Michael Crichton has been called a "megastar" who has made a resounding impression on the literary world. Critics applaud him as a writer who is entertaining to read and who can "elaborate a gripping high concept into a crackerjack tale" (Publishers Weekly, 1 November 1999). Often referred to as elusive or "an enigma," Crichton is a graduate of Harvard Medical School; a noted critic of contemporary social issues, including science and new art; a screenwriter, director, and producer; the executive producer for the popular television program ER; and the writer of more than twenty-five books that range in style, structure, technique, and topic from adventure, drama, mystery, and science fiction to nonfiction reporting. Crichton is credited with inventing the "techno-thriller," a work that combines technology, suspense, and contemporary social issues.

In his autobiography, Travels (1988), Crichton claims, "Writing is how you make the experience your own, how you explore what it...