The progression of virus scares have been a perception of thrillers for years. The idea comes from the aspect of perspective. How do we view the mortality of the restructuring of cells that threaten our very lives when we ourselves can't see the process per se. "Cold Storage" [David Koepp/Ecco/320pgs] is an interesting approach to the genre because even though it has a wider scope potential, it reads so fast that it almost seems like a short story or part of an anthology. It's purpose is clear though it feels more like an exercise in storytelling perspective. The story follows a fungus that perhaps fell from the sky or was introspective in a vision of primordial goo. The unique aspect is that its only function and thought with whatever it hosts is too spread its fungus through whatever means necessary...and it is usually destructive. The first instance is in a village that is obliterated. It is a investigated by an off grid team in Trini and Roberto who seemed to have been cleaning up messes of a viral and biologic nature for years. Their interaction has a "Castle" vibe to it which really resounds as they bring their skills to a third world town that has been decimated. The story is not one of overarching details but an interesting basic human interaction which underlies what is actually going on. This progresses to its wrap up before jumping a ton of years to the restarting in a way of said threat. However, it is approached with much less interesting main characters. As soon as Roberto and Trini re-enter, the pace picks up. The story uses a very compacted and geographically focused point of storytelling in going from a wide world view to the inside of a storage company which is built over another secret. What sets it apart is almost showing internally how the fungus is thinking by taking over a cockroach, a rat, a deer, a man. The body horror structure of it brings to mind something like "The Thing" but places it in a much more accessible point of impact...a self storage facility in the middle of Kansas. The eventual resolution is fairly uncomplicated but specific almost as if the writer was testing the audience to see if they were listening. Koepp, who has written many screenplays and adapted "Jurassic Park", is so focused on the essential mechanics of the story he is telling that that is really all there is yet it is entertaining nonetheless. B

By Tim Wassberg

I totally devoured this scrumptiously terrifying contemporary thriller! The potential for a similar event is incredibly real, and author David Koepp brings it right on home to us in deeply delineated detail, with Science (mycology, biology, chemistry), thus rendering the possibilities all the more realistic, all the more terrifying. Don't think it couldn't happen: Cordyceps fungus exists, in about 400 different species variations. COLD STORAGE's realistic potential, and the well-defined characterizations, the tension and terror, all combine in a novel that gives new definition to the "Thrill" in "thriller."

Really enjoyed this one. Nothing like I expected but a fun read. At times parts were just too unbelievable but it did make me feel a bit terrified.

If the phrase "fruiting bodies" makes your toes curl, well, you have bigger problems and I can't help you.

A super-voracious space fungus threatens the whole world, but almost everyone in the world is unaware of this. Unfortunately, the people aware of it are mostly screwed.

There's not a lot of true scares, but a few laughs in this story about the possible end of the world. It's a great vacation read, but gross, so don't try to eat at the same time.

Received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This well-written story about bio terror and catastrophe is full of action and suspense. It has a unique plot and interesting characters that keep things moving along and finishes strong. Highly recommended.

Cold Storage started out with a bang and I was hooked. Unfortunately, the middle was underwhelming for me. I wasn't sure of where the story was going and it wasn't interesting enough for me to continue reading. I didn't make it through the entire book.

Yup, this comes from the guy partially responsible for the movie Jurassic Park. That may explain why it reads like a screenplay, and why its central conceit could have come from a Michael Crichton novel.. It's got a great "whatif?" Here, what if the (very real) cordyceps zombie fungus that completely takes over insects got sent to space and somehow...changed, before returning to earth. And what if it started colonizing humans? That's our premise. Luckily, there's a crack containment team. Unluckily, they're not the ones in charge, and the people who were in charge kind of lost the lease, eventually. What was once a state-of-the-art storage facility in a bunker has become a storage facility, and has degraded over time. The crack containment team can be called out of retirement, but it's late in the day, and the continued survival of the human race is going to depend on two storage facility attendants--one an ex-con (named Teacake [he's white]) and one a single mom.
It reads at times like a screenplay. There was no reason (and the nod toward explanation was not fulfilling) to name the guard Teacake. But whatever. The basic concept was carried off nicely, the action ramped up and was timed appropriately, and this is a really fun book. If the inevitable screen version pulls off some of these sequences as well as the book does, it'll be a really fun movie, too. The science isn't too science-y, but it's grounded just enough to make this an adrenaline-filled joyride. Yeah, the characters are a little thin. Those attracted by the concept won't mind too much.

