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The Strain Paperback – September 20, 2011

by Guillermo del Toro (Author), Chuck Hogan (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,832 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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From the Golden Globe winning director of The Shape of Water

“A high-tech vampire epic....Terrifying.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Part The Andromeda Strain, part Night of the Living Dead.”
—Salon.com

An epic battle for survival begins between man and vampire in The Strain—the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy from one of Hollywood’s most inventive storytellers and a critically acclaimed thriller writer. Guillermo del Toro, the genius director of the Academy Award-winning Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy, and Hammett Award-winning author Chuck Hogan have joined forces to boldly reinvent the vampire novel. Brilliant, blood-chilling, and unputdownable, The Strain is a nightmare of the first order.

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Strain Trilogy
  2. Print length
    432 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    William Morrow Paperbacks
  5. Publication date
    September 20, 2011
  6. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.97 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0062068253
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0062068255
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[One of] the most original and powerful filmmakers working today.” — The Hollywood Reporter

“His distinctive creatures and otherwordly parables use the realms of fantasy to explore fundamental human issues such as love, alienation, weakness and, of course, fear… [He is] a master of monsters.” — USA Today

“A cinematic magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder.” — Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh in Associated Press

“[An] amazing writer and director. . . . Pan’s Labyrinth places Mr. del Toro in the first rank of world filmmakers.” — New York Times

“He elevated gothic horror to art. . . . Bilingual, bicultural, multigenre, he has a voice that feels both fresh and ancient.” — Entertainment Weekly

From the Back Cover

At New York’s JFK Airport, an arriving Boeing 777 taxiing along a runway suddenly stops dead. All the shades have been drawn, all communication channels have mysteriously gone quiet. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of a CDC rapid-response team investigating biological threats, boards the darkened plane—–and what he finds makes his blood run cold.

A terrifying contagion has come to the unsuspecting city, an unstoppable plague that will spread like all-consuming wildfire—–lethal, merciless, hungry . . . vampiric. And in a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, an aged Holocaust survivor knows that the war he has been dreading his entire life is finally here.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months . . . the world.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 20, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062068253
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062068255
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.97 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,832 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Chuck Hogan

    Chuck Hogan

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Chuck Hogan is the New York Times bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including THE TOWN (aka PRINCE OF THIEVES) and DEVILS IN EXILE. THE TOWN was awarded the Hammett Prize for excellence in crime writing, and made into the movie starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. He is also the co-author, with Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, of the internationally bestselling STRAIN trilogy: THE STRAIN, THE FALL, and THE NIGHT ETERNAL.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Guillermo del Toro

    Guillermo del Toro

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Guillermo del Toro is one of the most creative and visionary artists of his generation whose distinctive style is showcased through his work as a filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and author. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, del Toro first gained worldwide recognition for the 1993 Mexican-American co-production “Cronos,” a supernatural horror film. In 2004, del Toro directed and co-wrote the action-adventure sci-fi thriller “Hellboy”. Del Toro earned international acclaim as the director, writer and producer of the 2006 fantasy drama “Pan’s Labyrinth.” In all, the film garnered more than 40 international awards and appeared on more than 35 critics’ lists of the year’s best films. In 2013, del Toro wrote and directed the epic sci-fi action-adventure “Pacific Rim”, which has grossed over $400 million worldwide.

    Del Toro has also turned his attention to publishing. With novelist Chuck Hogan, he co-authored the vampire horror novel “The Strain,” which was published in June 2009 by William Morrow. They have since collaborated on “The Fall” and “The Night Eternal” which make up “The Strain Trilogy.” All three books debuted as The New York Times top-ten bestsellers. Dark Horse Comics has also issued a graphic novel series adapted from the trilogy. In October 2013, Harper Design published “Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities,” a lavishly illustrated book that contains notes, drawings, and untold creatures from del Toro’s private journals.

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
5,832 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kathryn
5.0 out of 5 stars The Strain
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024
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I read the Kindle version of this book on my iPad and it’s the first time I’ve noticed gripping the thing tightly as I was reading. So I’ve now created another bookshelf titled “white knuckle reading” just for this one. I’m not one to scare easily but this book had me holding my breath while turning the pages. It’s the beginning of an epic vampire trilogy that if you’re a fan of horror, you won’t be able to put down. I can highly recommend and I’m looking forward to the second one.
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Hannibal0020
4.0 out of 5 stars A Vampiric Renaissance
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2013
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If there's one literary figure that has exploded into popularity in the world of literature, it would undoubtedly be the vampire. From tragic anti-heroes, unassuming victims, and mysterious paramours for those young adult novels we all love to hate, it's easy to realize how vampires have evolved from their yester-years of dreaded creatures of shadows to the subject of every teenage girl's idol fantasy. This metamorphosis has effectively drawn a line in the sand between those who would embrace this new identity for vampires, and those who reject it as a bastardization of the original iconic figure. I stand firmly in the middle of these two parties with an understanding of the original source material. The first example of vampire mythology found in Bram Stoker's classic Dracula depicted him as a tragic lover, who was rejected due to his nightmarish appearance and tendencies derived from his supernatural state of being. So in hindsight, vampires originally incorporated elements of romance while still maintaining their status as harrowing creatures. Today's interpretation prefers to largely forsake their monstrous traits in favor of a darker and more tragic romantic character, essentially every character trait teenagers gush over. With the market seemingly on overload with Twilight buzz and its various knockoffs, here comes a trilogy that chooses to forgo this new trend of vampires in favor of a much darker and downright frightening depiction. The Strain trilogy is exactly what vampires needed, a set of books that successfully restores the fear and darkness to one of fiction's most iconic creatures of the night.

