As part of my goal to read all of Michael Crichton’s works in publication order, Eaters of the Dead was next on my list. I didn’t know much going in, but quickly learned it’s a mash-up of the real-life travel writings of Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the epic of Beowulf — a blend of historical fiction and myth retelling. I also knew it was the basis for the film The 13th Warrior, though I haven’t seen it.
n today’s episode of “What Genre Did Michael Crichton Write?” we find he has a penchant for European historical fiction with a dash of American Western flair thrown in for good measure. Just when you think you’ve got him pegged as the guy who writs about deadly microorganisms or rogue neurosurgery experiments, here he is, transporting us to the grimy streets and gilded railcars of Victorian-era England.
The second book by Michael Crichton, but twelfth overall when considering his publications under pseudonyms, didn’t exactly age well. Published in 1972, some of the things mentioned wouldn’t pass an editor’s review today. But does the actual story pass muster?
A deadly virus running rampant and killing almost everyone who comes into contact with it. Scientists believe they’ve got a way to contain it, but the President won’t make the call. And now, the coronavirus, er, Andromeda Strain may be spreading even further!