Cordyceps novus -- this is one nasty fungus! This thriller screams big screen to me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Way back in Australia in 1987, government bioterrorism operatives for the DTRA, Roberto Diaz and Trini Romano, found something that could decimate the earth and destroy every living thing on it. A fungus, capable of adaptation unlike no other ever seen. Once contained and destroyed, they take a single sample back to the United States and store it in a secure storage facility far below the ground in the Atchison mines. It's safely away there until global warming effects changes that cause the fungus to grow -- but no one is the wiser because the owners of the storage facility have no idea it's there. Two security guards are at work manning the reception desk allowing locker renters access to their things one night when they hear a strange beeping noise. Teacake and Naomi, an ex-con and a single mother, decide to find out the cause and trace it to a vertical display panel that reads, "NTC Thermistor Breach" and see some strange green glowing things on the subfloor of SL-4 deep underground. They know this isn't good, but there is quite the night ahead of them. NO SPOILERS.

This was quite the fun and action-packed ride that I found impossible to put down. I really enjoyed the humor, reminded me of Carl Hiassen novels, and I just loved the characters -- it was easy to tell who the bad guys were and know they'd get their comeuppance. But the best "character' of all was the fungus! I can't avoid wanting to read books with a dastardly bug, a science angle, or a doom and gloom scenario. Pure entertainment and one I heartily recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

A deadly outer space fungus is about to destroy all life on earth. Two down-on-their-luck, low grade security guards at an ordinary storage facility and a former bioterror military operative have to save the world.. A thrilling, far-out sci-fi tale with a touch of humor. Good, amusing characters and an entertaining, easy to read story.

Cold Storage by David Koepp is the first novel from a well established screenwriter, some of my favorites are all adaptations of novels and comic books like Jurassic Park, Spiderman, and Carlito's Way. Cold Storage is a story that is all David Koepp. It kind of a serial killer piece where the killer was apprehended and thrown in a dark hole to be forgotten, but this serial killer is crafty and has been plotting their escape the whole time, and thanks to flaws to in the system it escapes, but the killer isn't a person but a fungus. This book is about a killer fungus. Since he famously adapted Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park I can see a lot of attempts to mirror Crichton's style, but where Crichton can explain the science so everyone can understand Koepp struggles with it. This book made some interesting choices in terms of choices and flashbacks. I started liking it more when I gave into the premise and viewed it as a SyFy original movie. I was given the advanced copy thanks to Harpercollins Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Cold Storage publishes on September 3rd 2019.

The Plot: In 1987 a super secret task force that investigates biological terror and threats is sent to a remote Australian village. Roberto and Trini of the task force meet doctor Hero to investigate the village. They find every member of the village of the dead on the roof tops with their chest burst out and a green fungal mold around them. The source seems to be part of a fuselage from a Skylab explosion in space. They save a a sample of the fungus and attempt to photograph it as the fungus jumps to the camera, and begins attacking them trying to find a host, the quickly find out the host goes to the highest point available for mass spreading. The whole village is determined a risk and is bombed and burned. The sample is frozen and kept in a deep dark hole where the temperature will remain at freezing. But thanks to global warming and the increase of temperature in Earth's core in present day the fungus is going to escape. The government has long abandoned the storage facility in Kanas, but a regular storage units were built on top of it. Teacake a lovable loser works at the storage unit as security, and he finds out there is a lot he didn't know about what is stored there.