The Strain and its two follow-ups are actually the combined effort of author Chuck Hogan and the award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro, the creator of such acclaimed films like the surreal Pan's Labyrinth. The notion of two authors writing one book is a foreign one to me, thus I can't say who thought of what or influenced the other. Thus I don't want to disregard Hogan's work in the novel, after all this is a combined effort, yet Del Toro's influence in the book is undeniable from the moment you start reading. From the opening's chilling bedtime story, the eeriness from the coming storm, and the inevitable onslaught of blood that follows, the prose found in this book practically radiates darkness. The many horror scenes that follow are so superbly orchestrated that I could easily see them adapted to the big screen without a single word changed in the script. I've always been a skeptic regarding a novel's ability to scare or frighten the reader, yet The Strain books may be the first novels to make me question my stance. This book also isn't afraid of emotionally fatiguing the reader. While not every victim in the novel shares the same sense of emotional investment, many of their fates truly tug on one's heart-strings and further immerse the reader into the cataclysmic scale of the crisis. Yet the most impressive feat the two authors were able to accomplish was instilling a sense of dread and hopelessness in the story. Traditionally, most books often feel disconnected to the reader in the sense that you know the heroes will inevitably triumph and good will prevail, that isn't the case here. With the vampire virus's rapid infection rate and the heroes' seemingly fruitless attempts at stemming the tide, you begin to question if they can truly succeed. With the advent of two sequels, you know that a happy ending is seemingly out of the question.

This book also has quite a slow start which admittedly led to a bit of skepticism, though as I delved further into the book's increasingly dark story, I began to see that this slow beginning may have been by design. Just like any great horror film the book takes its time in building its atmosphere and characters, methodically injecting them with just enough suspense and intrigue to the point that when the vampires finally make their grand entrance, the book has already built up enough suspense that it's ready to explode.

It's clear that Hogan and Del Toro wanted to return vampires to their horror roots while reimagining them with a new visionary approach that they can claim as their very own. It starts by seemingly stripping the supernatural aspects from vampires almost entirely, paving the way for a biological approach that's grounded in realism and thus more believable, complemented even further by factual, albeit a little dense medical terminology from Hogan's own expertise. If this new perspective on vampires sounds akin to zombie mythos than you'd be right, for The Strain shares various aspects of the ever popular zombie sub-genre in both its style and themes. The clumsy lumbering bags of flesh with the sole intent of killing to stem their hunger, made even more frightening by the sheer desperation of being hopelessly outgunned by the hordes of the walking dead. It's these kinds of elements combined with several alterations to the vampire mythos that once again injects the vampire character with a much needed dosage of fear and a sense of the unknown that has long since been buried with today's reimagining in popular literature.

A good thriller also needs great characters to become too attached to. Thanks to Hogan's experience on characterizing multi-faceted characters in his previous novels The Strain is able to succeed in this area. The first major character, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather's role in the novel is twofold. His expertise in the area of biological terror helps serve as a window of understanding for the reader, all through the eyes of a medical expert who provides such believable detail that you'd almost believe was factual evidence. He also provides a real sense of humanity that's easy for the reader to attach to. His devotion to his only child Zack is a very endearing element of the book that becomes nearly unbearable when his profession and ruined marriage prevents him from possessing his desired happiness with his son. The second of the two major protagonists and my personal favorite is Setrakian, an old holocaust survivor and the world's top aficionado on vampire lore. Like Ephraim, Setrakian exudes a strong sense of humanity that shines ever brighter in the ensuing tide of darkness. His selfless devotion of his entire life to fighting the undead makes for a character that's easy to root for... and the fact that he's a sword-wielding old man doesn't hurt either.

