2 more Crichton books to be published

NEW YORK, April 7 (UPI) -- Two novels U.S. author Michael Crichton was working on before his death are to hit book sellers within the next 18 months, publisher HarperCollins said.

The scribe who penned "The Andromeda Strain" and "Jurassic Park" died of cancer last November.

His publishing company told The New York Times it will release on Nov. 24 "Pirate Latitudes," an adventure story set in 17th century Jamaica and completed before Crichton's death.

HarperCollins, which published Crichton's previous three books, said it also plans to release an as-yet-untitled technological thriller in the fall of 2010.

Crichton had been working on the book and was about a third of the way done when he died. Another author is being sought to finish it, The Times said.