a second one that was about 1/2 done by Crichton standards (probably this one) and a lot more that he had notes and plot outlines and notes for, but no actual writing done on.

Still, going to check it out.

evolution_rex

All of Crichton's techno thrillers were fantastic. I read them all and I loved them all (though I think State of Fear was a little boring) so I can't wait to see what his last book is about.

Irishmile

Cozur wrote: »

How do you know?

its my opinion you do not have to agree.

Bombillazo

What kind of technological terror do you think MC was planning for this book?

evolution_rex

I'd say that becuase they say it's in the vein of Jurassic Park that it could involve genetic engineering again (possibly a sequel to his novel, Next) It could be about anything involving technology. Micheal Crichton has some crazy ideas in some of his books, but the greatest part of it is that the way he writes makes his unbelievable concepts seem possible.

waroftheworlds01

evolution_rex wrote: »

All of Crichton's techno thrillers were fantastic. I read them all and I loved them all (though I think State of Fear was a little boring) so I can't wait to see what his last book is about.

Really? State of Fear is one of my favorites and one I want to see made into a film.

anashastar

Well I've always known that he was planning to write books for all the islands. Since in the books they stated the 5 deaths or w/e. It was probably intended to work on that aspect.

Woodsyblue

I knew this was coming out but I didn't know it was dated yet. Exciting stuff. Expectations will naturally be lower because this is a posthumous release but I'm still looking forward to it.

Thanks for the heads up

waroftheworlds01

Woodsyblue wrote: »

I knew this was coming out but I didn't know it was dated yet. Exciting stuff. Expectations will naturally be lower because this is a posthumous release but I'm still looking forward to it.

Thanks for the heads up

Which reminds me. Did you finish The Lost World?

FitzoliverJ

I thought "Pirate Latitudes" was a bit empty, and can't help wondering if it was never intended as a novel, and if Chrichton actually wrote it as a story specifically for use in the movies.

Woodsyblue

waroftheworlds01 wrote: »

Which reminds me. Did you finish The Lost World?

It just got delivered the other day. Sadly the hardback I ordered is a tiny, dingy little thing which is disappointing. I haven't started it yet because I've I have three major assignments due this week (one down, two to go).

My sister is actually coming down from the states in a week and a half so I might ask if she can bring down a copy of that Barnes and Noble edition with both books in it. When she gets here I'll be on holidays so there will be nothing stopping me from reading it

BlankCanvasDJ

FitzoliverJ wrote: »

I thought "Pirate Latitudes" was a bit empty, and can't help wondering if it was never intended as a novel, and if Chrichton actually wrote it as a story specifically for use in the movies.

I think it was just unfinished. It read like 3/4 of a great adventure story, and then the last few chapters seemed like notes that would be fleshed out later.

Still, what's good in it is really good. With a more satisfying last act, it'd make a great film too.

As for another book, there are plenty of authors out there who specialize in mimicking another writer's style, and many of them do it very well. If JRR Tolkien, Ian Fleming, Mario Puzo and Robert Ludlum can all have their stories successfully continued after their death, so can Crichton.

Trenchfoot

Pirate Latitudes is pretty exciting. The first 20 chapters are very boring, but from there on it really picks up and makes you wanna be a pirate! Or not, as the book depicts the life in those days in such a violent way that you think it isn't too far away from reality.

However, I agree that it isn't Chricton's best. However, its still very entertaining and it could make a hell of a movie!

RexMaster

Trenchfoot wrote: »

Pirate Latitudes is pretty exciting. The first 20 chapters are very boring, but from there on it really picks up and makes you wanna be a pirate! Or not, as the book depicts the life in those days in such a violent way that you think it isn't too far away from reality.

However, I agree that it isn't Chricton's best. However, its still very entertaining and it could make a hell of a movie!

Yes, i found it to be another great addition to Crichton's creations... its just too bad he didnt have more time to come out with more great stories! Also, I cannot believe that someone just said that Crichton could be immitated successfully. The way he delivers his ideas will never be recreated or beat by another author. In the words of John Hammond (in Trespasser of course): "it was work to rank with the achievments of Galileo or Einstien"... literally!

