The Andromeda Strain Part 2: Evolution

 

                  The Andromeda Evolution is the second part of the book I did my last blog post on, The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. It is set several generations after the original book, and discusses a potential re-emergence of the mysterious hexagonal shaped microorganisms that nearly caused a global crisis in the previous book (Disclaimer: as this book is the second part in one that I've already done a post on, so it will contain spoilers). Like its predecessor, this book hooks the reader on the first page and makes it difficult to put the book down. Before finding this book, I didn't think it would be possible to create one better than its prequel. I haven't finished the book yet, but from what I've read it seems like this book will not disappoint. It is exciting and enjoyable to read for many of the same reasons as The Andromeda Strain. Michael Crichton introduced many elements in The Andromeda Evolution that make it a very interesting read, including foreshadowing of significant future events and references to real historical events.

                One characteristic of this book that makes it fun to read is the hinting of future events after the author discusses a related event or decision made in the present. The beginning of the book describes a setting in the Brazilian rain forest, where a man monitoring the region finds an anomalous bump in its terrain. He first pays little mind to it, and the author describes it as a "small oversight, normally harmless..." (Crichton, 4). The author then proceeds to make the ominous remark "The flashing pixels were signaling the beginning of a global emergency" (Crichton, 4). This makes the reader pause and think about what the anomaly could possibly be. Is it another version of the foreign microorganisms detailed in the previous book? If so, which version is it, the first identified strain that coagulates blood on contact or the second strain that disintegrates plastics? Is it potentially a new third strain? If the microorganism are that small, why is a large detectable lump growing in the ground? Another example of foreshadowing in the book is when a response team to deal with this anomaly is being created. Several top-tier scientists, soldiers and researchers are selected to find out more about the issue and combat it. Then a late addition to the team is made, James Stone. An officer objects to this, saying "This guy hasn't got the clearance. His prep work is out of date..." (Crichton, 31). The general appointing Stone responds with "It's just a hunch. Nothing more" (Crichton, 33). The next sentence foreshadows the consequences of this seemingly absurd  and sudden decision, stating "Conservative estimates from the DC-based Nova America think tank conclude that Stern's hunch likely saved three to four billion lives." (Crichton, 33). This makes the reader start to wonder about the future of the book and what role someone like Stone could possibly play in the mission that the other scientists wouldn't be able to. These examples of foreshadowing make the book more interesting to the reader by posing an unanswered curiosity which can only be answered by further reading.

                Another aspect of the book is its references to real historical events, but with a slight added twist. The author spends a paragraph talking about several space stations created in the past, such as Salyut 1 made by the Russians in 1971. However, he instead talks about it in the context of researching the airborne microorganisms that caused the disaster in the previous book. He mentions the U.S. competing with its own research of the organism in space with its Skylab space station, but then talks about how it failed due to the second strain of the microorganism that consumed plastic and was still hovering in the atmosphere. "During Skylab's initial ascent, exposure to the AS-2 plastiphage resulted in a partially disintegrated heat shield, spewing debris that severely damaged the station" (Crichton, 47). In the footnote of the page, he also mentions that "Officially, the damage was attributed to an accidental deployment of the micro-meteoroid shield during launch" (Crichton, 47). By doing this, Crichton is providing an interesting alternative to several factual events like the anomalies during the launch of Skylab in such a way that it makes the reader momentarily forget that the book is science fiction and wonder if it actually happened. The footnote about the official statement released to the public about the reasons for the malfunctions match the events that actually happened to Skylab, as some research reveals. The way that Crichton is able to not only invent a unique story but to incorporate true historical events to fit the plot makes the book even more enjoyable, as it sparks the reader's imagination and makes them think of all sorts of historical events that could be explained by the Andromeda Strain microorganism.

                In conclusion, The Andromeda Evolution, like its predecessor, is a thrilling and exciting novel that I am looking forward to finishing. It incorporates many techniques that keeps you reading such as well placed foreshadowing and references to historical events, along with all the positive aspects of its prequel discussed in the last blog post. I would recommend the book especially to people who like science fiction, but it will be an interesting read for anyone who has a few hours to kill and enjoys going on thrilling imaginative rides.

-Shreyas Singh

Sources:

Crichton, Michael and Daniel Wilson. The Andromeda Evolution, HarperCollinsPublishers, November 12, 2019.

Space Myths Busted: How Skylab Nearly Was Lost, https://space.nss.org/space-myths-busted-how-skylab-nearly-was-lost/, National Space Society, accessed December 12, 2020.

Book cover from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Evolution-Michael-Crichton/dp/0008172978