The strain

About “The strain”

The Strain is a 2009 novel by Guillermo del Toro that follows a terrifying battle between humans and vampires. The story begins when a Boeing 777 arrives at JFK Airport and suddenly stops, with all lights out and no communication. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of the CDC's Canary project, investigates and discovers a vampiric virus spreading through New York. In Spanish Harlem, Abraham Setrakian, a Holocaust survivor and former professor, recognizes the threat and joins the fight. Eph teams up with Setrakian and others to stop the contagion before it takes over the city and the world. The novel is the first in a trilogy and explores a massive conflict between humanity and an ancient, hidden enemy.