Crichton was a brand-name author, known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of “The Andromeda Strain” or dinosaurs running amok in “Jurassic Park,” one of his many million-selling books that became major Hollywood movies.
Crichton also created the hospital drama “ER” for television. His most recent novel, “Next,” about genetics and law, was published in December 2006