The Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London and originally published in London Magazine in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been prescient of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is todayThe Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London and originally published in London Magazine in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been prescient of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is todayThe Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London and originally published in London Magazine in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been prescient of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is today
The Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London and originally published in London Magazine in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been prescient of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is today
Jack London's plague novel, in which the world's population has been reduced to a few scattered bands of primitive scavengers, has influenced subsequent science-fiction apocalypses and dystopias -- from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four to the movies Road Warrior and Idiocracy.Outside the ruins of San Francisco, a former UC Berkeley professor of literature recounts the chilling sequence of events which led to his current lowly state -- a gruesome pandemic which killed nearly every living soul on the planet, in a matter of days. Modern civilization tottered and fell, and a new race of barbarians -- the western world's brutalized workers -- assumed power everywhere.
The story takes place in 2073, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic, the Red Death, has depopulated the planet. James Smith is one of the survivors of the era before the scarlet plague hit and is still left alive in the San Francisco area, and he travels with his grandsons Edwin, Hoo-Hoo, and Hare-Lip. His grandsons are young and live as primeval hunter-gatherers in a heavily depopulated world. Their intellect is limited, as are their language abilities. Edwin asks Smith, whom they call "Granser," to tell them of the disease alternately referred to as scarlet plague, scarlet death, or red death.Smith recounts the story of his life before the plague, when he was an English professor. In 2013, the year after "Morgan the Fifth was appointed President of the United States by the Board of Magnates," the disease came about and spread rapidly. Sufferers would turn scarlet, particularly on the face, and become numb in their lower extremities. Victims usually died within 30 minutes of first seeing symptoms. Despite the public's trust in doctors and scientists, no cure is found, and those who attempted to do so were also killed by the disease. The grandsons question Smith's belief in "germs" causing the illness because they cannot be seen.Smith witnesses his first victim of the scarlet plague while teaching when a young woman's face turns scarlet. She dies quickly, and a panic soon overtakes the campus. He returns home but his family refuses to join him because they fear he is infected. Soon, an epidemic overtakes the area and residents begin rioting and killing one another. Smith meets with colleagues at his college's chemistry building, where they hope to wait out the problem. They soon realize they must move elsewhere for safety and begin trekking northward.Shortly, Smith's entire party dies out and he is left as the sole survivor. He lives for three years on his own with the company of a pony and two dogs. Eventually, his need for social interaction compels him back to the San Francisco area in search of other people. He finally discovers a sort of new society has been created with a few survivors, who have broken into tribes.Smith worries that he is the last to remember the times before the plague. He reminisces about the quality of food, social classes, his job, and technology. As he realizes his time grows short, he tries to impart the value of knowledge and wisdom to his grandsons. His efforts are in vain, however, as the children ridicule his recollections of the past, which sound totally unbelievable to them.
The Scarlet Plague - Jack London - The Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been very similar to the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is today. Set in 2073, this classic science fiction novel begins sixty years after a devastating epidemic wipes out most of humanity. James Howard Smith, one of the only survivors from the San Francisco area who remembers life before the plague, tries to impart the value of his wisdom to his grandsons as his time on Earth grows ever shorter. Knowing only the savage world in which they have been raised, the feral boys cannot comprehend the scientific and technological wonders of a time before the Red Death and they mock their grandfather's indecipherable babble. A despairing Smith can only fear for the future of humanity . . .
This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Scarlet Plague’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Jack London’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of London includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Scarlet Plague’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to London’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles
The Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London and originally published in London Magazine in 1912. The book was noted in 2020 as having been prescient of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially given London wrote it at a time when the world was not as quickly connected by travel as it is today.The story takes place in 2073, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic, the Red Death, has depopulated the planet. James Smith is one of the survivors of the era before the scarlet plague hit and is still left alive in the San Francisco area, and he travels with his grandsons Edwin, Hoo-Hoo, and Hare-Lip. His grandsons are young and live as primeval hunter-gatherers in a heavily depopulated world. Their intellect is limited, as are their language abilities. Edwin asks Smith, whom they call "Granser", to tell them of the disease alternately referred to as scarlet plague, scarlet death, or red death.
Jack London's post-apocalyptic vision takes place in 2072, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic has depopulated the planet. James Howard Smith, one of the few left alive San Francisco area, attempts to impart the fee of understanding to his grandsons and as his time on Earth grows ever shorter. This version of the book is annotated and illustrated.
Musaicum Books presents to you this carefully created volume of the complete novels of Jack London. This ebook has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Content: The Cruise of the Dazzler A Daughter of the Snows The Call of the Wild The Kempton-Wace Letters The Sea-Wolf The Game White Fang Before Adam The Iron Heel Martin Eden Burning Daylight Adventure The Scarlet Plague A Son of the Sun The Abysmal Brute The Valley of the Moon The Mutiny of the Elsinore The Star Rover (The Jacket) The Little Lady of the Big House Jerry of the Islands Michael, Brother of Jerry Hearts of Three Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. His amazing life experience also includes being an oyster pirate, railroad hobo, gold prospector, sailor and war correspondent.
