Fear of Death

Probably the most prevalent theme in The Hot Zone is the humans' fear of death. In fact, the power and appeal of this book come from the fear evoked in the reader. The gory, horrific deaths of Charles Monet, Nurse Mayinga, and Peter Cardinal set the reader on edge in anticipation and dread of what will happen if the virus at Reston jumps into the human population.

One of the obvious indicators of the fear is the setup of the Level 4 Hot Zones and the numerous procedures and policies in effect for anyone entering one. The outside world is separated from the Hot Zone by a "gray area" that is considered neither sterile nor hot. There is an elaborate ritual to donning the space suits, including what to wear, how to provide layers of protection between the skin and the hot zone, and the necessity of...