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词条 The Strain
释义

  1. Plot synopsis

  2. Characters

     Dr. Ephraim Goodweather  Dr. Nora Martinez  Professor Abraham Setrakian  The Master  Thomas Eichorst  Vasiliy Fet  Agustin Elizalde  Eldritch Palmer  Dr. Everett Barnes  Jim Kent  Kelly Goodweather  Mr. Quinlan 

  3. Reception

  4. Adaptations

     Comic books  Television series 

  5. References

  6. External links

{{About|the 2009 novel|the franchise it initiated|The Strain (franchise)|other uses|The Strain (disambiguation)}}{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}{{Infobox book
| name = The Strain
| image = StrainDelToroHoganCover.jpg
| caption = 2009 first edition hardback cover
| author = {{unbulleted list|Guillermo del Toro| & Chuck Hogan}}
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| genre = Horror novel
| publisher = William Morrow
| pub_date = June 2, 2009
| media_type = Print, audio
| pages = 401
| isbn = 0061558230
| followed_by = The Fall
}}

The Strain is a 2009 vampire horror novel by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It is the first installment in The Strain Trilogy, and was followed by The Fall (2010) and The Night Eternal (2011).

Plot synopsis

A Boeing 777 arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport and is taxiing its way across the tarmac when it suddenly stops. All window shades are closed except one, the lights are out, and communication channels have gone silent. An alert is sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, head of the CDC's Canary Project, a rapid-response team that handles biological threats, is sent to investigate. Goodweather and Dr. Nora Martinez board the plane, finding everyone except four people dead.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, former history professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian knows something terrible has happened and that an unnatural war is brewing. So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected the passengers begins spilling out onto New York City's streets. Dr. Goodweather, who is joined by Setrakian and a small band of fighters, desperately tries to stop the contagion to save the city, and also his wife and son.

Characters

Dr. Ephraim Goodweather

Head of the CDC's rapid-response team, the Canary Project, Eph is a newly divorced father attempting to balance the custody battle over his son Zack with his duties as an epidemiologist. He and his Canary team are the first-response team to the Boeing 777 disaster, and are tasked with solving the mystery of the mass casualties. Unable to reconcile the symptoms of the newly infected airline passengers with standard disease pathology, Eph is convinced of the reality of vampires by Abraham Setrakian. Discredited at the CDC by the vampires' human conspirators, Eph finds himself a fugitive from both the human authorities and the undead. The need to protect his son drives Eph's every action.

In the television series, he is played by Corey Stoll.

Dr. Nora Martinez

A skilled epidemiologist, Nora is second in command of the Canary Project. She and Eph have been attempting an office romance with mixed success, complicated by their high-stress medical careers and Goodweather's lingering melancholy over his looming divorce. Nora quickly dedicates herself to uncovering the vampire conspiracy, and is determined not to be relegated to doing the "woman's work."

In the television series, she is played by Mía Maestro.

Professor Abraham Setrakian

A Romanian Jew (partly of Armenian descent), Setrakian was held in the Treblinka extermination camp during the Second World War, where he became aware of the Master feeding on the weak and sickly inmates. His first attempt to stop the Master was a failure, leaving him with multiple fractures in his hands that never healed properly. After escaping from the camp, he dedicated his life to hunting down the vampiric scourge for more than six decades. Originally a professor of East European literature and mythology at the University of Vienna, Setrakian was dismissed and forced to go into hiding after refusing to help Eldritch Palmer locate the Master. Wielding an ancient silver sword with his nearly crippled hands, Setrakian is an expert on vampire biology and destruction, and recruits Eph and Nora to his cause. His determination and will are strong, but his weak heart has become an obstacle to his lifelong quest.

In the television series, he is played by David Bradley, and by Jim Watson as a young man.

The Master

One of the seven original "Ancients," the propagators of the vampire race, the Master scorns the truce between the six others and intends to eliminate their strains and subjugate the entire human race. By the time of his arrival in New York, having spent nearly a millennium in Europe in various host bodies, the Master currently inhabits the body of Jusef Sardu, a 19th-century Polish nobleman afflicted with gigantism. Through the cooperation of Eldritch Palmer, promising the dying billionaire immortality, the Master has gained unlimited financial and political power to ensure the success of his plan.

In the television series, the Master is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes with Jusef Sardu portrayed by Robert Maillet. The Master's second host Gabriel Bolivar is played by Jack Kesy.

Thomas Eichorst

The Master's chief facilitator. He was a Nazi SS officer at a concentration camp whom the Master turned into a Strigoi, a Renfield type character but immortal. He killed Setrakian's wife in the past.

