When first we meet infectious disease specialist Hope Allerd, she is awakened by a cryptic text that launches the rest of The Proxima Plague into terrifying motion. Those familiar with author Robert Thornton’s previous novels featuring Hope (Lethal Paradise (2019) and The Peril Protocol (2015)) will be thrilled to know that the breakneck action, nitty-gritty medical drama, and off-and-on romance with investigative reporter Clive Andrew are all alive and well in this latest installment.
A retired family physician, Thornton was intrigued by the idea of a protagonist who uses her medical knowledge to help solve whatever problem presents itself in each book. Currently living in Orlando, Florida, Thornton parlays his own medical background—along with extensive research to fill in the gaps—into a successful blend of old-school horror and medical thriller about a mysterious virus that spreads devastatingly quickly and threatens to destroy us all. As Kirkus Reviews puts it, “the seamless fusion of SF, horror, and medical thriller storylines makes [The Proxima Plague] a virtually un-put-down-able read.”
With four published novels to his name, it may be surprising to learn that Thornton, born in Birmingham, Alabama, discovered writing later in life. After a stint in the Coast Guard as a young man, during which time he traveled to Europe and crossed paths with various high-ranking officials, he enrolled in medical school. But it wasn’t until watching the SF movie Capricorn One (1977), starring James Brolin and centering on a conspiracy that NASA faked the moon landing, that Thornton considered writing his own science-based thrillers. “I didn’t really have the time to write anything during medical school or my residency,” he recalls. “But I remember one of the sparks to write began after seeing that movie and stayed with me until I finally got the time, all these years later, to try my hand at it.”
But the road to publication wasn’t easy. After numerous rejections of his debut novel, Fatal Impact (2013), a small publishing house in North Carolina finally accepted the manuscript. After completing the cover art and partway through the editing process, however, the publisher went out of business. At a crossroads, Thornton decided to make the leap into self-publishing—and the rest is history. Now he devotes himself to writing and interacting with his readers on his website, through various blogs and updates. An alumnus of the Maui and SEAK writers conferences, he enjoys reading history and lay books on quantum mechanics (although he promises not to blog about quantum mechanics on his website!) in his spare time.
While his medical knowledge clearly informs the technical aspects of The Proxima Plague, it was Thornton’s interactions with government officials and patients alike that helped move his novel beyond a simple medical thriller and into a fully fleshed-out portrait of humanity in crisis. “Being a doctor gives you a broad perspective of communities and society in general,” he explains. “I’ve met all kinds of people, both in the Coast Guard and in the doctor’s office—good people, bad people, rich people, poor people. In my previous profession, you’re really able to get a broad view of humans.”
It’s that “broad view” that ultimately shapes both Hope’s feelings and actions throughout the novel as she attempts to grapple with a virus that sometimes kills its victims…and sometimes turns them into terrifying creatures with superstrength and superhuman powers. Whether she’s promising to check in on a sick patient for the sake of their daughter or taking a helicopter into the thick of the plague to try and find patient zero, it’s clear that Hope will not back down from the monsters—human or otherwise:
Coming on their heels was the monstrous throng. In an instant, she recognized the mass of hairy creatures as the same obscenities Pearson, Triplett and Whorter had become. Yet they were somehow different. Even at so great a distance Hope could see that these creatures had morphed even further. Jaws were more pronounced bearing rapier-like teeth. Fingers were longer ending in curved claws. They’d evolved into walking predatory nightmares.
Hope’s strength is inspiring, as is the dedication of those around her to making life mean more than simple survival. The novel opens with a quote from Lew Wallace in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880): “The happiness of love is in action; its test is what one is willing to do for others.” This sets the tone for the kind of sacrifices that will need to be made in order to ensure humanity’s survival. “I began writing the novel and, about halfway through, I realized there was an overarching theme of sacrificial love that permeated many of the characters’ actions,” says Thornton. “But I don’t like fiction books that are preachy. I prefer to layer my message so readers can get out of it what they want.” In other words, audiences who are simply looking for an adrenaline-fueled medical thriller will find exactly what they’re looking for, as will those who prefer a little philosophy with their science fiction.
In The Proxima Plague, this willingness to do anything for another human being—whether it’s for a child or a patient or a lover or even a stranger—leaves readers to ponder that oft-debated characteristic of humanity. The novel isn’t just about sacrificing a life to save someone else’s (although that certainly occurs). Instead, it teases out the idea that love itself is a sacrifice that requires giving up some part of ourselves and handing it over to someone else. This is a concept that many would argue is what makes life worth living…even in the midst of a possible apocalypse fueled by ravenous mutated creatures.
As for what comes next for the capable heroine Hope Allerd? Thornton is currently hard at work writing a fourth book featuring the infectious disease expert—and he doesn’t discount the idea of expanding the series even further. “The more I write about her,” he muses, “the more I realize that I have a lot more stories to tell about Hope.”
Andrea Moran is a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books.
