With the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park (film) having just passed, I’ve had Michael Crichton on my mind. I was introduced to him with Prey in middle school (undoubtedly a little early for the material) and I consider his work to be hugely influential in my love for reading today.
Bearing in mind at the end there he got a bit controversial, I still love almost every Crichton book I’ve read and have a few cherished copies of Prey and Airframe in my collection (IMO an underrated title in his backlist).
Are you a Michael Crichton fan and if so which titles do you most enjoy? Who are some other pop fiction authors you enjoy or consider guilty pleasures?
There’s a guy named Steve Perry who made bank writing a bunch of Star Wars and Aliens novels, but he has his own sci fi universe featuring high end space bodyguards called “Matadors”.
The Man Who Never Missed
Matadora
The Machiavelli InterfaceThat’s the key trilogy, then there are a dozen more or so other books highlighting individual characters.
From the original “pulp” era: Sax Rohmer. Love that 1920s pulp fiction. He’s horribly racist, but it’s enjoyable if you just swap the “heroes” and “villians” in your head as you read. (Fu Manchu is the most evil man in the world because… he wants to free China from British colonial rule? Right. Go Fu Manchu!)
Also, Doc Savage. I like Doc in the same way I like the 60s Batman TV show: I don’t particularly like the “heroes”, I just enjoy the environment. (In one Doc Savage story I read recently, Doc’s plane is described as being so INCREDIBLY high-tech and bleeding edge, that the WHEELS RETRACT WHEN IN FLIGHT. Amazing. WHAT ELSE WILL THE FUTURE BRING!?!?)
I grew up on Lovecraft, but have discovered that what I like most in his work was done better, previously, by Lord Dunsany. (Particularly the Dream Quest stuff.)
I own a few magazines from the end of that era. These are issues #2 & #3 of Fantastic Magazine, 1952:
Oh wow OK you win the thread! Those magazines are wonderful, what fun items to have in your collection.
I think it can sometimes be difficult to consume media from periods where the common belief systems were just so antithetical to today’s way of thinking (especially older pulp) but it sounds like you have a fair way of handing the dated ideologies 😊
Some writers you can use the reverse trick on, some you can’t. Some stuff is just horrible and should be avoided. But I’m definitely against pretending there’s no problem.
That cover art is incredible, holy crap
Lee Child, the Jack Reacher series, so formulaic, so predictable, but just fun easy escapism.
My go-to author when I want something quick, easy to read, that’s not going to be too taxing is Stephen King. He’s so prolific that I think I’ll always have something new of his to read, and I like revisiting some of his works. Not sure how “pulpy” he is though.
I also enjoy Michael Crichton (like you mentioned), Blake Crouch, and Andy Weir for that same kind of thing.
I love mysteries, so I’ve read a lot of like James Patterson and Janet Evanovich, and the like, starting from when I was pretty young.
Is Prey the one with the nanobots? I think I read it around middle school as well, along with Congo.
Have you read any James Rollins or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child? Some of their stuff might be up your alley.
Is Prey the one with the nanobots?
Yes that’s correct! It left quite an impression on me and I am low key weary of the idea of nanobots to this day.
Thank you for these suggestions! I’ve heard of these authors but not actually read any of their work. They may be good to keep in mind the next time I hit a reading block, because techno thrillers just work for me.
I was also a middle school Crichton fan. I really like Chuck Palahniuk, I see him as pulpish.
Another member of the “this may be inappropriate for my age” club - nice! I’d agree, I think Palahniuk definitely falls into this category.
I have fond memories of Sphere from back in the day, though I haven’t touched a Crichton book in a few decades now. For a long time, my pulp guilt pleasure was Robert B Parker, but the last few times I’ve wanted pulp, I’ve gone for Elizabeth Moon’s Paksenarrion books for pulp fantasy specifically. Haven’t been so much into non-genre pulp in a bit.
I’ve not tried to get into any fantasy pulp fiction, but I have been on a big fantasy kick overall this year so I may have to check this out - thanks!
Oh, the deed of paksenarrion is a great choice if you’re looking for a good, easy-reading fantasy trilogy with a very satisfying arc. It basically reads like a very well made d&d campaign.
Whelp, as someone who is currently on a Baldur’s Gate binge, you’ve sold me - will add to my TBR!
oh yeah, you’re gonna like it then :D glad to share, it’s not high literature but it’s been one of my favourite comfort reads for many years.
I would second Deeds of Paksenarrion, especially if you like Baldur’s Gate. It captures the feel of a D&D-like world and plot very well (pseudo-medival world, dwarves/elves/orcs/etc, cults of evil gods, shining (stuck-up) paladin orders, farm girl who leaves home for adventure, so on and so forth), but Moon adds a level of depth and ethical nuance that is usually missing from such adventure/quest focused fantasy.
Elizabeth Moon in general is one of my go-to authors when I want a standard sci-fi or fantasy story that I know will be excellently executed, include interesting elements that set it apart and will not make my roll my eyes or hold my nose like a lot of older genre stuff does. She wrote a lot in both sci-fi and fantasy and was very consistent.
I enjoyed Robert Ludlum for a while.
Very nice! I see he wrote the Jason Bourne novels. My partner is a total ham for those types of books, do you have any specific recommendations or is the Bourne series perhaps the best way to go for Ludlum?
Go with the Bourne novels, they are so different from the movies that he will really enjoy them.
