Crichton's lecture on the subject of political delusions, where he first worked out these themes, is excellent. As a fiction writer, however, he is now, as he has always been, extremely, extremely bad, almost unreadably bad. Exception: Congo, where apparently some editor got hold of the egotistical author and made him write better, or just edited the manuscript without regard to the author's wishes.
*chuckle*
Yes.
I admit that I did enjoy Timeline.
Interesting that the Times writer felt compelled to be majorly insulted and stung by the book.
;-)
I wish I could write as "bad" as Michael Crichton, who was laughing his way to the bank before many of us could walk.