The best thing about Michael Crichton novels is that
they are entertaining and intelligent at the same time. Andromeda
Strain is Crichton’s first novel and in many ways his most realistic
one. It seemed so real that I felt the events were actually happening.
It used to be that science fiction was
exciting because it seemed so
far out, but now science fiction is exciting because it seems so
plausible. At the start of the novel
scientists have developed
procedures for returning space probes to earth. They
have created sterilization procedures as a precaution in case a space
probe is
contaminated while in outer space. They release several
satellites to collect data on dust and organisms, but when the
satellites return they immediately wipe out an entire town in the
middle of Arizona. The rest of the novel focuses on how five importantscientists
investigate the cause of this contamination and how to prevent it from
occurring again. At times these scientists show great brilliance and at
other times they make several blunders. They are unprepared for what
they are dealing with and make extra precautions as they go on.
This novel can be described as a sort of
medical mystery. They must
figure out what happened based on how the victims died. This novel
contains what was at the time the most advanced medical information.
There are many details about biology, microbiology, and medical
procedures as well as how to make a diagnosis and the experimental
process as a whole.It is an intelligent and scientifically detailed
book that is a scary thriller. The events depicted in this novel could
plausibly happen. Many
important questions are posed. If we were
contaminated with a disease that we knew nothing about, would there be
mass panic or would a cure be found? With the recent increase of
biological warfare around the world the Andromeda Strain has become
more haunting and important than ever before.
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