In the television series, he is played by Richard Sammel.

Vasiliy Fet

An exterminator' of Ukrainian ancestry working for the New York City Bureau of Pest Control, Fet's occupation soon leads to his discovery of the truth about vampires while working in a derelict building. Reaching Eph through a professional connection at the CDC, the exterminator lends both his skills as a vermin hunter and his powerful physique to Setrakian and Goodweather's cause. Loyal and unwaveringly brave, he becomes a surrogate son to the old professor.

In the television series, he is played by Kevin Durand.

Agustin Elizalde

A Mexican gang member fresh out of prison, Gus is attacked by a newly turned vampire on the streets of Times Square and is subsequently arrested by the police after throwing the creature under a truck. Learning the truth about vampires from a temporarily incarcerated Setrakian, Gus escapes confinement and finds himself to be a natural vampire slayer on the streets of his tenement neighborhood. He is recruited by the three American Ancients as a "day hunter" against the Master's exponentially spreading hordes.

Gus shares his last name with makeup and special effects artist Mike Elizalde, who has frequently collaborated with Guillermo del Toro, including on del Toro's films Blade II, Hellboy and The Golden Army.

In the television series, he is played by Miguel Gómez.

Eldritch Palmer

One of the richest men in the world, Eldritch Palmer craves the one thing that all his money cannot buy: immortality. The elderly tycoon's fear of death leads him to make a pact with the Master, trading his vast fortune, political influence, and the fate of the human race in exchange for an undead place at the vampire king's side. (His name is an in-joke reference to the 1965 Nebula Prize nominated novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick){Four Novels of the 1960s, Philip K. Dick, American Library, 2007, {{ISBN|978-1-59853-009-4}}, page 231}.

In the television series, he is played by Jonathan Hyde.

Dr. Everett Barnes

As the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Barnes is Eph and Nora's direct superior. Skilled in the politics and media aspects of the medical industry, he is a shrewd bureaucrat who carefully maintains a quaint, "country doctor" image. His insistence upon wearing a Navy style Public Health Service uniform, combined with his white goatee, make him resemble a "combat-decorated Colonel Sanders." His response to the Boeing 777 crisis makes clear he is a politician first and a doctor second, more concerned with maintaining public order and the CDC's reputation than acknowledging the growing number of anomalies that point to something more sinister taking place.

In the television series, he is played by Daniel Kash.

Jim Kent

Eph and Nora's colleague, and the chief liaison between the Canary Project and the rest of the CDC. Well-meaning, he has nonetheless sold his services to Eldritch Palmer, who has recruited Kent as a spy under the guise of being concerned about any impending health crisis. Kent witnesses the transformation of Captain Redfern in the basement of the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. In order to avoid news of the vampire infestation leaking out prematurely, Palmer has Kent and Gus retrieve the body of Captain Redfern and dispose of it. He is attacked during a gas station battle and begins transforming into a vampire. His life is subsequently ended after he begs Eph and Nora to kill him but they cannot.

In the television series, he is played by Sean Astin.

Kelly Goodweather

Eph's estranged wife and current opponent in a drawn-out custody battle over their only son, Kelly is a public school teacher and fiercely protective mother, pulling no punches in her attempt to paint her husband as the less suitable parent. Eph constantly worries about the growing influence of her milquetoast live-in boyfriend, Matt, on their son Zack. But when the Master begins sending out his followers, Kelly ends up becoming infected and becoming a means for the Master to track down Goodweather and the resistance.

In the television series, she is played by Natalie Brown.

Mr. Quinlan

Known as "the Born", Mr. Quinlan is a rare human/vampire hybrid. The son of the Master who is now the Ancients' chief hunter and bodyguard. He is efficient and loyal, recruiting Gus Elizalde to help him and his squad in their mission to kill his father. Mr Quinlan is disgusted by his father's actions, and is determined to stop him at all costs.

In the television series, Mr. Quinlan was introduced in the fifth episode of Season 2, and is played by Rupert Penry-Jones.

Reception

The Times Literary Supplement carried a review by Peter Millar dated 23 May 2009. The review praises the novel's "arresting start" and frequently alludes to Guillermo del Toro's career as a film director by comparing the novel to a Hollywood movie. The implication may be that del Toro intends to direct the film version of the novel. The review closes by calling The Strain a "rattling piece of escapism" with a "predictable" blockbuster ending.[1] Xan Brooks of The Guardian calls the novel "a pulpy, apocalyptic fable" and a "fast-paced, high-concept outing that seems tailor-made for either a big-screen adaptation or - as Hogan has enthused - 'a long-form, cable-type TV series'. And yet at the same time this opening salvo also looks to the past; doffing its cap to an illustrious ancestor."[2] He calls the vampires "mindless, undead leeches."

