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The Nirvana Plague
What if perfect peace and happiness were a contagious disease? In this fast-paced, thought-provoking thriller, a schizophrenic scientist, an ambitious Chicago psychiatrist, and a hard-driving Army colonel are at the center of a frantic international struggle between the powers of government and a mind-bending outbreak of cosmic consciousness.
A bizarre illness spreads through a Chicago psychiatric hospital. Dr Carl Marley, a bored but ambitious psychiatrist, seizes the chance to grab some attention by “discovering” the new disorder. But when an Army colonel summons him to a government-sponsored taskforce to investigate the syndrome, he learns the disease he thought he’d discovered is already so widespread in the military that it threatens to undermine the foundations of power. A high-stakes race to understand the disease takes the team from the NIH campus in Bethesda, to a war zone in the Kashmiri highlands, to a high-tech biodefense facility near Juneau, Alaska.
As the outbreak spreads around the globe and desperate governments impose increasingly severe measures to contain it, Marley begins to suspect that what is happening is not the apocalypse they fear — but something far more radical. Marley’s star patient, a brilliant but profoundly psychotic scientist named Roger Sturgeon, escapes from the facility into the city, and Marley attempts to bring him back before the government sends in troops. Only then does he learn the truth about what is happening.
Before it’s over they will all be forced to choose between the precarious comfort of the world they know and the mysterious wonder of a new reality — between their commonplace fears, ambitions, and loyalties, or the hope that lies in The Nirvana Plague.
A bizarre illness spreads through a Chicago psychiatric hospital. Dr Carl Marley, a bored but ambitious psychiatrist, seizes the chance to grab some attention by “discovering” the new disorder. But when an Army colonel summons him to a government-sponsored taskforce to investigate the syndrome, he learns the disease he thought he’d discovered is already so widespread in the military that it threatens to undermine the foundations of power. A high-stakes race to understand the disease takes the team from the NIH campus in Bethesda, to a war zone in the Kashmiri highlands, to a high-tech biodefense facility near Juneau, Alaska.
As the outbreak spreads around the globe and desperate governments impose increasingly severe measures to contain it, Marley begins to suspect that what is happening is not the apocalypse they fear — but something far more radical. Marley’s star patient, a brilliant but profoundly psychotic scientist named Roger Sturgeon, escapes from the facility into the city, and Marley attempts to bring him back before the government sends in troops. Only then does he learn the truth about what is happening.
Before it’s over they will all be forced to choose between the precarious comfort of the world they know and the mysterious wonder of a new reality — between their commonplace fears, ambitions, and loyalties, or the hope that lies in The Nirvana Plague.
- GenresThriller
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2013
4 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Gary Glass
3 books19 followersGary Glass grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, took a degree in English and Creative Writing from IU and ISU, and absconded to Asia. In Taiwan he worked as an ad man and edited a travel magazine. In Japan he lived and worked on a horse farm training thoroughbreds. In Nepal he wrote his first novel. He has also worked as a registered nurse, a draftsman, and a software developer. He is also a photographer (shutterglass.com). He and his wife now live in Valencia, Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 6, 2013
I'll be honest and say that I was not excited about reading this book only because it's not the type of book I normally choose. Our friend Gary wrote it and I wanted to support him, so I started it yesterday. I couldn't put it down. I read all day and finished it late last night. I really enjoyed it. The main characters were well portrayed, the plot was strong and not predictable. The ending was not what I expected at all, but I was not mad or unhappy with it. I thought the story line was very interesting, something I certainly never would have thought of.
June 16, 2014
Quite literally a goodread. A compelling plot, characters I enjoyed being with -- loved the snarky Karen. It gets scientificky in some spots which might not work for all readers but worked for me. I don't know if the author tried for a Big 5 contract or simply decided to go indy. Either way, bravo for indy publishing because otherwise I never would have seen this excellent novel.
