# The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/andromeda-strain/

5 people recommended The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as an intelligent medical thriller that still holds up and warns about unintended consequences, and they find the film adaptation a decent watch.

Summary written by Claude from 6 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 5 of those comments still count.

## Why people recommend it

- Film adaptation is a decent watch (3 comments in the sample): "I seem to remember it being a good watch when I last watched though" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45895223)) "It was pretty decent movie actually" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46033819)) "Great movie, but even better book." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46033950))
- Intelligent sci-fi that holds up (2 comments in the sample): "The book still holds up as a medical mystery - thriller and warning of unintended consequences." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48922671)) "The Andromeda Strain" was "intelligent" sci-fi and we enjoyed it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48172350))

## Other science fiction novels people recommend

- [Blindsight by Peter Watts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blindsight/): 78 recommend, 18 mixed, 23 criticize
- [Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/children-of-time/): 64 recommend, 1 mixed, 4 criticize
- [Accelerando by Charles Stross](https://hackerapproved.com/p/accelerando/): 63 recommend, 7 mixed, 8 criticize
- [There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-is-no-antimemetics-division/): 57 recommend, 34 mixed, 28 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton", https://hackerapproved.com/p/andromeda-strain/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.