Cold Storage by David Koepp

 

 

Reviewed by Andrew

 

Cold Storage by David Koepp is an exciting, fast-paced science-fiction thriller, with some elements of horror as well. The book starts with two government agents tasked with investigating some type of biological threat in Australia.  When they arrive at the site, they find a pod from a space shuttle that has crash-landed to Earth. In the pod is a type of fungus that scientists were attempting to experiment with while in outer space, and as a result, has mutated into something far more lethal than anyone could have imagined. The fungus has been released from the pod and has decimated an entire Australian village at an alarming rate. The government agents are able to contain the spread of the fungus, and manage to bring a sample back to the U.S., where it is sealed in an old nuclear bunker. Fast-forward several decades, and the nuclear bunker has been converted into a civilian storage facility, and everyone has all but forgotten about what is contained several stories below ground.  Now it has managed to break loose from its containment…

I quite enjoyed the fast-paced action in the book.  The author managed to keep the story accelerating at a break-neck pace. The characters are fun and memorable, but the book doesn’t get bogged down with too many details about them. The book is written well, and is surprisingly funny considering the subject matter. This was a relatively quick read, and it felt like the book equivalent of watching an action-packed summer blockbuster.

The main criticism I have about this book is that it felt very similar to certain other stories. Cold Storage seemed to borrow heavily from Michael Crichton, and certain plot points felt eerily similar to the well-known video game, The Last of Us. I also think the book could have been scarier, not holding a flame to Stephen King or Michael Crichton, the latter of whom I consider to be a master of science-fiction horror.

All in all, I still really enjoyed this book. While not on par with other similar stories that manage to do it better, this book still has a story of its own to tell, and is written in a way that is fun and engaging, making you want to keep reading to find out what could possibly happen in the next chapter. If you enjoy science-fiction or thrillers, I would definitely recommend this book.