Sources and Inspiration
In an afterword in the novel Crichton gives a few comments on its origin. A good friend of Crichton's was giving a lecture on the "Bores of Literature". Included in his lecture was an argument on Beowulf and why it was simply uninteresting. Crichton stated his views that the story was not a bore and was, in fact, a very interesting work. The argument escalated until Crichton stated that he would prove to him that the story could be interesting if presented in the correct way.
In a seemingly offhand reference, Abdullah Alḥaẓred's Necronomicon (of H. P. Lovecraft fame) is quoted in the in-character bibliography.
Read more about this topic: Eaters Of The Dead
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