The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton (2003, Paperback, Reprint)

This paperback edition will fit the Obama economy budget, and I enjoyed re-reading it, many years after first publication. Few books if any books have had as much impact as this one, on the face of entertainment in America. The idea of constructing the plot around a ticking clock at the time of a crisis was a clear winner. "The Andromeda Strain" affected both the way Americans wanted to be entertained, and the way writers and producers wanted to entertain them. In actuality, this was a new application of the old ideas of two of the three classical unities (Time, Place, and Action) that Samuel Johnson had airily and convincingly dismissed when writing his criticism in the 18th century ... but Crichton demonstrated that the two unities of time and action, at least, still could be the basis of a compelling, riveting story. In a different genre, Mickey Spillane was using the same concept and was turning out bestseller after bestseller; but Crichton moved into the arena where science and government intersect, and had the excellent idea of reminding readers frequently of how fast the clock was ticking on his fictional timebomb. Modern television, in particular, has found this method to be a winner, and is deeply indebted to Crichton. Witness such shows, very different on their faces, as "Let's Make a Deal," "American Idol," and especially "House" and "24 Hours" among others!