A lot of talk and a lot of worries about Ebola. Misinformation and fear are the words used by the Center for Disease Control. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins made a point of appearing without protective clothing when visiting the family of the Liberian man currently battling the infectious disease.
But this isn’t the first go-round.
Twenty years ago, Random House published a book by Richard Preston – a non-fiction effort – titled The Hot Zone. Above the author’s name on the front cover, in red letters, are the words “A Terrifying True Story.”
Preston points out that “none of the living people referred to in this book suffer from a contagious disease,” and that his work covers events from 1967 to 1993. He writes about the history of the African virus and associated strains, and also provides details about the discovery of an Ebola virus-relative in Reston, Virginia – less than 15 miles from Washington, DC.
One edition of the book features a cover-blurb from Stephen King, who states that The Hot Zone was “one of the most horrifying things I’ve read in my whole life.”
Maybe that’s one of the reasons that folks are feeling a little bit nervous about the idea of such a disease landing on US soil.
The outbreak that Preston discusses was contained, but the last four words of the book text are: “It will be back.”
He was right.
If it is possible to have an up-side, the current US distress over the possibility – however remote – that the virus could have an outbreak here, may provide the attention needed to focus on relief for those areas in which the virus has its origin. History is filled with stories of those who won’t concern themselves with the problems of others, until they are caught up in the problems themselves.
I haven’t read The Hot Zone. Used to read scary books, but no so much any longer. Scary books that are non-fiction, even less. Having scanned through the text of a paperback copy on the shelf, I have reassured myself that it has plenty of information that would be of interest to someone, even if I pass.
That kind of Scary I can get enough of in the daily headlines. And I suppose that’s one of the reasons that last night I completed my revisiting of David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. Mr. Murdstone and his sister are the scariest things in that book, and even they get their comeuppance from David’s Aunt Betsey. The Hot Zone is a little more open-ended.
You’ll find both sorts of stories on the shelves currently, un-quarantined and ready to go, so –
Come visit!
McHuston
Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!