James Patterson to complete unfinished Michael Crichton book

[Jilly_in_VA]

The bestselling author James Patterson is set to complete an unfinished manuscript from the late Michael Crichton.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Crichton’s estate has provided him with over 100 pages of a novel about the imminent eruption of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, which threatens a secret cache of deadly chemical weapons. Just last month, the volcano did start erupting.

“Michael’s ability to tell a story that is propulsive while you learn things about the subject area he’s writing about is what pulled me in,” Patterson said. He said he never met Crichton, but knows him “through his books”.

Crichton died in 2008, leaving behind a career of books including Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo and Sphere, all of which were also adapted into films. In 2020, it was announced that Sphere would be adapted again into a TV series for HBO Max. Crichton also wrote and directed 1973’s Westworld.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/dec/15/james-patterson-unfinished-michael-crichton-book

I don't think Patterson writes nearly as well. In fact, I don't think he even writes his own stuff any more, but I could be wrong.

[rsdsharp]

1. He still writes the Cross books, I think.

He has “co-writers” for everything else. If Crichton write 100 pages, Patterson will finish up with another 20, and lots of white space.