Editing Michael Crichton (section)

===Period novels and directing (1975–1988)===
[[File:Neanderthal Man, H. G. Wells&#039; Outline of History, page 39.jpg|thumb|Crichton's 1976 novel ''[[Eaters of the Dead]]'' featured relict [[Neanderthals]] as antagonists.]]
In 1975, Crichton wrote ''[[The Great Train Robbery (novel)|The Great Train Robbery]]'', which would become a bestseller. The novel is a recreation of the [[Great Gold Robbery of 1855]], a massive gold heist, which takes place on a train traveling through [[Victorian era]] England. A considerable portion of the book was set in London. Crichton had become aware of the story when lecturing at the [[University of Cambridge]]. He later read the transcripts of the court trial and started researching the historical period.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Owen|first1=Michael|title=Director Michael Crichton Films a Favorite Novelist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/01/28/archives/director-michael-crichton-films-a-favorite-novelist.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 28, 1979|page=D17|access-date=March 19, 2019|archive-date=June 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616203926/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/01/28/archives/director-michael-crichton-films-a-favorite-novelist.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1976, Crichton published ''[[Eaters of the Dead]]'', a novel about a 10th-century Muslim who travels with a group of Vikings to their settlement. ''Eaters of the Dead'' is narrated as a scientific commentary on an old manuscript and was inspired by two sources. The first three chapters retell [[Ahmad ibn Fadlan]]'s personal account of his journey north and his experiences in encountering the [[Rus' people|Rus']], a Varangian tribe, whilst the remainder is based upon the story of [[Beowulf]], culminating in battles with the 'mist-monsters', or 'wendol', a relict group of [[Neanderthals]].<ref>{{cite news|title=With real and bogus footnotes: Eaters Of the Dead|author=JACK SULLIVAN|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 25, 1976|page=253}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Crichton's creative play: Eaters of the Dead|author=Oberbeck, S K.|work=Chicago Tribune|date=April 25, 1976|page=f6}}</ref>

Crichton wrote and directed the suspense film ''[[Coma (1978 film)|Coma]]'' (1978), adapted from the 1977 novel of the same name by [[Robin Cook (novelist)|Robin Cook]], a friend of his. There are other similarities in terms of genre and the fact that both Cook and Crichton had medical degrees, were of similar age, and wrote about similar subjects. The film was a popular success. Crichton then wrote and directed an adaptation of his own book, ''[[The First Great Train Robbery|The Great Train Robbery]]'' (1978), starring [[Sean Connery]] and [[Donald Sutherland]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|author-link1=Roger Ebert|title=The Great Train Robbery|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-great-train-robbery-1979|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=February 9, 1979|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604221317/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-great-train-robbery-1979|url-status=live}}</ref> The film would go on to be nominated for Best Cinematography Award by the [[British Society of Cinematographers]], also garnering an [[Edgar Allan Poe Award]] for Best Motion Picture by the Mystery Writers Association of America.

