by David Koepp
Settings: Kiwirrkurra, Australia in December 1987; Eastern Kansas in March 2019 (near the Missouri River, probably circa Kansas City)
Plot Summary: In 1987, Pentagram operative Roberto Diaz was dispatched to rural Australia to investigate a suspected act of biological terrorism. However, what he discovered was Cordyceps novus, a highly mutative, sentient fungus that seeks out humans for nourishment and breeding grounds. This threat to all lifeforms on the planet was safely contained and placed in a cold storage unit beneath a former military repository in Kansas. That is, until things started warming up some 30 years later. Pulled out of retirement to handle this emergency, Diaz must team up with two unsuspecting security guards to stop this contagion from destroying all life on Earth.
Subject Headings: Epidemics, mycology, mutation (biology), biological terrorism, government investigations, microbiology, retired individuals.
Elements of Science Fiction: (From Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 94)
- Explores ethical, moral, philosophical, or other question in a setting outside everyday reality. This work ventures beyond the confines of our typical life experiences by introducing a sentient fungus on track to eliminate all human life. While a real-life fungus probably cannot exhibit motivation, complex analysis, and abstract thought, perhaps this serves as an analogy to discuss the idea of something out there that is lurking and lying in wait for us.
- Setting evokes the otherness of time, place, and reality. The location of the storage unit deep underground and in a former military installation imparts a sense of otherness and unfamiliarity to the work. Also, the otherness of the reality in which the story occurs is revealing to its purpose as a work, and it helps transport the reader to another setting as they read.
- Style and language suit the storyline and reinforce the intellectual nature of the genre. The descriptions of the origin, adaptation, and proliferation of the fungus use a jargon specific to mycology and microbiology. This helps the reader feel immersed in the intellectual tone of the book.
- Wide range of tones to disorient readers and highlight issues. The use of darkly humorous dialogue (such as Roberto's commentary of the physical limitations that prevent him from being a hero at age 68) and chilling, dark tones (such as the description of the mutant rat found in the underground storage unit, or the various scenes where human chest cavities erupt to spread fungal spores) provide contrast and help to emphasize the message of the work, forcing the reader to "grapple... with the responsibilities and consequences of exploration" (p. 94).
- Characters underscore issues and atmosphere; creatures emphasize otherness. The development of Roberto, Teacake, and Naomi takes a backseat to the general feeling of the book, as well as the issues that are discussed. The depictions of the fungus's mechanical, utilitarian thoughts sharply contrast the emotional, often vulgar outbursts of the human characters.
- Focus drives the pacing. Since this work is focused more on adventure elements and physical action than on ideas and philosophies, the work unfolds at a rapid pace. However, passages that explore the psychological or biological processes at work in the fungus do provide a somewhat more leisurely pace.
It's worth noting here that Cold Storage also contains several elements from other genres, such as Horror and Thriller. However, it primarily revolves around science fiction elements, and it holds the genre characteristics of Science Fiction.
Rule of Three: (From Saricks, 2009)
- Fast pace. Born from the work's focus on adventure elements and non-stop action, the pace of the book is quite fast, with a slowdown during somewhat jargon-laden passages that discuss the scientific side of what's going on.
- Suspenseful tone. The psychological unease that comes from knowing what the characters don't blossoms into a very suspenseful story. This is broken up at times with mild humor, but the overall tone is suspenseful.
- Compelling writing style. The reader feels drawn into the rich, textured story, and it's a hard book to put down.
Similar Works (Read-alikes):
- The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Both of these suspenseful sci-fi works by American author-screenwriters focus on a microorganism that endangers the human race and threatens a pandemic apocalypse. These fast-paced and plot-driven works use this scenario to explore the social concerns of their time. - Red Hands by Christopher Golden
In both of these action-packed sci-fi stories of suspense, a retired expert is asked to assist the government in its battle against a mysterious contagion on American soil. Red Hands features a bioweapon that has renders its victim unable to touch anyone without killing them instantly. - Frozen Solid by James M. Tabor
These suspenseful, plot-driven works focus on the prevention of mass annihilation and a pandemic apocalypse while creating a sense of suspense. Whereas Koepp's contagion is a mutated fungus, Tabor's work features a group of scientists who plot to release a virus to end overpopulation. - The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines against Humankind's Gravest Dangers by Ali S. Khan
Khan, a former director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) uses a fast-paced and somewhat disturbing tone to discuss his thoughts on the where, when, and how of Earth's next major disease outbreak in this richly detailed work. (Published in 2016, its foreshadowing of the Covid-19 pandemic is haunting in its accuracy.) - Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists by Nicholas P. Money
For the reader compelled by Koepp's antagonist and the passages that explore their biology and physiology, Money reveals secrets and mysteries about real-life fungi (including brewer's yeast, Penicillium, and the poisonous death cap) and how they have shaped the history of the world. - The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas J. Preston
While the subject matter of these works may vary, fans of Koepp's action-packed storyline and suspenseful tone may also enjoy Preston's high-octane chronicle of his real-life expedition in search of a fabled lost city deep in the Honduran jungle.
Saricks, J. (2009). At leisure: The rule of three. Booklist, 106(3), 25.
Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). Science Fiction. In The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (pp. 93-118).