The Scarlet Plague
Encyclopedia
The Scarlet Plague is a post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by Jack London
and originally published in London Magazine
in 1912.
The story takes place in 2073
, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic, the Red Death, has depopulated the planet. James Howard Smith is one of the few survivors of the pre-plague era left alive in the San Francisco area, and as he realizes his time grows short, he tries to impart the value of knowledge and wisdom to his grandsons.
broke out was quite a civilized and advanced one, at least from the vantage point of the year 1912. It is an oligarchy
where the upper class thrive and the working class are often treated little better than slaves. The theme is similar to London's The Iron Heel
(1908).
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
and originally published in London Magazine
London Magazine
The London Magazine is a historied publication of arts, literature and miscellaneous interests. Its history ranges nearly three centuries and several reincarnations, publishing the likes of William Wordsworth, William S...
in 1912.
The story takes place in 2073
2070s
The 2070s decade will begin on January 1, 2070 and will end on December 31, 2079.- 2070 :* February – The Teen Age Message, an Active SETI message sent from the 70-meter Eupatoria Planetary Radar, arrives at its destination, the star HD 197076.- 2076 :...
, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic, the Red Death, has depopulated the planet. James Howard Smith is one of the few survivors of the pre-plague era left alive in the San Francisco area, and as he realizes his time grows short, he tries to impart the value of knowledge and wisdom to his grandsons.
World of Scarlet Plague
The world of the Scarlet Plague before the epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
broke out was quite a civilized and advanced one, at least from the vantage point of the year 1912. It is an oligarchy
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
where the upper class thrive and the working class are often treated little better than slaves. The theme is similar to London's The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel is a dystopian novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.Generally considered to be "the earliest of the modern Dystopian", it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. It is arguably the novel in which Jack London's socialist views are...
(1908).
External links
- Complete text from Project Gutenberg
- Unabridged audiobook at LibriVox
- The Science Fiction Century, David G. Hartwell. Discusses "Last man on Earth" subgenre.