Perhaps the most famous science fiction book to deal with an attempt to control a virulent disease is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton (1969). Although that novel features people sealed in a research laboratory for somewhat the same reasons Charlie is sealed in her space station, its themes are very different. The motion picture Silent Running (1971) features a man isolated on a space station that contains some of the last examples of earth's natural world. He kills others and eventually kills himself to protect the wildlife on the station, leaving one lonely little robot to care for the living things. Like Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo, the movie evokes strong emotions, although it lacks the thoughtfulness of Varley's novella. The conflict between incompetent civil servants and compassionate ones is an old idea, featured in many works of fiction.

Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo is exceptional for...