In The Andromeda Strain, the problem is an unknown disease, probably bacteriological, brought down by a military research satellite. The disease is airborne and it kills swiftly, within a few seconds. At first, the scientists believe that the plague is confined to their well-sealed underground research lab, because the contaminated area was bombarded by a nuclear device. Later on, they find out that for political reasons, the area was not in fact bombarded, and the airborne disease is riding the winds on its way to Los Angeles. And then the safety seals in their lab start giving away, and they themselves are exposed to the problem.

The Andromeda Strain reads more like a scientific review than a novel. It contains many diagrams, screenshots, and technical computer printouts that  convince the reader of the scientific seriousness of the issue. A detailed explanation accompanies almost every printout, and paragraphs quoted from actual research papers explain each idea presented. But perhaps the most obvious indication about the author's frame of mind comes from the fact that a detailed list of references is appended to the book -- an uncommon sight in novels.

In The Andromeda Strain, the tension was always subtle, yet clear and sharp.

By Grill Rudolf 11.b