OMG, my jaw dropped.

Michael Crichton, the million-selling author who made scientific research terrifying and irresistible in such thrillers as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," has died of cancer, his family said (AP).

This is a shock.  I was just talking about his books this weekend.  His imagination will be missed by his fans, and he will be missed by his family and friends.