The andromeda strain is a 1969 techno thriller novel by michael crichton documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in arizona the andromeda strain appeared in the new york times best seller list establishing michael crichton as a genre writer. However the andromeda strain is a wonderful adaptation of his classic novel as others have told the storyline i will not waste your time be regurgitating it the one change of dr leavitt from male to female improves the film imo. In the andromeda strain a us military satellite crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague killing all but two survivors as the military quarantines the area a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code named andromeda and a reporter investigates a government conspiracy only to . The andromeda strain is a 1971 american science fiction thriller film produced and directed by robert wise based on michael crichtons 1969 novel of the same name and adapted by nelson gidding the film stars arthur hill james olson kate reid . The andromeda strain was a mystery science fiction thriller for the microbiologist the premise was that an unknown pathogen was brought to earth via a military survey satellite it crashes near a town and the residents die