Airframe

Born in 1942 in Chicago, Michael Crichton trained as a doctor and went on to become one of the most successful writers in the world. In 1994 he achieved a feat unmatched by any other writer: that of having simultaneously a number one TV series, book and movie: with, respectively, ER (which he created), Disclosure and Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, on its release the highest-grossing film of all time. He also directed several movies, including The Great Railway Robbery with Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland. His high-concept thrillers were international bestsellers, and in total his books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. He died in 2008.