Michael Crichton, 66, has died unexpectedly.

The famed author sold 150 million books, some of which have been made into successful movies, including Jurassic Park and The Lost World. He also created the television series, “ER.”

Crichton died suddenly on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, in Los Angeles, after, according to his family, a quiet, private battle with cancer.

His most cryptozoological works may have been The 13th Warrior (regarding Grendel) and Congo (about anomalous gorillas).

For more general biographical background, see Wikipedia’s entry on Michael Crichton.