Zack Handlen, writing for The A.V. Club, was less enthusiastic, concluding that

{{quote|"the result is a predictable but generally engaging thriller. The chapters come in short bursts, mimicking the editing of a big-budget epic. It makes for a fast read, but the rapid-fire parade of characters means that few make an impact. The world-building works best when it's distracting from cliché, instead of trying to inspire honest emotion. Del Toro fans will recognize certain familiar tropes — the quest for immortality, the vampiric physiognomy, and the ever-popular things in jars — but those motifs are muted on the page."[3]}}

Similarly, Deirdre Crimmins described the novel as "an imperfect vampire book" marred by "some very awkwardly worded phrases and poorly described scenarios scattered throughout the book" and some "terribly clichéd" characters.[4] Jeff Jensen, reviewing The Strain for Entertainment Weekly, wished for more evidence of del Toro's participation, saying, "It's hard to believe he found time for such an ambitious project — and after reading the book, it seems clear he didn't. ... The Strain is a competently constructed piece of entertainment, and I'll give it bonus points for shaking up some vampire clichés. ... The novel could have used a little less Hogan and little more del Toro."[5]

Adaptations

Comic books

{{Main|The Strain (comic book)}}

Writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston[6] adapted the novel into an 11-issue story arc for the eponymous comic-book series from Dark Horse Comics.[7]

IssueRelease DateTrade Paperback CollectionHardcover Collection
1December 14, 2011The Strain — Volume 1
October 15, 2012
{{ISBN|978-1616550325}}
The Strain — Book One
July 9, 2014
{{ISBN|978-1616555481}}
2January 11, 2012
3February 8, 2012
4March 14, 2012
5June 13, 2012
6July 11, 2012
7August 8, 2012The Strain — Volume 2
June 5, 2013
{{ISBN|9781616551568}}
8September 12, 2012
9December 12, 2012
10January 9, 2013
11February 13, 2013

Television series

{{Main|The Strain (TV series)}}

Executive producer and showrunner Carlton Cuse adapted the novel into the 13-episode first season of the eponymous television series from FX, which ran from July 13, 2014 to September 17, 2017.

References

1. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/ |title= Thriller: The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan |accessdate=5 August 2009 |last=Millar |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Millar (journalist) |date=23 May 2009 |work=Times Literary Supplement |publisher=The Times |location=United Kingdom|pages=}}
2. ^{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/13/strain-guillermo-del-toro |title= Fangs ain't what they used to be: Dracula gets a modern makeover in a filmic chiller |accessdate=August 5, 2012|last=Brooks |first=Xan |date=12 June 2009 |work=The Guardian |publisher=The Guardian |location=United Kingdom}}
3. ^{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/13/strain-guillermo-del-toro |title= The Strain|accessdate=August 5, 2012|last=Handlen |first=Zack |date=June 18, 2009 |work=The A.V. Club |publisher=The Onion, Inc}}
4. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-strain-guillermo-del-toro-chuck-hogan/|title= The New, Improved Undead|accessdate=August 5, 2012|last=Crimmins |first=Deirdre|year=2009 |work= Open Letters Monthly |publisher=Open Letters LLC|location=Boston, MA}}
5. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20281090,00.html |title= The Strain (2009) |accessdate=August 5, 2012|last=Jensen |first=Jeff|date=May 27, 2009 |publisher= Entertainment Weekly}}
6. ^{{cite web|title=Comic-Con 2011: Guillermo del Toro, Tom Morello, P.C. Cast Doing Dark Horse Comics This Fall|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comic-con-2011-guillermo-del-213794|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=19 February 2013}}
7. ^{{cite web|title=New Dark Horse Comics by Guillermo del Toro, Tom Morello, P.C. Cast Comic-Con |url=http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/21/dark-horse-del-toro-morello-cast-comic-con/ |publisher=Comics Alliance |accessdate=19 February 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105180119/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/21/dark-horse-del-toro-morello-cast-comic-con/ |archivedate=5 November 2011 |df= }}

15. FX Renews 'The Strain' for Third Season. The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 7 August 2015.

16. 'The Strain': Carlton Cuse, Guillermo del Toro Reveal Five-Season Plan. The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 7 August 2015.

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.thestraintrilogy.com}}
{{Guillermo del Toro}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Strain, The}}

6 : 2009 American novels|American horror novels|American vampire novels|Literary collaborations|Novels by Guillermo del Toro|Novels about the Holocaust

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