The Infection

As evidenced by the renown of the folks giving Craig DiLouie cover quotes (Maberry and Moody, among others), Mr. DiLouie is recognized as an excellent storyteller who knows how to craft an artfully gritty and horrific undead scenario. I was delighted to find that his more recent work, "The Infection", is a superb example.

I was first introduced to his writing not long ago with "Tooth and Nail", a fantastic portrayal of military engagement with the undead in an urban environment. "The Infection" explores these themes further, but does so largely through the lens of a civilian perspective. More accurately, there are a range of diverse perspectives illustrated, which the author then weaves into a scenario that is both impressive in scope, and a frighteningly nightmarish twisting of the zombie formula.

*Warning* Spoilers

If you haven't yet read "The Infection", I'd really encourage you to stop reading this post, and go out and read the book first. I won't give away too much about the story, but if you're going to read something, the actual novel will be a lot more interesting than anything I have to say here :) Regardless, there are a few aspects of the story that I'd love to chat about briefly.

First, and contrary to what I would have previously considered logical, our story's survivors make a fairly decent case for the value of seeking refuge in an overrun hospital. I'm sure I've stated this before, but I've been (and still am) of the opinion that hospitals are among the locations that one should avoid at all costs durning an undead outbreak. As personnel/patient-dense structures, where early victims will be taken before the nature of their condition is recognized, hospitals are guaranteed to be hotbeds of infection that quickly devolve into zombie filled slaughterhouses.

That said, there is an argument to be made for not completely writing off the resources these locations have to offer. Given their likelihood of being epicenters, it is plausible that the infected will quickly eliminate all available victims within the confines of a facility, then rapidly disperse into the surrounding vicinity as they seek out new victims. As illustrated in the book, it would be a bit much to hope for the structure to be completely emptied. However, after the initial explosion of violence, these locations may be light on hostiles, and rich in resources.

Another tidbit of the story that I appreciated was the rate at which a police station was described to have been overrun. Imagine the speed and violence required for a law enforcement facility, filled with dozens of armed officers, to be wiped out in minutes. Despite a police officer's obvious defensive advantages over your average civilian, it is an entirely plausible possibility.

All that needs to be considered is the phenomena I was just discussing, regarding a rapid wave of violence radiating out from a hospital. At an early stage, law enforcement (at an individual or organizational level) may know that something is wrong from the initial sporadic bits of violence and unrest, but likely will not have actually grasped the true nature of the situation. I think that it is entirely reasonable to postulate that an infection could achieve a critical mass in a frighteningly short period of time and have no trouble wiping out everyone, armed or not, in its path.

I'm reminded of a similar example described in Maberry's "Patient Zero" where multiple teams of elite soldiers are torn to pieces in a hospital after transporting a single infected subject. Their slight delay in recognizing what exactly was happening, and hesitation to act as needed, led to their complete and utter decimation. It was only the markedly opposite response of their leadership to make the unflinching decision to bar the doors and immediately burn the hospital to the ground that kept the outbreak from escaping containment.

Now, one component of "The Infection" that I absolutely loved was its depiction of a massive refugee camp. I don't think that Mr. DiLouie is the first person to ever address these (or similar) circumstances ("World War Z" comes to mind), but I feel like it is an avenue that has not had much exploration. Given that it is the human element that makes these stories so damn engaging, an over-populated under-supplied mass of terrified and desperate refugees is a frighteningly fascinating microcosm of an apocalyptic scenario.

I'm not sure how to weigh the probability of camp of this nature being successfully set up and held together, much less achieving this scenario's remarkably complex (though still woefully lacking) degree of organization, but it does seem possible. Whether organized by the military, or by civilians of their own initiative, it is plausible that at least some sizable groups may manage to gather and fortify large tracts of land.

Without getting into the highly doubtful long-term prospects for the security of the camp in Mr. DiLouie's tale, life within its protective walls is only marginally safer than the outside. As an orientation official describes to the characters upon their arrival, camps like this cannot properly serve huge numbers of refugees. Basic needs are likely to only be partially met, and hunger, jealousy, and desperation are guaranteed to lead to rampant crime and violence.

I particularly enjoyed the insight into the redefined role of law enforcement in this environment. Not surprisingly, the legal rights and processes that we currently enjoy could not be sustained by the few attempting to uphold a passing semblance of law and order. As was described by one of the members of the camp's police, they were holding this ground by force. "Frontier justice" was an apt description for the few attempting to hold the line between marginal civility and total anarchy.

The refugee camp is a rather substantial component of the story, and these brief comments do no justice to the richness of the environment that Mr. DiLouie describes. All I can say is that it can really only be properly appreciated by reading the novel oneself.

Well, before my one remaining reader completely nods off, I'll call this a wrap. I think I've managed to ramble on a decent bit here, but I really only touched on some small bits and pieces of the story. I really enjoyed "The Infection", and would encourage you to also check out "Tooth and Nail". I had some initial doubts going into "Tooth and Nail" my first time through, but I ultimately ended up really enjoying the story. With "The Infection", I thought it was pretty fantastic from the get-go. Without revealing anything else, I'll just say that Mr. DiLouie really takes it up a notch in this remarkable step off the routine path. Enjoy!