Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters
by Kit Pedler, Gerry Davis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gerry Davis, Kit PedlerEdition: Paperback
Published: 1973
ISBN: N/A
Publisher: Pan
Book Reviews of Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters
Book Review: Still recall it after 35 years!
Summary: 4 Stars
As I read the premise for the newly published "Black Monday" I thought of a book I'd read in the early 70's that involved plastic eating bacteria wreaking havoc on a modern world that used plastic in just about everything.
As I recall, the story is about two individual developments:
The first is a form of plastic that rapidly breaks down once exposed to oxygen (or perhaps just air) that is intended to address the ecological issues associated with beverage and food containers made of plastic (mostly soda bottles). The idea being that you remove a very thin outer layer from the container and consume the drink and simply toss the package because it will quickly decompose into harmless, maybe even eco-friendly chemical components.
The second involves a researcher who is trying to create a microbe that will "consume" plastics to solve a similar ecological problem.
The research microbe "accidentally" gets into the sewer system of London where there is ample supply of nutrient in the form of the remains of the oxygen sensitive bottles. The combination of the two quickly evolves into a strain that has a taste for any and all plastics.
Plastic gas lines meet with electrical wires that are no longer insulated by their plastic coatings and, well you get the idea. The bacteria follow anything that is plastic from the underground into the streets of London and civilization is threatened by the loss of all technology.
I particularly remember the ending leaving an opening for a sequel.
I never understood why it was not made into a movie. Perhaps it was too closely associated with The Andromeda Strain. Still in an age of Towering Inferno, Earthquake, and the Poseidon Adventure it seemed to be a perfect scenario.
If you can find it, it is worth a read!
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