The Andromeda Strain

Fantastic glimpse into a what-if scenario about an alien pandemic that threatens to wipe out civilization if a small team of scientists don't stop it first. Well written examination of the scientific process. How it works, and where it breaks down. It's impressive to imagine that this book was written in the 1960's, but still feels so current. This was a timely read, considering the circumstances in the world (COVID-19), and while I suspect that helped engross me in the story - Crichton does a wonderful job all on his own illustrating an impending sense of urgency and dread.

This is my second read of this book, I first read it probably like 20 years ago when I was trying to read everything Crichton had written. I think it's a decent story and I like the technical details, kind of future tripping on how awesome just a few years from now will be. It's like going to tomorrowland at Disneyland and seeing the old exhibits like Mission to Mars or whatever.

It's got a bit of a manly man of science kind of lens on what's happening and it has a Raiders of the Lost Ark kind of ending that spoil it a bit for me.

I hadn't read this but I have seen the movie several times.
Often while reading, I could see the actors saying the lines.
The movie is very like the book.
If you wanted to update this to modern technologies, it wouldn't be hard
as the tech is similar but with better resolution, faster computers and better graphics.

This book definitely delivers on the promise of “a hair-raising experience.” Crichton is a master of creating suspense and holding secrets until a good way into the book.

That said, this was not one of my favorites. While the book started favorably enough, it lost its suspense about 200 pages in. While I thoroughly enjoyed the segues into biological studies, they tended to detract from the main story - so much so that once I was 5/6 through the book, I began to think, “He's running out of room to create a really smash-up ending.” The unfortunate result is that I hardly felt any suspense during what should have been a climactic ending.

A good (and fast read), but definitely not the late Crichton's best work.

This book is really short, something that you can squeeze through on a weekend or even in a day.

While I liked the whole book, at the end it left me with a slight shale taste, like something is missing. The whole book felt like one good draft that needed some more polishing. Well, it shows that Michael Crichton was a good author already back then, but it also shows that at the beginning he was not 100% perfect.

Libro di fantascienza o se vogliamo un thriller biologico che tratta di una pandemia (molto attuale anche oggi) targato 1969, uno dei suoi primi lavori, Crichton come al solito presenta la sua storia su delle ottime basi scientifiche. Il punto più coinvolgente delle opere di Crichton è proprio quello di fare della scienza il protagonista principale di una storia. Infatti i suoi romanzi sono accompagnati da un'ampia bibliografia, come tutti i saggi fanno.

Un satellite fa rientro nell'atmosfera terrestre e precipita in un paesino degli stati uniti, Piedemont, tutta la popolazione che conta una cinquantina di abitanti, viene misteriosamente uccisa in pochi minuti; subito parte una task force di scienziati con lo scopo di indagare sulle cause di questa epidemia in una struttura governativa segreta. L'intera narrazione si svolge all'interno di questa struttura e seguirà il lavoro di quattro scienziati: biologi, fisici e due medici. Cos'è il microrganismo che ha causato la morte di tutti gli abitanti di quel paese in quei brevi istanti? Come si trasmette? E soprattutto come evitare che la popolazione mondiale lo contragga?

Il punto forte è la scelta dell'autore di presentare il romanzo come se fosse un reportage di qualcosa realmente accaduto, inclusi i ringraziamenti all'inizio, l'aspetto debole è che anche se il libro si lascia leggere abbastanza velocemente, risente però in alcune parti di una eccessiva lentezza e qualche punto morto durante il suo svolgimento, ma è il finale che lascia veramente a desiderare, sembra quasi una chiusura Kinghiana.

E' una buona storia ma diciamo che non è mai travolgente e la tensione che si accumula nella lettura si disperde velocemente, soprattutto arrivati al pessimo finale.

Consigliato, per quanto mi riguarda, ai soli fans dell'autore.

I dove straight into this book without reading the “First Published...” etc like I normally do. So, I was a bit confused when he started talking about computer screens you touch with a light pen! This book hasn't aged well in terms of technology, but, if you can get past that and transpose some of the old stuff with new stuff you've seen in holidaywood or newer books, it's a cracking read. [return][return]I did, however, feel that the end was a little bit of a let down. I think it was trying for a War of the Worlds twist at the end, but it just didn't seem worth it.[return][return]Read the book as it's a good crack, but don't be surprised if the end creeps up on you quickly and then goes out with a whimper!

I'll preface this review by saying that this book is definitely hard science fiction, tons of technical names for chemicals, bacteria, lab equipment, and military protocols. But for me, that didn't take away from the reading experience in the slightest. I really loved the detail the author included, the graphs and designs put it over the top.

And I have to say, when a thriller novel about a killer space bacteria includes a 4-page list of works cited, it definitely adds to the scare factor of the book.

Super exciting, very fast (less than 300 pages!), and well worth the $1.97 I spent on it at the Hilton Head Goodwill!

Age range: 16+
Barely any language, no violence or adult content. Some potentially disturbing mentions of suicide for plague victims. The main barrier is just the reading level, honestly.