In announcing his new deal to complete one of Michael Crichton's unfinished manuscripts, mega author James Patterson was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying, “Michael’s ability to tell a story that is propulsive while you learn things about the subject area he’s writing about is what pulled me in.”
Paterson's quote reminded me that Crichton's combination pulled me in too.
Crichton had a big influence on my desire to write technology thrillers that are more than just an exciting story.
My first three novels are fast-paced thrillers that also explore current and emerging real-world issues about politics, technology and social change. I write to entertain, first and foremost, but also to help readers explore important issues and technologies that are changing the way we live. The excitement and fast pace keep the reader moving forward, but the setting and the plot offer a more complex story than a typical shoot 'em up thriller--a story that is vividly current, unsettling and real. Some people call these novels intellectual or psychological thrillers. Others call them techno-thrillers or make up some other subset of the thriller genre. Some even categorize them as science fiction or one step back from it.
I want my readers to come away from the story breathless, wondering how much was real and how much was not but might be soon. I want them to keep thinking about the story and the issues long after they have finished reading. My favorite questions from readers are "how much of that is true?" or "is that really happening?" My favorite comment is "I can't quit thinking about that book."
One of the challenges for the author in these novels is explaining the science or technology to readers who know little or nothing about it, while not bogging down the story or insulting readers who know more about the topic than the author does. Another challenge is using science that is real enough to be believable while stretching it just short of being unbelievable. Research is essential.
Crichton was brilliant in pulling this off. In fact, he was just plain brilliant. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College, received his MD from Harvard Medical School, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He taught courses in anthropology at Cambridge University and writing at MIT. He had lifelong interest in computer science.
Besides being a gifted storyteller, he used meticulous research to supplement his academic and professional experience. Crichton’s first bestseller, The Andromeda Strain, was published while he was still a medical student. He later worked full time on film and writing. One of the most popular writers in the world, he has sold over 200 million books. His books have been translated into thirty-eight languages and thirteen have been made into films. Crichton died in 1966.
I have no misapprehensions about ever having Michael Crichton's talent or success, but I continue to appreciate the challenge he left behind of creating fast-paced thrillers set around plots filled with current scientific, medical or technology issues. Crichton was the master at this. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from his work and humbled by the readers who say they see the comparison. Check out my efforts at www.charlesharrisbooks.com.
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