BlankCanvasDJ

RexMaster wrote: »

Also, I cannot believe that someone just said that Crichton could be immitated successfully. The way he delivers his ideas will never be recreated or beat by another author.

But that's just silly. Crichton was a great writer, but he's not the only great writer there's ever been. Good writers live this stuff, they make a living off of getting inside the heads of other people. Many of them read, analyze and appreciate the writing styles of other novelists and many can imitate those styles very successfully.

Saying there's no writer in the world who can possibly imitate Crichton's style is like...well...it's like saying there's nobody in the world that can possibly imitate Michael J Fox's voice.

Bombillazo

BlankCanvasDJ wrote: »

But that's just silly. Crichton was a great writer, but he's not the only great writer there's ever been. Good writers live this stuff, they make a living off of getting inside the heads of other people. Many of them read, analyze and appreciate the writing styles of other novelists and many can imitate those styles very successfully.

Saying there's no writer in the world who can possibly imitate Crichton's style is like...well...it's like saying there's nobody in the world that can possibly imitate Michael J Fox's voice.

Yeah, he was an extremely accomplished and inventive author, but its not to say hes the only one... Thats just really shortsighted. Sure He had his own style, and it sure is difficult to fill in his shoes, but I think a new author with enough dedication as he had and creativity could surely imitate his style.

But that is no easy task in itself

Systemaddict

Be nice to see what he was working on, though - I'm always a little reluctant or hard pressed to get fully into works that the author didn't see through to the end. Always makes me wonder if they would have been happy with the way it finished. Still - this should be good. Crichton was one of the first authors I started to read actively when I started reading contemporary fiction (I was a non-fic nut growing up)

Hero1

I love Crichton's novels. Congo was a personal fav. Prey was awesome. I'll be getting the new one.

BlankCanvasDJ

I always liked Sphere, myself. Very scary book. Shame about the movie.

FitzoliverJ

BlankCanvasDJ wrote: »

If JRR Tolkien, Ian Fleming, Mario Puzo and Robert Ludlum can all have their stories successfully continued after their death, so can Crichton.

Christopher Tolkein hasn't actually done very much in the way of writing. Mostly his work is editorial... I believe he's shoved a few new paragraphs into some books here and there, but he hasn't actually written any continuations per se.

Mind you, continuation novels are a thorny issue. A lot of very sad bastard Douglas Adams fans got very upset when Eoin Colfer was comissioned to write Book 6 - even more angry that when they actually got to read it - because they thought that this had never ever happened before. On one internet forum I gave them a long list of writers whose estates had authorised sequels - Rex Stout, John Creasey, Raymond Chandler, A A Milne, Ian Fleming, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dashiel Hammett, and they're just the ones I remember off the cuff - and they pretty much started sticking their fingers in their ears and chanting "la la la not listening".

VittoOuWan

Isn't that great? Big writers write more books and faster after they die than they ever did while alive!!

Nothing like death to wake and jazz up a writer!!

Please don't pay attention to those who suggest that if they were dead someone else is writing and taking advantage of the big name(s). They're only ignorant and destructive people.

Just ignore them and buy the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

FitzoliverJ

VittoOuWan wrote: »

Isn't that great? Big writers write more books and faster after they die than they ever did while alive!!

Nothing like death to wake and jazz up a writer!!

Please don't pay attention to those who suggest that if they were dead someone else is writing and taking advantage of the big name(s). They're only ignorant and destructive people.

Just ignore them and buy the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I think I am getting a reading on my sarcasm detector. Never mind that critical opinion tends to favour some of Ian Fleming's successors as being, fundamentally, better writers than he ever was.

And all I can say is, I hope that Telltale never try to revive somebody else's property with a new run of pastiching games - oops.:eek:

robotpo

VittoOuWan wrote: »

Isn't that great? Big writers write more books and faster after they die than they ever did while alive!!

Nothing like death to wake and jazz up a writer!!

Please don't pay attention to those who suggest that if they were dead someone else is writing and taking advantage of the big name(s). They're only ignorant and destructive people.

Just ignore them and buy the book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And how many of these "big writers" have you actually read so that you can declare them "verboten" posthumously, exactly? :rolleyes:

Telekill

He was my favorite author. It's really sad that he died.