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The Andromeda Evolution

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The Andromeda Strain was a hard book to follow up, and this one seems to do a decent job of it overall. Being published posthumously, I was wary of reading this one but I am glad that I chose to go through with it in the end, this was an exciting thriller of a book, and I haven't read many of those lately. Crichton is a master at scientifically driven thrillers and this is yet another example of a job well done.

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I really enjoyed this contemporary take on the classic Michael Crichton book, The Andromeda Strain. It took the ideas from the older book and adapted them to a very current landscape, remaining true to the older book but also spinning a new tale with new characters. Anyone who enjoyed The Andromeda Strain will enjoy The Andromeda Evolution. It's a very fast read with a thrilling pace and story. I raced to get to the end!

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Michael Crichton's "The Andromeda Strain" was a terrifying and very well written story about a deadly microbe that originated from space, lands on earth in 1967, and threatens the lives of everyone on Earth. I saw the movie with my dad as a small child and it scared the crap out of me. I read the book as a teenager and loved it even more. As you can imagine, I was very excited to read this realtime "sequel" to "The Andromeda Strain."

Unfortunately, I did not make it past 50 pages, and even that was hard for me. It felt as though maybe the author skimmed through "The Andromeda Strain," but had actually read nothing else by Michael Crichton. The writing seemed sort of forced and way too easy to read. Crichton's writing always required the reader to bring some of their own intelligence to the table. This felt more like a Sci-Fi beach read- if there is such a genre. I appreciated the nostalgia of going back to the old story, but not enough to finish. I'm sure some readers will enjoy this, but for me, it just didn't hit the mark. I certainly appreciate the ARC though. Thanks a lot!

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For fans of the original The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton - fifty years later, Daniel Wilson has provided a good sequel.

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This was a great sequel to the original Andromeda Strain novel. Wilson does a good job of holding up the tension while keeping the science flowing. Crichton should be proud.

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The Andromeda Evolution by Michael Crichton and Daniel H. Wilson 11/14/19 (Harper)

Set fifty years later after the events in The Andromeda Strain, Daniel Wilson, author of Robopocolpse and The Clockwork Dynasty has taken the story into the present with a new outbreak, a new team, and a new perspective on what the microbe is and what it means for mankind.

When a massive structure suddenly starts growing out of the Amazonian rain forest and remote sensors reveal that it’s composition shows Andromeda Strain elements, a new Wildfire team is sent to investigate. Among them is James Stone, son of Jeremy Stone, the pivotal scientist on the first team. A roboticist and technologist, the other team members aren’t sure why he’s there, but his inclusion will turn out to be the key to unlocking Andromeda’s secret.

Since Michael Crichton died in 2008, Daniel Wilson was on his own when writing the sequel. The story echoes Crichton’s writing, especially channeling Congo (1980) in which a team of scientists hacks their way through the jungle to solve a mystery. The post-mission report style follows the original story’s but instead of the spare story and tight focus of Andromeda Strain, this book packs in a lot of elements, settings, and plotlines. Readers of Douglas E. Richards will find this a great read, but fans of the original may find it a bit overdone. Still, it’s entertaining enough that I hope the author gets tapped for a third book in the series, which the ending teases in much the same way the original did.

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It has been over 50 years since a microbe from space landed on Earth and nearly wiped out all humans. The Andromeda Strain was tracked down and put under control. In the years that followed, scientists continued to study this microbe. Everyone thinks they are safe, yet Project Eternal Vigilance is continuing to watch for the Andromeda Strain to return. There has been no sign of the microparticle and the program might be shut down. That is until a drone in the Brazilian wilderness detects something extraterrestrial in the jungle. Could this be the Andromeda Strain again? Whatever it is, it is evolving and the Wildfire team has a very short window to reach it and hopefully stop it before it kills all life on Earth.

The Andromeda Evolution is the second book in the Andromeda series. The events and release dates are 50 years apart and the increase in technology is represented in this new volume. Just like the first book, it is more science than thriller, but if readers like the first book they will enjoy this expansion of the story. Crichton has been dead for over ten years and Wilson did a wonderful job staying true to the original author’s style. This is not an easy read, but I still recommend it to Crichton fans.

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I found this sequel to be interesting but far from compelling. It did not engage me as much as I had anticipated. The story moves along but there is scant character development. The book will appeal to fans of Crichton’s Andromeda Strain and works of a similar theme.

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First, I'm a HUGE fan of Michael Crichton. In many ways, Crichton was my entry author into the world of science fiction, so I was glad to see that Daniel H. Wilson wrote a sequel to Crichton's novel the Andromeda Strain.

This book takes place 50 years after the Andromeda Strain. Out of nowhere, a giant complex rises out of a South American jungle and the building resembles the original Andromeda Strain. The US Military, and the modern version of Project Wildfire, quickly set off to South America to find out what this strange new structure is and whether it represents a disaster for humankind.

Without giving away any major plot points, the bulk of the book centers on three distinct groups of people: scientists on the International Space Station, a US Air Force General, and the group of scientists tasked with traipsing through the jungle to explore the structure.

I think Wilson does a really good job of keeping the same pace and excitement that Crichton lovers have come to know and expect. I was worried when an author I'd never personally read was tasked with taking on this sequel, but I think the author did an amazing job of capturing the original voice of the Andromeda Strain while making this book new and unique. For this, I really give Wilson some mad props!

As a long-time Crichton fan, I really want to thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book prior to publication. Although the publisher graciously allowed me to review this book prior to publication, the review is 100% my own.

