The Apocalypse Strain

by Jason Parent

Overview

A multi-national research team, led by a medical genomics expert suffering from MS, study an ancient pandoravirus at a remote Siberian research facility. Called "Molli" by the research team, the organic substance reveals some unique but troublesome characteristics, qualities that, in the wrong hands, could lead to human extinction.

The researchers soon learn that even in the right hands, Molli is a force too dangerous to escape their compound. But the virus has a mind of its own, and it wants out.

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787583559
Publisher:	Flame Tree Publishing
Publication date:	08/11/2020
Series:	Fiction Without Frontiers
Edition description:	New
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Rhode Island.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge... as a civil litigator. When he wanted a change, he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field...sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, and travel any place that will let him enter. And read and write, of course - he does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonParent, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.

Interviews

What is the book about?
The story is above. Essentially, it is a sci-fi/horror thriller. Without sounding pretentious (I hope), I guess it is somewhat a cautionary tale concerning scientists playing with things they don’t really understand and the (perhaps overstated) dangers of doing so. But it is likely that scientists will find other pandoraviruses that could be harmful or even deadly to humans if not handled with every precaution.

What are the underlying themes?
Dangers of scientific advancement; global terrorism; bigotry based on race or national origin.

Did you base your characters on anyone you knew?
No.

Who influenced you most in the writing of the book?
John Carpenter movies and fast-paced horror books like Savage Species by Jonathan Janz.

Is there any advice you can give someone starting to write?
Read extensively in your genre. Write often. Edit even more often and consult unbiased editors and beta-readers for impartial critiques.

Where did you write?
I write in a quiet, unadorned room. I let my mind imagine the scene as I write it and get lost in the story.

Did you write in silence, or to any particular music?
I need silence. I am easily distracted. I can write with light background noise, like in a coffee shop with indistinct chatter.

Did you find it hard to write? Or harder to edit your own work?
Editing is harder. It’s easier to see the mistakes of others than your own. So I go through each work several times, then send it out to editors.

What was it like to be edited by someone else?
I enjoy being edited. I learn so much from a good editor, and those I have used in the past have definitely advanced my craft. Someone once said, “A writer is only as good as his editor.” I believe that whole-heartedly.

What are you writing now?
I am writing a couple of different pieces. I just finished up several short stories. The primary wok on my plate is a sort of crime-legal-light-supernatural thriller.

Editorial Reviews

What I like best about Jason Parent's writing is that every book he writes is different from the last. This creativity is on full display in his latest novel. THE APOCALYPSE STRAIN is a thrill ride. I had an absolute blast!

Jonathan Janz

This book is like The Thing and Resident Evil got together, had an illicit love child, and then presented it in an enjoyable and action packed novel for my personal enjoyment.

The Most Sublime