Overview Of Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain

Throughout Michael Crichton’s novel, there are examples of how the government and research scientists involved were fearful of the foreignness of even the possibility of an extraterrestrial life form coming and ruining life for the people it effects. It is evident in both their research and experimentation and in their levels of protection for the outside world from the disease or lifeform being brought back to the facility. In Andromeda Strain, the microorganism called “Andromeda Strain” can be viewed as a metaphor for imperialism and signifies the fear of one culture being taken over by another. When Jeremy Stone discovers the structure of the microorganism, he notes how it is structured, but in a nature vastly different from any forms of

In the novel The Hot Zone, Richard Preston tells the graphic truth of a family of filoviruses. This family, known to be home to the deadliest viruses on the planet, can easily kill it’s host within days. Throughout the book, Preston tells how this family of filoviruses has spread across the planet, and almost overcame the human race. Each story is a person’s particular encounter with the hot virus family, and how they either died from it, or overcame it. This family is home to three viruses: Marburg, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Sudan.

His inspiration for writing the book arose from a previous discussion with his parents, about dropping out from med-school, in order to achieve his dream of becoming an author; to which his parents did not agree. Keyes strong arguments toward this book and against his parents claimed that his “education [was] driving a wedge between [him] and the people [he] loved” (Keyes, Interview). The intrigues of the book’s topic began with a single question: “What would happen if it were possible to increase a person’s intelligence?” (Keyes 1999, 16). Subsequently, ideas took off from there, using his medical school professors taking roles on the book as Professor Strauss and Nemur.

The Andromeda strain did not have as good of an ending that the rest of the book deserves. There was so much more to explain in the book that the ending felt as if the author, Michael Crichton, got bored and needed a quick ending. For example, on pg. 356, the scientists, list names, find that the Andromeda strain has gone over all of Los Angeles without one case of a bizarre death or disease. It seems that the whole book, the whole plot and build-up, had crashed with as simple of an ending as that the still unknown organism, which they had been studying thought the entire book, had mutated into a benign form and could now live amongst humanity. This ending seems to be too simple for such a complex and interesting book.

Thesis: Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder greatly surpassed Nethergrave, by Gloria Skurzynski. It was more effective, especially in characterization. Additionally, the theme of one small occurrence resulting in momentous change isn't solely limited to the genre of sci-fi. This idea can be observed in other situations as well.

While writing Frankenstein in 1818, Mary Shelley included the theme of forbidden knowledge, or the avenue of scientific discoveries that should not be pursued. In the beginning this iconic tragedy, the reader is introduced to Victor Frankenstein a seemingly crazy “mad scientist” who attempts to be God. Throughout the novel, Dr. Frankenstein “embarks on a quest to create life” (Danny), which ultimately leads to his self demise. Although written nearly 200 years ago, Mary Shelley’s theme of forbidden knowledge has never been more applicable. Just as Victor Frankenstein created the monster without stopping to think about the lethal consequences of such action, scientists in the 21st century are genetically engineering babies with three parents to cure mitochondrial diseases, without regarding the possible consequences of genetic mutations and abnormalities in the procedure and as a result, should be treated with extreme caution.

Vivisection is the act of cutting into something that is alive. Imagine walking past the Park Science building and hearing the screams from a puma that was being prodded at by a group of lab students here at Simmons College. The idea of vivisection makes the stomach curl. However in the 19th century the concept of vivisection was not nearly as taboo as it is today.

Throughout the course of history, authors incorporated events of their life, milestones in time, and their personal opinions and views in their work. Stephen King is a prime example of an author that does such. By writing about his life, his era, and his opinions, he develops an interesting and unique storyline in each of his novels. By focusing on events of his time period and life, Stephen King develops his philosophy which is presented in his novel The Shining.

It always amazes me that books from such exceptional writers, who come from distinct backgrounds, and write different works, for diverse audiences can have so many connecting ideas, and techniques of displaying similar narrative elements. Octavia Butler and Kazuo Ishiguro, for example, wrote their own dystopian stories about humans and another form of life in order to show what certain advancements can do if they are taken to an extreme. Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel tells the tale of a world where clone farms exist in order to supply the human race a resource from which organs can be acquired for those in need, like cancer patients, ultimately making cancer curable. In Octavia Butler’s short story, “Bloodchild”, a group of humans is fleeing the planet

The “The Ghost Map” is a book written by Steven Johnson. In the book, the author explains to us why urban planning is necessary to prevent deadly diseases, such as the deadly cholera outbreak. In 1854, Cholera seized London with incredible force. A capital of more than 2 million people, London had just become as a one of the first modern cities in the society. But lacking the foundation necessary to sustain its dense population - garbage extraction, clean water sources, sewer systems - the city has grown to be the ideal breeding ground for a terrifying epidemic no one understands how to cure.

In “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is based on a scientist, Aylmer, who is obsessed with perfection. Aylmer strives for perfection through science, not nature. He thinks everything can be fixed with science and falls to the temptation to fix his wife's natural imperfection. Aylmer, a man of science, is preoccupied with his profession and just wanted to prove science that science was the only perfect thing that existed. He also wanted to prove that science was perfect unlike nature, which was full of flaws, according to him.

Psychologists and Pseudo-Scientists have long sought to explain the inborn human desire for self destruction. Selfishness against one’s own benefit, the urge to harm or take on harm for the sake of one’s own security, drinking, smoking, these clearly injurious thoughts and actions seduce individuals by an instinct Freud coins the “Death Drive” (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 30). Moreover, as advances in genetic engineering tear the veil between science fiction and fact, modern critics have questioned how this suicidal drive may push into uncharted frontiers. Such concerns have fostered a fear of unadulterated scientific progress captured within the works of Margaret Atwood. Oryx and Crake, especially, utilizes almost hyperbolic predictions of scientific innovation as evidence of a deeper self-destructive nature, and as justification for fear.

But the only article it can be somewhat compared to is by Herbert Kinnell that compares all of the doctors in the novels to be related to many of the ideas that doctors influenced her within her young life. This helps me use objects or even characters from various novels to present a much bigger idea through my project by including characteristics to help present our

Michael Crichton is well known for his work, and how he relates even the strangest sci-fi stories to themes we can connect to real life ideas. These ideas not only make us think, but they also make us more self-aware. His writing makes us cogitate our own beliefs and possibly open our minds. In this particular novel, Michael Crichton gives us hope for the characters in this particular story by having said characters’ tackle one impossible obstruction after another. This builds on to what I believe to be the theme; it is possible to survive all odds.

Science provides a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped to enhance the provision of healthcare in the world. Science and healthcare are closely interconnected and there is need to come up with measures that enhance the positive use of science in the healthcare setting. Healthcare personnel are trained using scientific methods, and day to day operations at healthcare facilities are based on science. Treatment plans such as different medicines, surgery and laboratory procedures are all based on scientific methods. However, if not used properly, science can also create problems to healthcare provision.