However the one area where I garnered mixed feelings from the book came from the overload of minor characters that mostly devolve into red-shirts. These alternate characters provide different perspectives into the virus's alarming infection rate, and how it can tragically effect and ultimately end the lives of innocent bystanders which again pulls on one's emotions. The problem with these characters is that there are simply too many of them, thus their continued appearances eventually bogs the narrative down to a crawl. Some were interesting and able to make me care; others were not as fortunate and felt completely inconsequential in the grander scheme of the book.

Though that one glaring flaw does prevent me from rating The Strain a five, it's still one of the darkest books I've ever read and easily my favorite in the genre. Del Toro's visionary direction combined with Hogan's expertise and characterization made for an exceptional first novel in a trilogy that should be read by any fan of horror. I'll be checking out the sequel... after I read something a bit more upbeat first.
6 people found this helpful
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Walter H
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about vampires
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2011
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I've always really like movies done by Guillermo Del Toro, so I thought I'd give this book a try. I loved all the characters and understood why each character was brought into the story. I dislike when I read books and there are disposable characters; I end up feeling like I wasted time and energy getting into their stories just to see them killed off.

In this story, Ephraim and his girlfriend Nora work at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Ephraim has a son named Zach who he loves dearly, and an ex-wife named Kelly. Ephraim (he goes by Eph) gets a call to go investigate a plane that landed at the JFK airport. The plane initially lands with lights and a call from the pilot, and then when air traffic control tried to contact them again, there were no lights and absolutely no contact from the plane. This part was creepy because when everyone got there to investigate (airport security, police, CDC, etc.), the plane was completely dark and there were no sounds coming from a plane full of people. The investigators didn't know if they were dealing with a terrorist situation or what, so when they entered the plane, you felt like you were there with them. When they enter the plane, the passengers and staff all seemed like they were dead, but later they found that a few had survived. Eph wanted to do autopsies on the dead passengers to see what had killed them, as well as quarantine the surviving passengers. The director of the CDC wanted to let one of the passengers go because he was a famous rock star and claimed he didn't want fans storming the building. Later, Eph finds out the real reason for the director's actions, but at the time he was just frustrated that these people were going to be let go without discovering why they had survived and so many others died.

It turns out that the passengers who survived were infected by a vampire who was traveling on the plane in a coffin of sorts. Eph realizes that there was a large wooden container on video at the airport, but when he goes to investigate, he finds that it has disappeared. He also discovers through an autopsy that the people who were killed were infected with a sort of worm. He feels sure that there is something terribly wrong with the passengers who survived, but can't bring them back in. The survivors go out and begin infecting their families, etc., and vampires are born all over New York City.

I liked that the authors even showed the antogonist's perspective. You got points of view from the main vampire (the master), which makes the story interesting because you understand his actions a bit more.

All the characters, from Eph to Fet (an exterminator who finds that vampires have the same habits as rats), to Gus (a Mexican gang member who learns that he is great at killing vampires) and Setrakian (an old man who has been hunting the master for years), there are many protagonists to root for in this book. I worried about each character's fate and wanted everyone to succeed. I would recommend this book and the entire trilogy to those who love books about vampires.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Debbie Curtis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great thriller with complex characters and fascinating backstory
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2024
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Spooky, creepy, unnerving, gory, and damn right frightening. Great bedtime read
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing!
Reviewed in Italy on March 27, 2023
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Mind-blowing! I totally recommend this book for anyone who enjoys thrillers. It's so well written that it got me hooked from the beginning.
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Arjun
5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers what it promises!
Reviewed in India on January 15, 2019
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It is a perfect horror thriller.The premise is there,the detailing is there and the pace is there.It is fit for a non stop one time reading. You will definitely love it if you love the vampire genre. The tone is not exactly Ann Rice but it is not dumb as the twilight series either. I have bought the second book already.
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Felipe Recka de Almeida
4.0 out of 5 stars Novas idéias para um mito bastante batido na literatura.
Reviewed in Brazil on January 25, 2015
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Os autores conseguiram brincar de forma bastante surpreendente com a figura dos vampiros. Ao contrário de caracterizá-los como amaldiçoados a explicação dentro do romance é pseudo-científica e isso faz toda a diferença.
Imagino que muitas das passagens e abordagens narrativas tenham sido ideia do del Toro, muitas cenas foram descritas em um ritmo cinematográfico. Ao Hogan "sobrou" a árdua tarefa de dar corpo a obra, e ele fez isso de forma bastante competente.
O enredo em si não é nada espetacular, mas entretém e me faz querer ler as duas outras continuações.
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Donna Roode
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful horror!
Reviewed in Canada on August 3, 2014
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No sparkly, sympathic creatures here! del Toro always has a fresh perspective on horror and the appcalyptic world he has fashioned here is no exception. The human characters are well moulded and the non human ones are creepier than anything I've seen in a long, long time.
There are no wasted words on these pages, the story is taut and fast paced- I can't wait to finish the series.
3 people found this helpful
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