Cold Storage

A Novel

By: David Koepp

Narrated by: Rupert Friend

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

"On every level, Cold Storage is pure, unadulterated entertainment." (Douglas Preston, The New York Times) 

For listeners 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?

©2019 David Koepp (P)2019 HarperAudio

Over the top...in a bad way

I love books in this genre but Koepp must it for me. First, his character development is extreme and unnecessary. Development is vital in any good work but it must not become the story. He told us innumerable facts about his people that just did not add to the story. It was distracting and even boring for me. I bought the book for the story, not for character development. Second, Koepp uses profanity to the point that it becomes distracting. I have worked in many jobs, both blue and white-collar, and I have never heard this level of profanity. The story would not suffer from a cleaner, less course text. It may not be important to you but it was a negative for me.

Could have been a great story

Made it to chapter 20 before I accepted that the excess verbiage was just that -- filler to turn a great novella into an annoying novel. How many long-winded examples from a character's background do we need to know them? How many times do you need to explain the science? I'd say about a third as much as the author dropped on us.

It's okay to add background and scientific explanations if it adds to the reader's understanding and/or will be relevant to the story. In this case, even the narrator was starting to sound bored.

This could be a great movie if the author is not allowed to write the screenplay.

Truly awful

This is easily one of the worst novels I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of novels.
Accomplished script writing does not make one a talented novelist. Don’t be fooled by the slick marketing and pull quotes.
Ever since it debuted to a wider audience on Planet Earth, Cordyceps fungi has been “The Big Bad” in several high-profile films and games, all of them with tighter plotting and more intensity than this.
I don’t often return books for credit, but this is an instant return.

Absolutely fantastic

Cold Storage has a relatively simple premise, but it is so masterfully told and narrated that I may end up calling this my favorite book of the year. An excellent example of focused, intimate storytelling. There are only a few characters and the plot is basic, but the characters and world building are incredibly compelling. at the end you will feel as though you have finished an actual genuine story, no sequel baiting, no "shared universe" building, no connection to something else, just a really well told story with an actual beginning, middle and end.

well done, a real pleasure to listen to.

The book is good

This book is good. However if you are wanting a scary zombie type book this one is not for you. If you are wanting a nice easy read with action this book is for you.

Hilarious

All right, comedy is very subjective. I don't love body horror and I definitely don't like when animals die so I tend to avoid that stuff in my leisurely reads. Ergo, I thought this was going to be like a 2 or 3 star read for me, maybe a 1 if the animal violence went above and beyond. It was highly recommended to me by someone I adore though, so I buckled in and gave it a shot.

There is a lot of body horror and animal deaths, and yet, I still found it hilarious. I loved the characters. I enjoyed the points of perspective. It was all just so good, so fun. It wouldn't be the same without the stuff that makes me uncomfortable.... and the animals deaths were at least handled in a way that didn't leave me angry and devastated.... They were also kept to a minimum which I really appreciated.

This was so good. Easily a favorite.

Too short

Overall pretty good, definitely holds your attention. However - felt more like a "pilot" ... like an intro to more episodes to come ...

Entertaining

The characters remind me of Stephan King, though the story has a firm grasp on science. A great weekend read.

LOVED IT!

This was an exciting, dramatic, terrifying, yet humorous story brought to life by the brilliant performance of Rupert Friend! I'll never look at a mushroom the same way again!

gold

Very well written and well read, I brought earphones to work just to listen too it.