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The Satan Bug (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Satan Bug is a thriller novel
written by Scottish
author Alistair MacLean
. It was originally published in 1962
under the pseudonym
Ian Stuart, and later republished under MacLean's own name.
and the indestructible "Satan Bug" (a laboratory-conceived derivative of poliovirus
), from the Mordon Microbiological Research Establishment (similar to Porton Down
). There is no vaccine for the Satan Bug and it is so infectious that any release will rapidly destroy all human life on Earth. With these phials of unstoppable power, a mad "environmentalist" threatens the country's population unless Mordon is razed to the ground.
Like other of MacLean's works, the plot involves layers of deception, both of the nominal antagonists and of the reader. The first-person narrator, Pierre Cavell, is initially presented as an embittered figure who has been successively fired for insubordination from the Army, the Metropolitan Police and from Mordon itself. Cavell is called in by former colleagues at Special Branch
after being "tested" with a bribe to ensure that he is still honest. The novel gradually reveals that for the past 16 years Cavell has in fact been working for "the General", apparently a senior intelligence director and Cavell's father-in-law, and that these thefts are the culmination of a series of security breaches at Mordon that Cavell and the General have been investigating for at least a year.
During the theft the current head of security is killed with a cyanide
-laced sweet presumably given to him by an insider he trusted. A variety of scientists and support staff come under suspicion, and it emerges that several of them have been coerced by blackmail or kidnapping to help the principal villain without knowing his identity. The villain releases botulinum toxin over an evacuated area of East Anglia
, killing hundreds of livestock and proving that his threat to use the Satan Bug should be taken seriously. He takes Cavell's wife Mary hostage and sets off to London to blackmail the British government by threatening to release the Satan Bug in the City of London
financial district. The villain uses his hostage to capture Cavell and several police officers en route and attempts to kill them with botulinum toxin. Cavell escapes, though one constable is poisoned and dies rapidly (for dramatic purposes this is from convulsions like nerve agent
or strychnine poisoning
rather than the slower paralysis and respiratory failure usually associated with Botulism
).
Cavell uses Interpol
to discover the villain's true identity and infers that the villain's London plan is really to cause the City to be evacuated, allowing a criminal gang time to break into and rob major banks and then escape by helicopter. After losing a fight on board the aircraft the villain explains his motives and jumps to his death, leaving the remaining phials of agent unbreached.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
author Alistair MacLean
Alistair MacLean
Alistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
. It was originally published in 1962
1962 in literature
The year 1962 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 7 - In an article in the New York Times Book Review, Gore Vidal calls Evelyn Waugh "our time's first satirist."...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Ian Stuart, and later republished under MacLean's own name.
Plot summary
The story revolves around the theft of two germ warfare agents, botulinum toxinBotulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin is a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is considered the most powerful neurotoxin ever discovered. Botulinum toxin causes Botulism poisoning, a serious and life-threatening illness in humans and animals...
and the indestructible "Satan Bug" (a laboratory-conceived derivative of poliovirus
Poliovirus
Poliovirus, the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and member of the family of Picornaviridae.Poliovirus is composed of an RNA genome and a protein capsid. The genome is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome that is about 7500 nucleotides long. The viral particle is...
), from the Mordon Microbiological Research Establishment (similar to Porton Down
Porton Down
Porton Down is a United Kingdom government and military science park. It is situated slightly northeast of Porton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the northwest lies the MoD Boscombe Down test range facility which is operated by QinetiQ...
). There is no vaccine for the Satan Bug and it is so infectious that any release will rapidly destroy all human life on Earth. With these phials of unstoppable power, a mad "environmentalist" threatens the country's population unless Mordon is razed to the ground.
Like other of MacLean's works, the plot involves layers of deception, both of the nominal antagonists and of the reader. The first-person narrator, Pierre Cavell, is initially presented as an embittered figure who has been successively fired for insubordination from the Army, the Metropolitan Police and from Mordon itself. Cavell is called in by former colleagues at Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
after being "tested" with a bribe to ensure that he is still honest. The novel gradually reveals that for the past 16 years Cavell has in fact been working for "the General", apparently a senior intelligence director and Cavell's father-in-law, and that these thefts are the culmination of a series of security breaches at Mordon that Cavell and the General have been investigating for at least a year.
During the theft the current head of security is killed with a cyanide
Cyanide poisoning
Cyanide poisoning occurs when a living organism is exposed to a compound that produces cyanide ions when dissolved in water. Common poisonous cyanide compounds include hydrogen cyanide gas and the crystalline solids potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide...
-laced sweet presumably given to him by an insider he trusted. A variety of scientists and support staff come under suspicion, and it emerges that several of them have been coerced by blackmail or kidnapping to help the principal villain without knowing his identity. The villain releases botulinum toxin over an evacuated area of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, killing hundreds of livestock and proving that his threat to use the Satan Bug should be taken seriously. He takes Cavell's wife Mary hostage and sets off to London to blackmail the British government by threatening to release the Satan Bug in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
financial district. The villain uses his hostage to capture Cavell and several police officers en route and attempts to kill them with botulinum toxin. Cavell escapes, though one constable is poisoned and dies rapidly (for dramatic purposes this is from convulsions like nerve agent
Nerve agent
Nerve agents are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs...
or strychnine poisoning
Strychnine poisoning
Strychnine poisoning can be fatal to humans and other animals and can occur by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known toxic reaction...
rather than the slower paralysis and respiratory failure usually associated with Botulism
Botulism
Botulism also known as botulinus intoxication is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin which is metabolic waste produced under anaerobic conditions by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and affecting a wide range of mammals, birds and fish...
).
Cavell uses Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
to discover the villain's true identity and infers that the villain's London plan is really to cause the City to be evacuated, allowing a criminal gang time to break into and rob major banks and then escape by helicopter. After losing a fight on board the aircraft the villain explains his motives and jumps to his death, leaving the remaining phials of agent unbreached.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- The Satan BugThe Satan BugThe Satan Bug is a science fiction film directed by John Sturges that stars George Maharis and Anne Francis. It was loosely adapted from Alistair MacLean's 1962 novel of the same name...
– appeared in filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in a 1965 film loosely adapted from the novel and directed by John SturgesJohn SturgesJohn Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932...
, with James ClavellJames ClavellJames Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
contributing to the screenplayScreenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
.