What I Liked: The opening is a little clunky in terms of flow and information, but there is some nice surprising action and character work. I did like the character of Roberto his chapter's always went by fast. I like that the fungus continues to evolve and get smarter. The character of Murphy's job is you're supposed to hate him and he did in spades. There's a good twist at the end that really went with Roberto and how he feels about the fungus and it's irradiation, that I really liked. I liked the fungus infected animals there were pretty terrifying.

What I Disliked: The character of Teacake he was annoying and stereotypical. The pace was really disjointed through out, there would be good momentum then the story would go off in a tangent. The flashbacks rarely served the story, so I found most of them distracting. Character's dialogue was really generic, and had hardly any weight to it. The story was too simple would have served better a novella. Roberto was my favorite character but it takes him forever to get to the storage unit and into the action.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to people who like SyFy movies like Sharknado that are kind of tongue in cheek. I don't know if the novel was going for this initially but if it would have embraced it, it could have been better. If you want a good science fiction I would recommend you picking up a Crichton novel. I gave this novel 2 out of 5 stars, it's close to the 2.5 mark.

A truly fresh take on the kiler bio event thriller. Koepp is at least as interested - more, really - in hanging out with his characters than in getting down to the business of moving the plot along. The pressure builds, no doubt, but along the way, we get to spend time with funny, appealing characters.

I don't know that I've ever seen this kind of approach in the thriller genre and have it work both as a novel and as a plot-moving device.

Not surprisingly, you can see how screenwriter Koepp's novel will translate easily to the screen.

Deliciously Terrifying!

Two bio-terrorism operatives are called on to investigate and handle a situation involving an isolated community (26 people) in Australia. Many years before, a NASA explorative space vehicle had exploded and some remnants landed in this country and for some reason this supposedly Harmless Container was left there. (Really?) A call came in with a claim that a man had fallen gravely ill after cleaning the outside of the unit and now there is a foreign substance leaking out of the container. Imagine what happens next!

Fast forward 30 years later. Robert Diaz, one of the original operatives is called out of retirement to again investigate this long buried deadly matter. It seems that the the alarm system has been activated for unknown, speculative reasons since the organism was buried 300 ft underground using every safeguard and precautions that the government and science had to offer under an old warehouse that is currently used as a storage unit facility. Only the government knows what is underground and they are the only ones with access entry if it was ever needed and it is crucial to all life in general for the right agents with the right tools and weapons to be sent underground before this situation becomes a monster of their own making. Why would the alarm sound after 30 years? Electrical problem? Security breach? What was so important that the government buried this substance instead of destroying it? Why would Diaz be the only person to send on this mission instead of a younger soldier? All questions will be answered and so much more will be revealed if you just sit down and read this excitng, rapid fire book!

I don't have enough words to describe how much I enjoyed this book. It was fast and furious, cleverly researched and written with humor blending in along the way. I can't believe this was David Koepp's debut book, because he did a stellar job of describing and capturing the personalities of the quirky characters and the dangers that were involved for everyone. I am so glad that this is a fictional thriller because this was a crazy and scary story!

I want to thank the publisher Harper Collins Books and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this very exciting book!

I highly recommend this book to any reader but especially those who enjoy Michael Crichton, Christopher Golden and Jeremy Bates! If you enjoy great writing and science fiction, please don't hesitate giving this a read!

I have given this scary ride of a book 4 1/2 Terrifying 🌟🌟🌟🌟✴ Stars!!

Rating: ★★★☆☆-

Synopsis

For readers of Andy Weir and Noah Hawley comes an astonishing debut by the screenwriter of Jurassic Park: a wild and terrifying adventure about three strangers who must work together to contain a highly contagious, deadly organism

When Pentagon bioterror operative Roberto Diaz was sent to investigate a suspected biochemical attack, he found something far worse: a highly mutative organism capable of extinction-level destruction. He contained it and buried it in cold storage deep beneath a little-used military repository.

