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
Simon Mason (author) Simon Mason (author) Simon Mason (born 5 February 1962) is a British author of juvenile and adult fiction. Simon Mason was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on 5 February 1962. He was educated at local schools and studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. He splits his time between writing at home and working at David Fickling Books, publisher of his 2011 children's novel, "Moon Pie". Mason lives with his wife and two children in Oxford. Mason's 2011 novel, "Moon Pie", published by David Fickling Books was short-listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Julia Eccleshare, chair of the Guardian Children's