Answer: Dinosaur

In addition to penning such Sci-Fi best sellers as Sphere, The Andromeda Strain, and Prey, Crichton is best known for his smash hit book (and accompanying movie) Jurassic Park.

In honor of his contribution to increasing public interest in paleontology, scientists at Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology named a newly discovered dinosaur species after the best selling author–the Crichtonsaurus is a member of the ankylosaurid family and lived during the Late Cretaceous period.