Michael Crichton, the author of the Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain and State of Fear,dies, Tuesday, November 4th after battling cancer. He was 66. In an email message, Steven Spielberg offered the following statement: "Michael’s talent outscaled even his own dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the earth. In the early days, Michael had just sold The Andromeda Strain to Robert Wise at Universal and I had recently signed on as a contract TV director there. My first assignment was to show Michael Crichton around the Universal lot. We became friends and professionally Jurassic Park, ER, and Twister followed. Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place." For more information: New York Times