May 3, 2015
This is absolutely a five star book, but where to start describing it is a difficult decision. It isn't action packed. There aren't any real fight scenes and very little gets blown up. There isn't any passionate romance (though there is love) and there's not even a whiff of sex. But the whole book is chocked full of delicious irony. Plus, it has Karen Hanover and Karen Hanover is now my official favourite character of all time. She is marvellous--quick witted, sarcastic, determined, persistent and willing to fight the good fight for the man she loves (even if he doesn't know her anymore).
The whole world is, literally, going mad...at least from the perspective of the CDC and other governing bodies. The book does an amazing job of highlighting the dehumanising (and often illogical) effects of bureaucratic thinking and red tape, until even the most mentally stable people are so enraged that they end up being treated as insane for not playing their culturally-scripted well-behaved roles well enough. Until the people in charge have wound themselves so tightly into the illusion of a problem that they aren't able to step back and reassess the situation or recognise reality (and they can't let anyone else either). Until they're almost just fighting themselves in the end.
I also really appreciated that, while some arms of the bureaucracy may have been inept, the government was never portrayed as an evil entity, as it so often is in fiction. The military, CDC, Homeland Security, etc may have been failing, but they were legitimately trying to do the right thing and never once does some over zealous general order the needless killing of innocents.
Truly, anyone who has ever filled out a form in triplicate and wondered how people who could require something so inane could also successfully run the world should be reading this book. Anyone who likes to see a little bit of science-speak in their fiction should be reading this book. Anyone who likes good ironic, situational comedy should be reading this book (though it's not ostensibly a comedy). Really, anyone who is happy to read a book that digs a little deeper, but moves a little slower should be reading this book. Highly recommended.
The whole world is, literally, going mad...at least from the perspective of the CDC and other governing bodies. The book does an amazing job of highlighting the dehumanising (and often illogical) effects of bureaucratic thinking and red tape, until even the most mentally stable people are so enraged that they end up being treated as insane for not playing their culturally-scripted well-behaved roles well enough. Until the people in charge have wound themselves so tightly into the illusion of a problem that they aren't able to step back and reassess the situation or recognise reality (and they can't let anyone else either). Until they're almost just fighting themselves in the end.
I also really appreciated that, while some arms of the bureaucracy may have been inept, the government was never portrayed as an evil entity, as it so often is in fiction. The military, CDC, Homeland Security, etc may have been failing, but they were legitimately trying to do the right thing and never once does some over zealous general order the needless killing of innocents.
Truly, anyone who has ever filled out a form in triplicate and wondered how people who could require something so inane could also successfully run the world should be reading this book. Anyone who likes to see a little bit of science-speak in their fiction should be reading this book. Anyone who likes good ironic, situational comedy should be reading this book (though it's not ostensibly a comedy). Really, anyone who is happy to read a book that digs a little deeper, but moves a little slower should be reading this book. Highly recommended.
April 18, 2013
I fell in love with this new book. It was hard to put it down, and, when I did, it was still on my mind. It was a fantastic mix of insight, excitement, relationships and seeing people at their worst and best. The characters are so alive! This may be one of the only books I ever go back and read again, because I'm sure I didn't catch all the meaning the first time. For those of you who love a synopsis: People start changing. A psychiatrist is scooped up and taken by the CDC to help figure out what's behind the "epidemic." His own life and marriage and that of his patients is soon in jeopardy. Battles, relationship drama, real life, surreal experiences, a cross-country adventure -- there is something for everyone. I hope this author writes many more!
April 2, 2018
Very entertaining
Really enjoyed the story. Nice to read of a ‘plague’ that turned you into a better person. I loved the idea of those we called mentally ill being rid of the stresses making them ill, and showing the ‘normals’ the way.
Really enjoyed the story. Nice to read of a ‘plague’ that turned you into a better person. I loved the idea of those we called mentally ill being rid of the stresses making them ill, and showing the ‘normals’ the way.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews