Spielberg mourns Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton

TRIBUTES today poured in for best-selling American author Michael Crichton who has died after a secret battle with cancer.

Crichton, the creator of Jurassic Park and popular television series ER, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, aged 66.

Steven Spielberg, director of Jurassic Park and Crichton's friend of 40 years, said: "Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of Jurassic Park.

"He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth. Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place."

His family paid tribute to a man whose novels brought scientific research into the mainstream.

"Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," they said in a statement.

"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us - and entertained us all while doing so - his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes."

Crichton was said to earn more than $20million (£12.6million) a year, making him one of the most successful novelists of all time.

His techno-thrillers explored the more terrifying aspects of science, such as the rampant microbe of The Andromeda Strain or the resurrected dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. Many of them, including Coma, Rising Sun and Disclosure, were made into films.

Crichton won praise for giving his readers relentless action and suspense at the same time as an enormous amounts of information.

John Wells, executive producer of ER called him "an extraordinary man. Brilliant, funny, erudite, gracious, exceptionally inquisitive and always thoughtful".

He added: "No lunch with Michael lasted less than three hours and no subject was too prosaic or obscure to attract his interest. Sexual politics, medical and scientific ethics, anthropology, archaeology, economics, astronomy, astrology, quantum physics, and molecular biology were all regular topics of conversation."

One of four siblings, Crichton was born in Chicago and grew up in Long Island. During medical school, he wrote nearly a dozen books under pseudonyms before deciding to pursue a literary career. He married five times and had one child.

A private funeral is planned.