It’s a very sad day today, as author Michael Crichton has passed away at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer.

This comes as a surprise to everyone because no one knew he was sick, but apparently it’s also a surprise to those who knew because he was supposedly making a lot of good progress in his battle.

Crichton is best known for his books, penning classics such as The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere, and Jurassic Park among many others. On top of writing these books, he also directed some little-known films in the 70s and early 80s and then went on to help write the screenplays for Jurassic Park and Twister and co-create mega-show ER.

Oh, right, and did I mention that the man also graduated with a M.D. from Harvard Medical School?

In a world where many people struggle to find their path in life, Michael Crichton thrived and pretty much did it all. You look through his accomplishments in awe as you recognize the scale and popularity of his work and how many movies and shows came from them. The sheer importance of his offerings to modern pop-culture has solidified his name as one of the best to ever live and that name will live on for a long, long time even though he’s left us too soon.

Michael Crichton
1942 — 2008

[Source: CNN]