The Last

by Bruce W. Perry

It's 2026. Emma Wallace Blair, a Scottish national, is a pandemic research scientist for the World Health Organization in New York City, where a highly transmissible and virulent form of influenza A decimates the city and spreads throughout world capitals.

"The Last" is part dystopian survival adventure and part medical mystery.

H7N11 is thought to have emerged from melting permafrost that exposed an ancient elk, which was carrying an infectious agent akin to Deer Wasting Disease. But some scientists fear a bio-weapon gone rogue from a Pentagon-contracted lab in Denver. From there, infected airline passengers launched the pandemic.

We first meet Emma at a remote farmhouse on the Isle of Skye, where she harvests and scavenges for food and water, battles loneliness, and ponders whether the 99.999 percent catastrophe has left her the only uninfected female of her species. H7N11 attacks the Central Nervous System and causes acute dementia-like symptoms. When five or more of the virus victims "herd" together, they roam the countryside in an implacable swarm of what Emma calls "reivers."

New York, the Scottish Highlands, and especially Edinburgh and London provide detailed settings during the pandemic. As the story evolves, Emma formulates an H7N11 theory that involves the endocannabinoid system and the possibly protective properties of CBD oil and cannabis.
The badass and brilliant Emma Blair uses a small axe and a notched cricket bat to fend off reivers, and rescues a dog named Hepburn from a sinking ferry that is infested with reivers on Loch Ness. She ends up in London with a heroic sidekick, a former trainman for ScotRail for whom survival and good nature appear to come naturally.

Audible Audio

Published January 15, 2024

About the author

I'm a big fan of good stories, and sharing them. I've been reading a lot since I was a towheaded kid, growing up in a small town with a reading and writing tradition called Concord, Massachusetts. Our house was about a half mile from Walden Pond. That didn't make me a better writer by osmosis, but it darn sure made me a reader! I was the kid sitting under a tree, head buried in a book. I read every hardcover and paperback I could get my hands on.

A family friend gave me anthologies of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells when I was in the third grade. They encompassed the first adult narratives and science fiction I had read. They were hardcover, heavy, and I couldn't put them down, until I had to put them down, because they were heavy.

I tend to read and write in several genres, mostly science fiction/dystopian, adventure, thriller, and detective, but I've written stories that don't really fall into either of those categories, as in the war romance Accidental Exiles or the satire Lost Young Love.

In my work life I've been a trade newsletter writer and a software engineer, as well as a landscaper and a really bad waiter. I've also written non-fiction books on fitness and software, including Fitness For Geeks.

When I'm not writing, I'm a nomad. I love to travel. I prefer writing outside with a pen, legal pad, and a nice view.

Reviews

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly short book and I can't resist one that is set in the UK. For the most part, the writing was good and flowed well, though there were a few awkward areas ("When he turned to look at me, it was he that, strangely, I didn't know now, the alien and glassy eyes, frozen in bewilderment and fear."). I also found it curious that either Terry, from an area near London, and Emma who had worked in London and was familiar with area restaurants, did not know the tall knife-like building was the Shard. It was not clear which character was asking that question, but seemed odd that they both would not know this iconic building. In the beginning of the book, the terrible grief and loneliness that Emma experiences is vividly described. I like that the ending wraps up loose ends and also has a very hopeful and positive tone. Well done.

[Rachel Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last is a dystopian novel that tells the story of Emma, who may be the lone survivor of an apocalyptic global pandemic. Living in a secluded farmhouse in Scotland, Emma--who was a medical researcher before her world turned upside down--has some ideas about what caused the pandemic, why she survived, and whether there might be others like her out there somewhere. As a character, Emma is written relatably and powerfully. It was easy for me to get caught up in the emotional turmoil of her life, from the loss of her partner at the beginning of the pandemic to escaping run-ins with “reivers” (infected humans); it was very difficult to put this book down.

[Jane P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last drew me in immediately with its strong female protagonist and its vivid adrenaline-fueled story. An extra benefit, I loved all the sustainable survival tips I can put into practice. This book really got under my skin. Driving at night in my real life, I passed a double parked car, lights off, empty. My immediate thought: The apocalypse is here! A very satisfying read. The Last: A Post-Apocalyptic Pandemic Adventure

[Barbara Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary, sweet, tragic, triumphant!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Emma's existence is lonely, frought with constant hunger, fear, need, and terror. Not going too deeply into the science of the disease, the general idea of it is certainly conveyed in graphic, but gentle, compassionate words. One gets the images of it without too much gory detail. Well done.

[Nancy Nazario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining, really holds your interest

A step above the gory action of many recent SHTF stories. Courage, and humor, bravery and intelligence doesn’t have to end when the world as we know it does. I liked that even when one is facing life alone or life with someone one doesn’t care to be around, one can still say no thanks, I don’t need this in my life.

[Kaye Nutman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An end of the world event, with a difference

The recent pandemic may have spurred on many new stories, but this one has novel elements not read by me before. It rattles along at a pace, keeping the reader intrigued and guessing what will happen next. A great read.

[Tracy Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book I’ve read that was AI narrated. I wondered why the narrator’s voice seemed clipped and a bit monotone. At this point I can say I’m not a fan of this type of narration.

[Stephanie L. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope

It was a great read. Different than other apocalyptic books because of the lives of Emma and Terr. While the first Emma died her daughter survived along with humanity and ended on a good note.

Yes

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect this story

It's a lot more literary then the title implies and it's quite moving. Def one of the better Kindle unlimited I've read

[Gerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It had good characters, dialogue and an intriguing plot. I look forward to reading more from this author.