In 1979, it was announced that Crichton would direct a movie version of his novel ''[[Eaters of the Dead]]'' for the newly formed [[Orion Pictures]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Orion: A Humanistic Production|author=Kilday, Gregg|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 5, 1979|page=f13}}</ref> This did not occur. Crichton pitched the idea of a modern day ''[[King Solomon's Mines]]'' to [[20th Century Fox]] who paid him $1.5&nbsp;million for the film rights to the novel, a screenplay and directorial fee for the movie, before a word had been written. He had never worked that way before, usually writing the book then selling it. He eventually managed to finish the book, titled ''[[Congo (novel)|Congo]]'', which became a best seller.<ref name="los">{{cite news|title=CRICHTON DIPS INTO THE TANK: MICHAEL CRICHTON|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 6, 1980|page=g1}}</ref> Crichton did the screenplay for ''Congo'' after he wrote and directed ''[[Looker]]'' (1981).<ref>{{cite news|title=BEHIND THE BEST SELLERS: Michael Crichton|author=McDOWELL, EDWIN|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 8, 1981|page=BR8}}</ref><ref name="los" /> ''Looker'' was a financial disappointment. Crichton came close to directing a film of ''Congo'' with [[Sean Connery]], but the film did not happen.<ref>{{cite news|title=An author of pleasurable fear: Michael Crichton takes fiction where you wouldn't want to go|author= Gorner, Peter|work=Chicago Tribune|date=June 24, 1987|page=D1}}</ref> Eventually, a film version was made in 1995 by [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]]. In 1984, [[Telarium]] released a [[graphic adventure]] based on ''Congo''. Because Crichton had sold all adaptation rights to the novel, he set the game, named ''[[Amazon (video game)|Amazon]]'', in South America, and Amy the gorilla became Paco the parrot.<ref name="maher20131011">{{cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2013/10/from-congo-to-amazon/ | title=From Congo to Amazon | work=The Digital Antiquarian | date=October 11, 2013 | access-date=July 10, 2014 | author=Maher, Jimmy | archive-date=July 11, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711194224/http://www.filfre.net/2013/10/from-congo-to-amazon/ | url-status=live }}</ref> That year Crichton also wrote and directed ''[[Runaway (1984 American film)|Runaway]]'' (1984), a police thriller set in the near future which was a box office disappointment.<ref>{{cite news |title=Screen: Tom Selleck in 'Runaway' |author=Janet Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=C20 |date=December 14, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/14/movies/screen-tom-selleck-in-runaway.html |access-date=May 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107012626/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/14/movies/screen-tom-selleck-in-runaway.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Crichton had begun writing ''[[Sphere (novel)|Sphere]]'' in 1967 as a companion piece to ''[[The Andromeda Strain]]''. His initial storyline began with American scientists discovering a 300-year-old spaceship underwater with stenciled markings in English. However, Crichton later realized that he "didn't know where to go with it" and put off completing the book until a later date. The novel was published in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |author=Peter Gorner |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/06/24/an-author-of-pleasurable-fear/ |title=An Author Of Pleasurable Fear |work=Chicago Tribune |date=June 24, 1987 |access-date=October 18, 2015 |archive-date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224131355/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-06-24/features/8702160834_1_alien-scientists-ship |url-status=live }}</ref> It relates the story of psychologist Norman Johnson, who is required by the U.S. Navy to join a team of scientists assembled by the U.S. Government to examine an enormous alien spacecraft discovered on the bed of the Pacific Ocean, and believed to have been there for over 300 years. The novel begins as a science fiction story, but rapidly changes into a psychological thriller, ultimately exploring the nature of the human imagination. The novel was adapted into the [[Sphere (1998 film)|1998 film]] directed by [[Barry Levinson]] and starring [[Dustin Hoffman]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9805e6da123cf930a25751c0a96e958260|title=Sphere (1998)|last=Maslin|first=Janet|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 13, 1998|access-date=May 2, 2020|archive-date=January 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122125209/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9805e6da123cf930a25751c0a96e958260|url-status=live}}</ref>

Crichton worked—as a director only—on ''[[Physical Evidence]]'' (1989), a thriller originally conceived as a sequel to ''[[Jagged Edge (film)|Jagged Edge]]''. In 1988, Crichton was a visiting writer at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name="WEBSITEBIO">{{cite web|url=http://www.michaelcrichton.net/aboutmichaelcrichton-biography.html|title=Biography|website=MichaelCrichton.net|access-date=March 15, 2012|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107012600/http://www.michaelcrichton.net/aboutmichaelcrichton-biography.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A book of autobiographical writings, ''[[Travels (book)|Travels]]'', was also published in 1988.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bosworth|first=Patricia|date=June 26, 1988|title=TOURING THE ALTERED STATES|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/26/books/touring-the-altered-states.html|access-date=May 4, 2020|archive-date=August 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831133139/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/26/books/touring-the-altered-states.html|url-status=live}}</ref>