Richard Preston
Richard Preston, born August 5, 1954 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., is a New Yorker writer and bestselling author perhaps best-known for his books about infectious disease epidemics and bioterrorism, although he has written other non-fiction works. Whether journalistic or fictional, his writings are based on extensive background research and interviews.
Preston's personal hobby of recreational tree climbing is introduced in his book (2007) The Wild Trees.[1] This climbing experience likely led him to write about the largest known redwoods like Lost Monarch in the Grove of Titans, or Iluvatar, described in that book along with delicate forest canopy ecosystems.
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[edit] Biography
Richard Preston graduated Wellesley High school in Massachusetts in 1972. He attended Pomona College, in Claremont, California.
His 1992 New Yorker article "Crisis in the Hot Zone" was expanded into his best known book, The Hot Zone (1994). It is classified as a "non-fiction thriller" about the Ebola virus. He came to know the virus through such contacts as U.S. Army researchers Drs. C.J. Peters and Nancy Jaax. His fascination began during a visit to Africa where he was an eyewitness to epidemics. The book served as the (very loose) basis of the Hollywood movie Outbreak (1995) about military machinations surrounding a fictional "Motaba virus".
Preston's novel The Cobra Event (1998), about the terroristic release of a fictional virus combining various qualities of different diseases upon New York City, alarmed even then-President Bill Clinton who, shortly after reading it, instigated a review of bio-terror threats to the U.S.[citation needed] The book strove to tell a fast-paced thriller narrative within the bounds of well-researched bio-terroristic possibility, and was reportedly pressed upon Clinton by a molecular biologist when he was attending a Renaissance Weekend event.[2]
The Demon in the Freezer (2002) covers the story of the eradication of smallpox, perhaps the most destructive virus to have plagued mankind. It details the survival of the virus in research labs and bio-weapon programs of Russia and other nations, despite its eradication in the human population. The narrative continues with anthrax, a bacterial disease of cattle and humans, used in a failed attack against former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
First Light, American Steel and The Wild Trees are non-fiction books, addressing astrophysics, the steel industry and California Redwoods respectively.
Preston's latest release "Panic in Level 4" is a collection of essays related to his experiences researching his previous novels.
In November of 2009, Preston was selected by Harper-Collins and the Michael Crichton estate to complete his unfinished novel Micro after Crichton's death in November of 2008. The book is scheduled for release in November of 2011. Approximately a third of Micro was completed by Crichton. Preston completed the book according to the author's remaining outline, notes, and research.[3]
Preston resides in Hopewell, New Jersey with his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters and one son.[4] He is also the brother of best-selling author, Douglas Preston.
[edit] Selected works
- Fiction
- 1998 — The Cobra Event. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-45714-3.
- 2003 — The Boat of Dreams: A Christmas Story. illus. George Henry Jennings. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2003. ISBN 0-7432-4592-X.
- Non-fiction
- 1987 — First Light: The Search for the Edge of the Universe. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. 10-ISBN 0871132001/13-ISBN 9780871132000; OCLC 16004290
- 1991 — American Steel: Hot Metal Men and the Resurrection of the Rust Belt. New York: Prentice Hall Press. ISBN 0-13-029604-X.
- 1994 — The Hot Zone. New York: Random House. 1994. ISBN 0-679-43094-6.
- 2002 — The Demon in the Freezer. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50856-2.
- 2007 — The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1400064892.
- 2008 — Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1400064908.
[edit] References
- ^ Preston, Richard (2007), The Wild Trees: A Story Of Passion And Daring. Allen Lane Publishers.
- ^ Review of Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War, by Judith Miller, et al., in Washington Monthly, 2001
- ^ www.michaelcrichton.com. [1]
- ^ Donahue, Deirdre. "Richard Preston will press your buttons in 'Panic in Level 4'", USA Today, June 16, 2008. Accessed February 15, 2011. "Author Richard Preston at the 75-acre farm where he lives in Hopewell, N.J."
