Did you know that 14 of Michael Crichton’s novels were turned into movies?
That’s got to be some sort of record.
The most famous of those would be Jurassic Park I think.
I’m also sorry to report that Crichton died in 2008 (at age 66), but that didn’t stop his publishers from release 1 novel after his death (Pirate Lattitudes, which was awesome by the way), and had another author finish of another novel (Micro).
Michael Crichton has written some great books, but if I’m honest, he’s written a few duds too. Eg I read Sphere (1987) just a few months ago and couldn’t get through it!
So with his stories I suggest you give them all a go, but if you’re not enjoying it, don’t feel bad if you stop a few chapters in, or half way through. Just close it, and move on to the next one.
Having said that, here’s what I propose for reading order.
Best Reading Order For Michael Crichton’s Novels:
- Start with Jurassic Park (1990) and read forward from there
- Then come right back to his first novel and read forward from there
Michael Crichton’s Stand-Alone Novels
- Odds On as John Lange (1966) [Amazon]
- Scratch One as John Lange (1967) [Amazon]
- Easy Go as John Lange (1968) [Amazon]
- Also titled as The Last Tomb
- A Case of Need as Jeffery Hudson (1968) [Amazon]
- Re-released as Crichton in 1993
- Zero Cool as John Lange (1969) [Amazon]
- The Andromeda Strain (1969) [Amazon]
- The Venom Business as John Lange (1969) [Amazon]
- Drug of Choice as John Lange (1970) [Amazon]
- Also titled Overkill
- Dealing as Michael Douglas (with brother Douglas Crichton (1970) [Amazon]
- Grave Descend as John Lange (1970) [Amazon]
- Binary as John Lange (1972) [Amazon]
- Re-released as by Crichton in 1993
- The Terminal Man (1972) [Amazon]
- The Great Train Robbery (1975) [Amazon]
- Eaters of the Dead also titled The 13th Warrior (1976) [Amazon]
- Congo (1980) [Amazon]
- Sphere (1987) Amazon
- Jurassic Park (1990) Amazon
- Rising Sun (1992) Amazon
- Disclosure (1994) [Amazon]
- The Lost World (1995) [Amazon]
- Airframe (1996) [Amazon]
- Timeline (1999) [Amazon]
- Prey (2002) [Amazon]
- State of Fear (2004) [Amazon]
- Next (2006) [Amazon]
- Pirate Latitudes (2009) [Amazon]
- Posthumous publication
- Micro (2011) [Amazon]
- Posthumous publication completed by Richard Preston
Your Thoughts?
What do you think? Have your say in the comments below.