Nearly every writer has thought nasty things about critics. Many of them say those nasty things, when they meet at conventions, conferences, workshops, or wherever. But most of them rightly avoid the temptation to put those dark thoughts into cold print.

Not Michael Crichton: his new novel, Next, feaures a throwaway sub-plot about "Mick Crowley," a Washington political columnist on trial for a particularly unpleasant child rape. In the real world, Michael Crowley is an actual Washington political columnist whose personal details (aside from the vile criminal behavior of the fictional Mick) closely parallel the fictional Crowley of Next.

Crowley wrote a cover story about Crichton for The New Republic earlier this year, which apparently was not positive enough for Crichton's liking. (Crowley's story in particular took Crichton to task for the anti-global warming message of State of Fear.) Crowley has also responded to Next in a column for New Republic.

(The most factual article on the situation I've seen is from The Telegraph, but this one from TPM Muckraker is more entertaining.)