Online news outlets are buzzing this afternoon with the news that Michael Crichton has died. According to the Toronto Star, the 66-year-old author of mega-sellers like Jurassic Park and Timeline passed away yesterday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Crichton was a brand-name author, known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of The Andromeda Strain or dinosaurs running amok in Jurassic Park, one of his many books that became major Hollywood movies.

“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,” his family said in a statement.

The piece also states that a new novel was tentatively scheduled to come out next month from HarperCollins, but that it had been postponed indefinitely because of his illness.