Michael Crichton Begins

This was still the era where so many movies were really just "visual enactments of books everybody read." So many bestselling novels went to paperback with the phrase "Soon to Be a Major Motion" picture -- book and film were rather "joined at the hip":

Airport
Love Story
The Godfather
The Exorcist
Jaws

As a novel, The Andromeda Strain introduced us to "Michael Crichton, the medical doctor with scientific training" and the book read in many chapters (on purpose) as if it were to be part of a government report on a "biological incident."

More books would follow. I think The Terminal Man came next. And a "straight to screen" movie written and directed by Crichton in 1973 called "Westworld," which showed Crichton to have matching scientific and cheesy horror interests -- and led -- two decades later, to the very similar "Jurassic Park."

The 90s were good to Crichton. He had ER on TV and Jurassic Park in theaters(and I think, a best seller on the charts at the same time with those two).

But it all starts with The Andromeda Strain. The book was a BIG hit -- the central mystery (how does everybody die except a very old man and a very young baby?) was great -- the introduction to biological warfare was chilling(look where we are today...)

The Andromeda Strain started Michael Crichton like "Take It Easy" started the Eagles and "Do It Again" started Steely Dan. "First of many."

Personal note: I took the Universal Studios tour as a kid in 1970 and they had a big billboard up at the gate that said:

"Universal '70: The Andromeda Strain."

It meant "the 70's have begun. The future begins now." But the movie didn't come out until 1971.

And 1970 is a long time ago...