The Andromeda Strain

The Wildfire Project is a secret initiative designed to prepare for the exact events described in the book. To what degree does the group succeed in their stated goals of preventing alien contamination?

The birds in Piedmont and the rats and monkeys in the laboratory are all killed by the scientists. To what extent are their lives given any consideration by the members of the Wildfire Project?

Leavitt hides his epilepsy from the rest of the team. Why does he do this? To what extent does his decision place others in danger?

The Wildfire facility is designed to offer the best, most technological solution to the threat of contamination. How does the facility reflect the characteristics and flaws of its creators?

Manchek is a military man forced to confront a scientific problem. How does his interpretation of events differ from the interpretations of the scientists? How does his background inform any differences?

The novel is presented as a report into the events concerning the Andromeda Strain. How does the novel’s structure allow the narrator to apply judgment and foreshadowing to the characters’ actions?

How does communication become such an important issue? Who is to be blamed for the project’s communication failures?

The other scientists do not think highly of Hall at the beginning of the novel. Does he manage to redeem himself in their eyes? How so?