A Case of Need

I just learned of Michael Crichton’s passing yesterday and am sad to see such a great writer gone.  Crichton wrote the first science fiction I read that wasn’t part of Star Wars or Star Trek.  The first book of his I read, and still my favorite, is A Case of Need. A medical mystery that deals with the topic of abortion.  This was the first real exposure I had to abortion and really shapped my views on the issue.  (Note: the pages in our high school Health text books covering aborotion were glued together and the topic was not covered with any depth; though we were shown a demonstration of how to properly put on condoms.)  The topic was so contrivercial when it was released in 1968 that Michael Crichton used the pen name Jeffery Hudson.  In 1969 it won the Edgar Award.  If you have only seen the movies of Jurassic Park and The Lost World I strongly encourage you to pick up the books. They are real page turners and light years better than either movie.  Rest in Peace Michael Crichton, you will be missed.