Now, after decades of festering in a forgotten sub-basement, the specimen has found its way out and is on a lethal feeding frenzy. Only Diaz knows how to stop it.

He races across the country to help two unwitting security guards—one an ex-con, the other a single mother. Over one harrowing night, the unlikely trio must figure out how to quarantine this horror again. All they have is luck, fearlessness, and a mordant sense of humor. Will that be enough to save all of humanity?

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Cold Storage in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

Cold Storage has a fantastic premise and started off with a captivating introduction, but unfortunately, it ended up being a B movie of a novel with shallow, uninteresting characters and no staying power. I can see why this would be for fans of Noah Hawley as this feels like a long episode of Fargo in Australia, but without the consistent humor and amazing lead roles.

I want to backtrack just a little bit and state that I do realize Koepp did not write this book to be taken seriously. For heaven’s sake, we are given several sequences throughout the novel from the organism’s perspective and it converses like a backwoods redneck. The major players in the novel, Roberto aside, were written for more of a millennial audience, IMO, and felt like they belonged in a new take on Sharknado. Suffice it to say, do not go into this novel expecting The Andromeda Strain. Think of it more like James Gunn’s Slither.

While the above holds true, I do commend Koepp on being a very polished writer as this does not feel like a debut novel. The science-y bits and quick wit were what kept me coming back for more. The pacing also held steady throughout the novel so there were really any places where I began to slog. I also keep thinking back on the introduction because it gave me a sense that I was going to absolutely love this book. It was completely enthralling material, especially the ability to instantly connect with the original team sent to investigate the biochemical attack. It felt like the opening scene of a blockbuster film (which would make sense coming from an author who is an accomplished screenwriter).

Overall, if you want to take a chance on Cold Storage, just don’t go in expecting the next great sci-fi thriller. It is a quick and entertaining read with plenty of laughs thrown in, but the Weir/Hawley blurb over-hypes it a bit.

Cold Storage
by David Koepp

Hardcover, 320 pages
Published September 3rd 2019 by Ecco



Goodreads synopsis:
For readers of Andy Weir and Noah Hawley comes an astonishing debut by the screenwriter of Jurassic Park: a wild and terrifying adventure about three strangers who must work together to contain a highly contagious, deadly organism

When Pentagon bioterror operative Roberto Diaz was sent to investigate a suspected biochemical attack, he found something far worse: a highly mutative organism capable of extinction-level destruction. He contained it and buried it in cold storage deep beneath a little-used military repository.

Now, after decades of festering in a forgotten sub-basement, the specimen has found its way out and is on a lethal feeding frenzy. Only Diaz knows how to stop it.

He races across the country to help two unwitting security guards—one an ex-con, the other a single mother. Over one harrowing night, the unlikely trio must figure out how to quarantine this horror again. All they have is luck, fearlessness, and a mordant sense of humor. Will that be enough to save all of humanity?

***

4.5 Stars

Right from the beginning when they walked out of that death scene with the 26 dead workers, you knew what would eventually occur in this book. It was no surprise. These people had all made it to the rooftops in order to grow the virus inside them.

The thing that did surprise me was the killing off of Hero, one of the investigators on the case. She just seemed like the main character lead type. In the end, the lead went to Roberto Diaz. His part in the story really didn’t come up until after he retired from the government and the containment of the dangerous virus had been breached.

This entire scenario made me wonder if things like this hadn’t already happened in the world. I can see people wanting dangerous things like this and then eventually forgetting about said thing when the excitement had worn off and leaving future generations to deal with the fall out.

The additions to the cast of Naomi and Teacake was brilliant. Their exploration of the abandoned government facility turned storage unit really made this interesting for me. It kept me going in the story and made me want to know where their relationship might go if they managed to live through the nightmare.

This was totally like the 2019 version of the Blob and that cheesy movie scared the pants off of me when I was a kid. Great stuff. This could totally be a movie in the making.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

An outer space fungus wakes up due to global warming and attempts world takeover. It reads like a cheesy b-movie script and that’s a compliment. Even the characters in Cold Storage seem to be in on the joke.

