The Andromeda Strain to the upper atmosphere, where the oxygen content is lower, better suiting its growth. The novel's epilogue reveals that a manned spacecraft, "Andros V", was incinerated during atmospheric re-entry, presumably because Andromeda had eaten its tungsten/plastic laminate heat shield and caused it to burn up. Crichton was inspired to write the novel after reading "The IPCRESS File" by Len Deighton while studying in England. Crichton says he was "terrifically impressed" by the book - "a lot of "Andromeda" is traceable to "Ipcress" in terms of trying to create an imaginary world using recogniseable techniques and real people." He wrote the
The Burroughs File to autobiographical pieces. "The Retreat Diaries" is a collection of journal entries made by Burroughs during the summer of 1975. Introductory material by others includes "Introductory Notes" by James Grauerholz, "Burroughs in Tangier" by Paul Bowles (first published in "Big Table" 2, Chicago, 1959) and "Whoever Can Pick up a Frying Pan Owns Death" by Alan Ansen (first published in "Big Table" 2, Chicago,1959 and in Parkinson, Thomas, ed. "Casebook on the Beats", T.Y. Crowell, New York, 19561). The Burroughs File The Burroughs File is a collection of short fiction and non-fiction writings by Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs