The Strain

Ultimate Book & TV Pairing 

By Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
USA, 2009
Horror, Vampire

Main Attractions

1. Creepy, chilling descriptions.
2. Way more detail than the TV Show.
3. Perfectly distributed, interesting backstory.
4. Bloody, biologically studied vampires!
5. Plots twists.
6. NYC and also a mystery, plot spoiler setting.
7. Typical characters doing strange, gross things.
8. A semi-love triangle.
9. Action and strange action.
10. Cliff-hangers galore!

Cuisine & Delicacies

Ranked as: Summer Salad
It’s a light, easy read.  The plot’s simple enough to snack on for awhile.  Great book for travel.  No real deep themes or thoughts involved.  A great companion to the TV show because they cover different writer’s points of view.

Destination Summary
Here’s a trailer for the FX Series, season 1 


Off the Beaten Path

A short trailer about an upcoming Strigoi Documentary by a vlogger in Transylvania/Romania.  She’s vlogging about gathering resources to make the documentary.   Here’s the link, she gives updates on the journey of her research:  


Travel Advisory

This book introduces lots of cool biological description of the vampires.  I have no scientific knowledge in my background and only a high school level.  I found the descriptions fairly easy to understand and had to google some of the details.  It’s really fascinating how these vampires operate.  And extremely different from the mainstream ones.

Of course there’s some blood, guts and gore!! It’s a horror book!! There’s nothing grotesque or over the top.  It’s standard gore level, nothing rated R.

The passages describing the master are brilliant!! One scene still sends chills! That’s what I’m talking about. That’s the eerie factor these books should have.  Creepiest passage in a vampire book, to date.

Packing List

✓ Google for some Biology Descriptions
✓ Map of NYC, the setting
✓ Strigoi Folktale Book
✓ Nightlight for some eeriness

Recommended Resources
Alternate Books
Salem's Lot By Stephen King (1975) - It's the more modern, familiar take on Vampires.  Also a modern, American classic.
✓ Frankenstein By Mary Shelley (1818) - It has some biology but explores more deeply into the sense of home and belonging creatures want.  A great pairing with The Strain
✓ I'll dig up some good Strigoi Myth books to add here.  Gotta get some of the originals!

TV Adaptation
✓ The Strain TV Show (2014) FX Network - It explores different aspects than the book.  The TV Show also shows some key scenes from the book and it changes some things.

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