Plague War [Mass Market Paperback]

Jeff Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 29, 2008

"Compelling. His novels take readers to the precipice of disaster."
--San Francisco Chronicle

Nanotech researcher Ruth Goldman has developed a vaccine with the potential to inoculate the world's survivors against the machine plague, but the fractured U.S. government will stop at nothing to keep it for themselves.

With her is Cam Najarro, a man who lived through the aftermath of the plague at great personal cost.

Determined to share her cure, Ruth and Cam must brave the devastated wasteland America has become. Together, they begin a cross-country odyssey during which they will encounter the best and worst in human nature -- unaware that an even greater threat is poised to strike...

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Carlson is the international bestselling author of Plague Year and The Frozen Sky. His next novel is apocalyptic thriller Interrupt, coming July 2013 from 47North. To date, his work has been translated into fifteen languages worldwide.

Readers can find free fiction, videos, contests, and more on his web site at jverse.com

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace; 1st edition (July 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441016170
• ISBN-13: 978-0441016174
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Carlson is the international bestselling author of "Plague Year" and "The Frozen Sky." To date, his work has been translated into fifteen languages worldwide. His next novel is apocalyptic thriller "Interrupt," coming July 2013 from 47North.

Readers can find free fiction, videos, contests, and more on his web site at jverse.com

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#91 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#91 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent sequel to Carlson's previous work! August 3, 2008

By Cynical Guy

Format:Mass Market Paperback

A fan of "Plague Year," I picked up "Plague War" last week- after a long anticipation- just before flying cross county... and I was not disappointed. It was the perfect way to escape the otherwise hectic runaround of balancing a fussy seven-month old baby girl, an inability to clear my ears, and the jerk in front of my jamming their seat as far back as possible.

I was enraptured to find out more about what has become of the world after a year suffering under a machine plague that attacks and kills any living creatures of sufficient size. It's clear Mr. Carlson did his homework on a wide variety of issues- the impact such a plague would have on the environment (such as the prevalence of insects, and how vicious they would have become- something I would never have conceived of prior), the effects of the human body above 10,000 feet, the mechanics of nanotechnology, how the rest of the world reacted to the impending doom of the machine plague.

I was vaguely disappointed in not finding out as much about other issues I considered, like what happened to the US Navy- I imagine the Fleet would have sortied, for instance, and they could have supplied themselves well enough to last a year at sea. Major US warships have excellent Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical protection, and could've sealed themselves airtight and modified the pressure inside the ships if necessary (the machine plague self destructs at atmospheric pressures above approximately 10,000 feet)- not to mention submarines. It would have played an interesting role in the war described in the book.

All that could've taken another three hundred pages to go over, though. Heh. All in all, an excellent summer read. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This One's Made for the Big Screen - Movie Material! August 24, 2008

By Steven S. Hoffman

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I'm in love with this writer, or should I say his fiction. I reviewed his first novel over a year ago and gave it 4 stars. This one is even better.

This story is full of its own big ideas, which is no small accomplishment. It picks up again right after the end of Plague Year, but Carlson does a good job of making this book work as it's own story, reintroducing my favorites Cam Najarro and Ruth Goldman -- as well as a bunch of new cool dudes and new threats galore.

Most of the survivors in the world are still stuck above 10,000 feet elevation, barely hanging on after the machine plague, but Cam and Ruth have a vaccine nanotech that will allow people to walk below the barrier again, and everybody in the world wants it.

Reading Plague War is like walking through a living game of chess with the heroes and villians all crashing together around you as they fight for the vaccine.I won't write any spoilers here, but once again the whole book is loaded with amazing stuff and a few major shocks. Frighteningly real.

These books are made for the big screen. I bet a movie will come out soon.

The Hoff

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Chilling Post-Apocalyptic Nightmare! December 17, 2009

By OCMD VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Plague War, a mix of sci-fi, military adventure and political intrigue, is the second book in Jeff Carlson's post apocalyptic trilogy. The nightmarish landscape presents a chilling albeit believable picture of a world devastated by a nanotech plague. The book works as a standalone but to get the complete story of how our world got so screwed up you might want to start with Plague Year.
Nanotechnology designed to fight cancer is accidentally released and has killed most of the world's population. The nano-plague, something like a flesh eating virus, freezes at elevations above 10,000 feet so the surviving population flees to the mountains.

Dr. Ruth Goldman, a researcher, has produced a vaccine that will inoculate the survivors against the plague but the government won't release it because it doesn't benefit their own agenda. The U.S. government wants to use the vaccine as a tool to decide who will live. So Ruth is on the run, searching for survivors and hoping to inoculate as many as possible. Traveling with her is Cameron Najarro, a survivor from Sierra Nevada. But the government has their own plans for the vaccine and they'll stop at nothing to get to Ruth. Not surprisingly there is also a group of rebels who are interested in finding Ruth. But another catastrophic event is coming; one that may cause a war that will change things forever.

This riveting and original tale paints a bleak picture of technology gone awry. There's plenty of action but this is essentially a character driven survival story. Carlson depicts the desperation of his heroes with great clarity. And the sexual tension between Ruth and Cam only adds to their despair. It's terrifyingly real and comes to a conclusion you won't see coming. A third book, Mind Plague, is out this month.