“What are you, all science-y and shit?”

It takes some time to realize that the author’s tongue is very firmly in his cheek. Once you do, Cold Storage makes for a fun comic read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Ecco Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fast paced, action packed story about how global warning can affect things that we thought were safe and end up creating catastrophic situations. Overall a very good story. Unique story line. Good for those who like a military style action story.

The comparisons to Crichton and Cook are accurate, but the writing is better! Cold Storage wasn't my first fungal apocalypse scenario (both M.R. Carey and Mira Grant have published memorable ones), but it more than measured up: more intimate than global in scope, this is a tightly paced, scary, and--what I wasn't expecting, but perhaps appreciated most of all--unexpectedly funny thriller.

Read, read, read this book! I love end of the world books! This one is the cream of the crop! Excellent action, suspense, edge of your seat thriller! I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want it to end! Will make a super movie one day! Totally recommend 5 stars easy!

TL; DR: Read this if you love: fast, tight stories; well-researched and detailed science; horror comedy or humor generally. Maybe don't if you really hate B-movie cheesiness. That's not how I would describe this book, but it's probably toeing that line - it worked for me, but that vibe isn't for everyone.

The wordier version: Before reading, I was confused to see Blake Crouch comp this one to Michael Crichton and Carl Hiaasen - Crichton makes sense (this story seems not dissimilar from what I expect from Daniel Wilson's ANDROMEDA EVOLUTION sequel to Crichton's ANDROMEDA STRAIN), but Hiaasen? Then I read it and realized this book is unexpectedly and riotously funny. Travis ("Teacake") is an extraordinarily well-voiced character, and in fact many of the characters are endearing and easy to root for. Koepp's screenwriting background reveals itself in his well-cast characters - he nails voice like a pro, and knows how to round each out with pressure points and heroic flaws. If you've read a book on craft (noveling or screenwriting) this would be a great book to use as a companion illustrating how the boxes are checked. Not in an overly-formulaic way, I just mean Koepp knows his marks and finds them fast. Like Dan Brown's three C's - clock, contract, crucible - it's easy to see Koepp fulfilling good story-telling requirements.

The pacing is tight, as one would expect from a seasoned screenwriter writing a novel. He knows his beats and has a good sense for timing, delivery, and economy of words. I was wary about the third omniscient point-of-view, worried it might play (as it often does) as a narrative cop-out, but I enjoyed the way Koepp used it to update the reader on how the fungus was developing and evolving. There's a nice kind of dramatic tension throughout because of what the reader knows this way that the characters do not. The POV makes the novel read very cinematically.

I appreciated, too, the size of the cast - this isn't a global pandemic story. That's the threat, obviously, but we stay with a clearly identified set of characters for whom we know the acute stakes. In some ways, that makes for an intimate story, which is how I like my sci-fi :) Like the initial seasons of LOST were so good because the terror was so pure, it wasn't overly complicated and expansive yet. That's a bit how this novel feels: not small, but concise in scope.

It skews predictable and familiar, which I think goes back to Koepp's screenwriting background. If you have a sense for the beats of a story, you'll feel things coming. This is a fun read and will make a fun movie, but it's nothing mind-warpingly new or innovative or surprising.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fungi are the interface organisms between life and death. - Paul Stamets

This was a fun, gruesome horror tale. An unknown fungus somehow comes to life in a Skylab artifact being displayed in remote Western Australia.

When people start dying, a microbiologist and two government agents are sent in to stop the spread of the deadly fungus.

It ends up being packed tightly away and transported to a deserted government facility in the U.S. Everything was fine until 2019.

The facility is now being used as a self-storage facility and it's time for the STHF.

I loved the characters. I loved the story. There was humor thrown in once in awhile to go along with the stomach roiling horror. I highly recommend.

I received this book from Ecco Books through Net Galley and Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.