The Andromeda Strain

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 7,278 ratings

Price: 17.5

Last update: 02-02-2025


About this item

First published fifty years ago, The Andromeda Strain redefined the science fiction genre, and immediately established Michael Crichton as one of the brightest voices in contemporary literature worldwide.

"I love anything Michael Crichton writes." (Stephen King)

A military space probe, sent to collect extraterrestrial organisms from the upper atmosphere, is knocked out of orbit and falls to Earth. Twelve miles from the crash site, an inexplicable and deadly phenomenon terrorizes the residents of a sleepy desert town in Arizona, leaving only two survivors: an elderly addict and a newborn infant.

The United States government is forced to mobilize Project Wildfire, a top-secret emergency response protocol. Four of the nation’s most elite biophysicists are summoned to a clandestine underground laboratory located five stories beneath the desert and fitted with an automated atomic self-destruction mechanism for cases of irremediable contamination. Under conditions of total news blackout and the utmost urgency, the scientists race to understand and contain the crisis. But the Andromeda Strain proves different from anything they’ve ever seen - and what they don’t know could not only hurt them, but lead to unprecedented worldwide catastrophe.


Top reviews from the United States

  • nicole kennelly
    5.0 out of 5 stars sci-fi thriller. or is it?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    I’ve read this before. Even knowing the outcome didn’t diminish the excitement. Great read and very thought provoking.
    I loved the science too.
  • Light C.
    4.0 out of 5 stars fun quick read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2022
    I have had this book on my read list for years and finally got around to it. Now maybe I’ll even watch the movie.

    It’s a good story. It’s quick, fast paced and though there is a lot of scientific data thrown at you, it’s fairly easy to comprehend what they are talking about with it.

    I especially enjoyed that this was set in the 60’s. The explanations of the newest scientific methods of the time were being used, though maybe not as thorough as they hoped they’d were. Introductions of medicines, treatments, not to mention what the normal populace considered using, even being told it was detrimental to their health - such as a bottle of aspirin a day and using ‘squeeze’. I’d heard of people using Sterno this way, but it was the first I’d heard of how it was done. Sounds horrible, but it amazes me what people will choose to do, if it works for them, in the short term. I liked how the medical doctor just took this information in stride, even contemplating if it was part of the cure in some way.

    The science and drama in this story were superbly done and kept me interested in reading. I started and finished this book in a 24 hour period. That’s not uncommon for me, but it does mean it was a good read, otherwise it would have taken a day or two longer. I didn’t want to put this down.

    The only issue I had with the writing was minor. The story read as happening currently as it was written just set in the 60’s. Then the author would post foreshadowing comments, such as saying one of the scientists of the project would fail to notice something until so much later. I don’t mind foreshadowing, but I prefer a more subtle approach. If this is supposed to be read as a report after the fact, it doesn’t start that way or through many sections throughout.

    Still a great read and a fun story.
  • Chariergos
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Freaking Rollercoaster
    Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2024
    This book was SO GOOD! You actually can’t even tell where the story’s going to go. Crichton is absolutely brilliant with foreshadowing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And the audiobook on Audible is great as well! I would definitely say that it’s a more enjoyable experience reading it with the audiobook but that’s just me. ????
  • Frank Donnelly
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Good, But Not Great Science Fiction Story, Sometimes Slow Moving
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020
    "The Andromeda Strain" is a decent science fiction story authored in the late 1960s and set in the western United States. The story starts out in a fairly interesting manner. There are times it bogs down and moves slowly. There is a lot of scientific terminology and lengthy descriptions of tests and procedures that may slow things down for a reader not really interested in going too deep "into the weeds" of science. On the other hand a student of biology or medicine might like some of the detail.

    This novel,is of medium length. Generally I do not like reading condensed or abridged versions of novels. This novel is an exception. This novel could be condensed by perhaps one third and most of the story would remain intact for the average person simply seeking an entertaining light reading experience.

    As described above, the novel is of medium length with a good deal of scientific jargon and procedures. On the other hand there is little character development. I really did not care about various characters. Also there were some tangential incidents that were more or less glossed over that could have been more interesting to me than the heavy scientific chapters. That is all a matter of taste and it really comes down to what one is looking for in a novel.

    I liked the novel and am glad that I read it, but except for a few episodes I was not really enthralled by the novel. It was OK. At this particular time in American History, I have often thought about this novel and wondered why it was not being mentioned more. Having now read it, I can see why. It is a pretty good, but not great novel that seems more of a scientific fiction than a science fiction.

    Thank You....

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