Making the most of the microbes

摘要

Ah, microorganisms. Is there anything they can't do? For the writer seeking to destroy civilisation, microbiological agents such as viruses and bacteria have become a popular tool. The 'outbreak' scenario allows us to strip our characters of law and order's protections, placing them in exciting future frontiers. We normally follow a plucky group of survivors picking through a Mary Celeste world, fighting off the hostile infected: humanity returned to evolutionary struggle. Unlike post-nuclear war tales, we can offer a glimmer of hope to our characters - of a cure, that brings us back from the brink, and turns the lights back on.