The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton puts the “science” in science fiction. The book is a science thriller with an elite group of scientists battling an alien organism from space. I feel there was a little homage to H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. The ending is slightly similar. The alien threat is not taken care of. However, it is resolved without human interaction. The superpower of Crichton is the way he can explain science to everybody. This book deals with complex biology that is explained so simply. The book makes me think I could do Biology, even though it was one of my worst subjects. Maybe I could do it if Crichton was teaching. The Andromeda Strain was written in 1969. This timing makes this book even scarier. It was in the middle of the Cold War. The technology will feel a little old but not that old. It is crazy how much Crichton either predicted or knew about new technology. The pacing of the book is fast. The need to explain the science slows it down. The book has a ticking clock scenario that adds to the tension, it could have been more effective. There is a big plot point about hiring a scientist without a family. This is crucial in case something went wrong in the lab and a lab leak occurred. A single scientist would do the right thing. I thought Crichton was setting up a tense moment. Yet, when the moment comes, everyone agrees on what should happen. The tension was added in another way. The Andromeda Strain was made into a mini-series in 2008 and a film in 1971. The Andromeda Strain has a sequel called The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson. The Andromeda Evolution was written from notes Crichton made before his passing. The Andromeda Strain was published on September 1, 1969.

Plot Summary: A research satellite has fallen back to earth and landed in Piedmont, Arizona. A team is sent to track it. When They arrive in the town they find the satellite and bodies throughout the town. They find one old man walking towards them, and then the communication stops. Wildfire is the code that is called in for rapid response to the outbreak. Four scientists are called in from various fields. Two start investigating the town in full hazmat suits. They find the collecting chamber from the satellite opened at the doctor’s office with bodies all around that fell dead. Going through the town they find bodies that have committed suicide. Then to their surprise, they find a baby four months old and an old man still alive. Why has the virus killed everyone but two people? What is the connection? What is the virus that is causing it?

What I Liked: The discovery of the town of Piedmont was very well done. It was shocking to the audience to be driving along and suddenly seeing so much death. I liked that you see the beginnings of Crichton becoming arguably one of the best science fiction/thriller writers. The setup for the scientist who is single and has no one in his life is explained very well. I liked the psychological science used for it. I liked that he was the only person with a key. He could choose to stop the lab leak before a bomb exploded or destroy the whole facility. There is not much dialogue in the book but when it appears it feels very natural and authentic. I like the thought that went into forming Wildfire. The cool underground lab was designed very well.

What I Disliked: The ending was so abrupt. I felt the reveal of what the virus morphed into should have been resolved shortly after the lab leak. The scientists should not all have agreed right away. Then the self-destruct sequence is started. I feel a seasoned Crichton would have had the ending be more intense and not had everyone agree. The self-destruction could have been so much more exciting. The book does only have two women characters in it and they each had little to do with the plot. I understand the time it was written it was very noticeable there was no female presence.

Recommendation: The Andromeda Strain is a good book for its time. There are some thrills but low to Crichton’s standard amount. I think this is a great book for someone interested in science. There is a lot of science jargon that gets explained in a very easy to understand way. I think The Andromeda Strain is the weakest of the Crichton books I have read. I have read about 7 of his books in the past. I would not recommend The Andromeda Strain to my followers. My favorite Crichton novels are Sphere, Timeline, Jurassic Park, and Congo. It has been too many years since I have read Crichton’s other novels. I will not rank them until I reread them.

Rating: The Andromeda Strain is 3.1 out of 5