The Scarlet Plague 9781523789054 Books
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The Scarlet Plague 9781523789054 Books
This 1912 story stands among the earliest of "after the collapse" dystopias. In it, Jack London starts with San Francisco of his day - not that different, except for the horses, than it is today. A mysterious plague breaks out, bringing terrible death within hours of its first symptoms - and, of course, incredibly contagious. Polite society quickly degenerates into isolated bands, some together for mutual support, others as predatory wolf-packs. Even a college campus turns into a war zone, with as many dead from gunfire as from disease. As you may imagine, London's writing style works well in conveying the brute savagery.Some few with natural immunity survive, like the narrator. He tells this story to a few boys from his tribe, descendants of those who survived pestilence and each other. But, the boys' world-view and even language have collapsed, too. They can barely understand the words he uses, can't imagine the society he describes, and frankly don't care. In closing the narrator mentions a cache of books he's placed in a cave, hoping it will help future generations regain civilized status. But that might be millenia away, if it ever comes at all.
-- wiredweird
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The Scarlet Plague 9781523789054 Books Reviews
This short read is good because you are led to think about civilization, where we are as a whole and where we are going individually. As well as taking inventory of the knowledge and skills one would have in his "arsenal".
You are entertained without feeling guilty for wasting your time or your life! Although I did not enjoy the abrupt ending I appreciate the effect it has had! During my down times I find my mind drifting casually to Granger and the boys. I can almost see them with their goat herd making camp! Had the story been spelled out entirely I am sure my mind would find no reason or entertainment in pondering.
How did I not read this sooner? I enjoyed this one better than Call of the Wild and I can see how the elements of this story are present in so many stories that have moved me. London's Scarlet Plague clearly influenced Michael Chrichton's Andromeda Strain, Mattheson's I am Legend, and The Walking Dead series. I also put this short novel down wondering how much it influenced Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Framed around a campfire on the beach, a scholarly grandfather who lived before the plague tells his less refined, unschooled teen grandchildren the tale of how he survived long enough to see generations of immune human beings survive to form families again. Through his eyes, you see the descent of humanity back to a fearful, primal state with just enough uptick that there is hope for humankind to re-establish civilization. London makes his observations of humanity, including the reshifting of social status, through the elder who was once a professor at the height of society and now a frail old man in animal skins. I'm astounded that London foresaw cellular phones and the future prevelence of airplanes and cars when this was only published in 1915. The simplicity of his focus and potency of his words make this a book that will be enjoyed for another 100 years, at least.
"The Scarlet Plague" is a novella by Jack London that I'd never heard of before searching for recommended books available for free on . It was listed under science fiction and I thought "Whoa!" London's story was written in 1912, predicts a deadly plague in 2012, and is "narrated" by one of the few survivors--an 87-yr-old former English professor--60 years after civilization's collapse. The world of 2072 is completely feral, with scattered groups of stone-age humans perhaps only numbering a few thousand worldwide. The old professor tells his 3 grandchildren about the world before the plague, and the total collapse of everything. This work is vivid and profoundly pessimistic. If there's a fun part, it's London's portrait of Earth, circa 2012. A population of 8 billion, gross inequities of wealth and power, monorails, dirigibles, wireless communications not bad for guessing a century ahead. It screams to be adapted to the big or small screen, shooting in today's world and tweaking the story to match. 75 years before this book, Mary Shelley wrote "The Last Man," which some consider the great-granddaddy of post-apocalyptic novels. I'd never heard of that one before reading reviews of "The Scarlet Plague." I wonder if has it for free...
This short novelette of Jack London's, is a radical departure from his usual "he-man" expostulations upon brutal Nature, brutal men, brutal institutions, and, brutal oceans. He had manged Science Fiction, with as much adroitness, just as well, as he did with his usual genres.
It was fascinating to see how he made projections upon the progress of technology, 100 years ahead of his time. Wireless radios being used for routine communications between regular folks; monorails to transport the masses overland; and private luxury zeppelins, for the wealthy to travel.
After this pandemic had culled humanity, by at least 95%, there was an irrevocable descent by humanity into savage barbarity, once they lost their comforts, technology, and institutions, and that is the common thread--of brutality--that this story has, with the rest of London's works.
One should also read George R. Stewart's "Earth Abides" alongside of "Scarlet", as they are both very complimentary to each other.
This 1912 story stands among the earliest of "after the collapse" dystopias. In it, Jack London starts with San Francisco of his day - not that different, except for the horses, than it is today. A mysterious plague breaks out, bringing terrible death within hours of its first symptoms - and, of course, incredibly contagious. Polite society quickly degenerates into isolated bands, some together for mutual support, others as predatory wolf-packs. Even a college campus turns into a war zone, with as many dead from gunfire as from disease. As you may imagine, London's writing style works well in conveying the brute savagery.
Some few with natural immunity survive, like the narrator. He tells this story to a few boys from his tribe, descendants of those who survived pestilence and each other. But, the boys' world-view and even language have collapsed, too. They can barely understand the words he uses, can't imagine the society he describes, and frankly don't care. In closing the narrator mentions a cache of books he's placed in a cave, hoping it will help future generations regain civilized status. But that might be millenia away, if it ever comes at all.
-- wiredweird
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