It’s rare that a scientific paper produces feelings of fear, revulsion, and fascination in equal measures - but just in time for spooky season, a new article published in Physiology reads like it was pulled straight from the pages of a sci-fi/horror novel. The article reviews recent research into the cellular processes that occur immediately after organismal death, a period the authors refer to rather poetically as the “twilight of death.”
Whereas previously this period in the life cycle received relatively little attention, it turns out that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye, and that our cells and tissues may undergo changes that prime them for a life after death. There are some important potential applications for organ transplantation, but the most fascinating idea proposed in the article is that there are opportunities to develop “medical interventions, such as providing nutrients, oxygen, endogenous bioelectricity, and biochemicals, to reverse the state of ‘dead entities’ back to life or trigger a transformation into something new.”
The paper got us thinking about classic tales of scientific hubris and medicine gone wrong (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, anyone?), and in honor of the season we decided to make a round-up of some of our favorite scary stories with medical or public health themes. These stories are not only bone-chilling but also explore themes related to bioethics, infectious disease, environmental health, and more.
Hiron Ennes’ debut novel has been described as gothic science fiction, and its atmosphere certainly borrows from the likes of Poe, Lovecraft, and Shelley. Told from the perspective of a physician sent to attend an isolated aristocratic family, it soon becomes clear that there is something odd about the protagonist. In the world of the novel, human physicians have been replaced by the Interprovincial Medical Institute, a psychic network of hosts that have been colonized by an ancient parasite. Once an unwilling human host joins this network, their selfhood is erased and subsumed by the parasite’s hive mind. The protagonist quickly takes on the role of detective/epidemiologist, trying to solve the mystery of the previous physician’s untimely demise while battling a frightening new pathogen. This one is a slow-burn, but fans of classic horror and parasitology alike will enjoy Ennes’ dark tale of obsession and exploitation.
Although zombie fungal horror has perhaps reached peak cultural saturation, M.R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts still deserves an honorable mention. Set in a frightening post-apocalyptic landscape populated by sparse outposts of human civilization that are always under threat of being overrun by “hungries,” humans suffering from a fungal infection that turns them into violent, aggressive monsters, Carey is adept at exploring humanity in extremis. The novel’s climax raises questions about ethical experimentation, when and if the ends ever justify the means, and what it means to be truly human.
Fever Dream is a work of experimental eco-horror by Argentinian author Samanta Schweblin that truly lives up to its title. With hallucinatory, dream-like prose and a constantly shifting narrative perspective, Schweblin brings to life the horror of living with the consequences of severe environmental contamination, an issue that significantly impacts rural communities in South America. To say more about the novel would spoil the pleasure of wandering your way through its nightmarish landscapes.
Parasite is the first novel in Mira Grant’s Parasitology trilogy. In the not-to-distant future (2027 to be exact), a genetically engineered parasitic tapeworm has become the universal solution to human healthcare, providing willing hosts with everything from birth control to designer drugs. The worms have created a world that is essentially free of disease and illness–but at what cost? Things begin to go awry when the parasites start to hijack the minds of their hosts. With Grant’s characteristic humor and a charming cast of characters (including the protagonist’s trusty canine sidekick, Beverly, who does indeed survive to the end), this one is a surprisingly light and fun read.
This classic work of supernatural fiction is technically a novella or short story, but is included on this list because of its unprecedented impact on the practice of psychiatry in the United States. First published in 1892, Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper after experiencing a severe episode of what we now know as postpartum depression. The protagonist, like Gilman, is forcibly confined to her bedroom after experiencing episodes of melancholy shortly following the birth of her first child. This treatment was known at the time as “the rest cure” and required a strict regimen of doing nothing at all. The protagonist slowly loses her sanity as she stares unceasingly at the yellow wallpaper that bedecks the walls of her prison while her husband, also a doctor, continues to insist that she will improve in time if only she adheres to the rest cure. The story eventually helped to discredit the rest cure as a treatment for PPD, ultimately leading to more compassionate care.
Our final recommendation is another classic work of fiction that recently saw a resurgence in interest during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. First published in 1947, The Plague has often been interpreted by literary critics as an allegory for the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. And while it is not technically a horror novel, Camus’ novel has plenty of chills to deliver as the protagonist, a physician, navigates a frightening outbreak of plague in a small town in French Algeria.
We hope these novels help you get in the mood to explore the darker side of science and medicine this October!
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