Michael Crichton was born on October 23, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Roslyn, New York. He was trained as a medical doctor, graduating from Harvard Medical School, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. While in medical school, he began his writing career, often using pseudonyms such as John Lange and Jeffery Hudson. He later focused on writing and filmmaking. Some of his work reflects his medical training and interest in technology and genetics. Crichton passed away on November 4, 2008, in Los Angeles, California.