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Sequel to the classic Andromeda Strain novel picks up the story fifty years later when a potential new outbreak is discovered deep in the Amazon and a new internationally diverse team of specialists, including one last minute addition with a link to the original outbreak, is assembled to investigate and hopefully contain the outbreak. I found the story slowed for me in the middle with some geopolitical intrigue but then really picked up once we learn details about the outbreak and its origins and then proceeds at a breakneck pace to a thrilling finish.

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Before reading this, I went back and re-read Andromeda Strain. It had been a vile decades since I originally enjoyed the book and i wanted it to be fresh in my mind. I was reminded what I enjoyed about the original and it whetted my appetite for continuing the story.
The style of the writing is close (but not exact match) to the original work. The similarities preserve the after-action report feel I enjoyed in the first book, but this book contains a lot more action. Also, I feel like the characters in this book were developed slightly more.
The story begins with a discovery of the Andromeda "virus" reappearing in the wilds of the Brazilian Rain Forest. Soon, a team is sent to investigate although the final member of the team doesn't fit with the others (sounds like a repeat so far). The team is more cosmopolitan than before and this leads to more political intrigue in the story. The team heads a series of adventures as they struggle to reach and contend with the possible planet-killing event.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was well paced, intelligent, and engaging. There were a few (I felt) unnecessary relationships in the book and a bit of probability stretch concerning the idea of a paraplegic with severe health issues becoming an astronaut, but these did not detract from the rest of the book.
I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

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THE ANDROMEDA EVOLUTION by Daniel H. Wilson is a science fiction / techno-thriller novel and a sequel to Michael Crichton’s THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. It can be read as a standalone novel, but it would be beneficial to read Crichton’s novel first.

Wilson continues Crichton’s story after approximately 50 years of waiting. Research has continued on the strain and the world thought it was now safe. The watchdog group, Project Eternal Vigilance is on the verge on being shut down when a large formation appears in the Amazon jungle on the equator showing similarities to the original strains of Andromeda. A team of scientists (Project Wildfire) are deployed to the jungle to investigate and determine how to stop it. However the microbe is evolving and time is of the essence.

This is a well-written novel and carries on Crichton’s legacy and builds on his original story line. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained. The novel is written as a post-incident report. The main characters are well defined with a variety of personalities and traits that came across as very realistic and in the case of one character, highly imaginative.

It took me about 7% of the book to get totally committed to the story, but once I was there, I devoured the book. There are also some technical explanations and diagrams. Don’t let that throw you. They make sense.
Overall, the novel was thought-provoking and entertaining. If you enjoy Michael Crichton novels or science fiction, I recommend you try this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and Daniel H. Wilson for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

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The Andromeda Evolution by Michael Crichton; Daniel H. Wilson. While was a well written narrative, it was just not very appealing to me. Slow starting and difficult to follow with all the lengthy technical explanations, acronyms, and diagrams. Not much action and little character development. Interesting blending of recent space missions and their findings into the narrative.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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I was quite anxious to read this sequel. It is very much written in the same format as the original Andromeda Strain. That is to say as an after action narrative. I think I would have enjoyed it more in a more traditional narrative style but then it would not be true to the original book. So that is on me.
The author did an excellent job with several characters and no doubt would have done even better except for needing to tell the story as he did. The motivation of the main human antagonist is very believable but that is not the only well drawn character.
The author also did a great job of integrating the various recent space missions and their results into this story. I hate giving spoilers so am omitting and details of the plot. Suffice to say I think it is very well thought out and even though some of it needed a generous use of handwavium it was good handwavium.

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It’s back! 50 years after Michael Crichton’s original story, and 11 years after the author’s death, the Andromeda strain has reappeared on Earth, in the form of a large and growing entity in the Amazon jungle. The Wildfire Project, long dormant, has been reactivated, but instead of working in the lab, the team heads to the jungle to investigate the actual entity, with help from a scientist on the International Space Station. The sequel’s true author, Daniel H. Wilson, does a good job of emulating Crichton’s style, using lots of scientific explanations and diagrams. Crichton had a knack for taking authentic science and tweaking it just enough to terrify his readers, and Wilson follows a similar plan, although the ending does require some “willing suspension of disbelief.” Still, the book is an excellent sequel, and honors the classic. I think Crichton would approve! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

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Wow. Mr Wilson did an excellent job in carrying on what Michael Crichton did with the original. What a phenomenal read. Highly recommend to those who liked the original or Crichton in general. It made me sad that Michael is no longer writing but happy that there are those able to carry on his legacy. I hope DHW will continue the series. Michael would be proud.

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The Andromeda Evolution by Michael Crichton and Daniel H. Wilson. Normally I'm a big fan of Crichton but this one lacked something for me. Still a good book just lacking that oomph that was normally there.

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Once again a strange alien substance is wreaking havoc on Earth. Overnight a dark monolith emerges from the Amazon jungle which sets into motion a select group of scientists. Part horror, part science fiction and just plain cool science this is just believable enough to freak you out. In a voice that echoes a science fiction great, Daniel H. Wilson does a terrific job of advancing the original story and adding some of his robotic brilliance. A must even if you didn't read the first book. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

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The Andromeda Evolution is a sequel to Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain, decades later. Started out slow for me, a lot of science, complicated. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity.

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Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Very difficult to follow. I was anticipating a great follow-on to 'The Andromeda Strain' but that did not happen. The science seemed to be poorly explained throughout.

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