Crichton sold 1969's The Andromeda Strain to Hollywood before he finished Harvard Medical School.

FORBES: Forbes Faces: Michael Crichton

In a publishing career that spanned more than 40 years, Mr. Crichton produced bestsellers such as "Jurassic Park" and "The Andromeda Strain, " and sold more than 200 million copies of his books.

WSJ: Deciphering Michael Crichton's Clues for 'Micro'