The Strain

As the source material behind the hit TV shows of the same name, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's vampire horror novel has received massive publicity after the TV show's success. After reading 'The Strain', it's easy to see why the TV adaption has become so popular. Del Toro and Hogan take the typical horror premise of a 'contagious virus' and apply it to the vampire genre. While the book's plot is largely unsurprising, del Toro and Hogan excel at crafting characters with depth. As the battle for New York City unfolds, mysteries abound and the brutal threat of the vampire menace is made abundantly clear during several 'blockbuster' action sequences.The book is fast paced and relatively easy to read for anyone interested in the vampire horror genre. In 'The Strain', del Toro and Hogan take a modern interpretation of the vampire mythos that firmly rejects the notion that vampires are misunderstood, dapper and brooding creatures. Focusing on a Dracula-like figure called 'The Master', the book's fiendish vampires are utterly alien and devoid of romanticism, beauty and sympathy. The realism and scare factor in 'The Strain' is a refreshing change of pace and establishes the novel as a truly unique and horrifying entry in vampire fantasy.