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Overview Of Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain

738 Words3 Pages

Two men are in a hospital dying of the same disease. One is released from the hospital because he is cured, the other is dead. The one man accepted experimental treatments and new advanced medicines, the other said it was to risky. The advanced medicine with the experimental treatments cured the man. Advances in medicine and technology are crucial to life. In Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain modern technology is used to solve a medical mystery. Michael Crichton uses his medical background to show the advances in science and technology to show that science is an important part of every person’s life. Knowing about Crichton’s life will be helpful to the readers of his novels. Michael Crichton was born on October 23, 1942 in Chicago, …show more content…

The novel became popular quickly after it was published. The book was written during his final year at medical school and the success caused him to realize that he prefered writing over medicine (Trembley 31). Although the novel was quite popular “the mix of science and suspense brought varied reactions from reviewers” (“Michael” Contemporary). The novel consists of a group of scientists trying to solve a medical mystery. The major conflict in this story is that there is a lethal virus, the andromeda strain, that spread through a town due to a fallen satellite. The group of scientists are put together to solve the mystery behind the andromeda virus. The story also shows how important technology is to medicine when the scientists use advanced equipment to find the cause of the virus and how it affects and kills people. The novel as a whole is a reflection of Crichton’s beliefs and what he feels is important. Michael Crichton wrote science-fiction novels because his life revolved around science. He started his own sub genre within the science-fiction called techno-thrillers. “In the 1970s Crichton began writing ‘techno-thrillers,’ novels that blend technology, suspense, and controversial social issues” (Macdonald). Crichton also had a medical background that contributed his writing and the information in his novels. “His medical training brings solid scientific knowledge to his novels, precises technical detail, and a curiosity about biological possibilities”

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