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Plague #1
Plague Year
The nanotechnology was designed to fight cancer. Instead, it evolved into the Machine Plague, killing nearly five billion people and changing life on Earth forever.
The nanotech has one weakness: it self-destructs at altitudes above ten thousand feet. Those few who've managed to escape the plague struggle to stay alive on the highest mountains, but time is running out—there is famine and war, and the environment is crashing worldwide. Humanity's last hope lies with a top nanotech researcher aboard the International Space Station—and with a small group of survivors in California who risk a daring journey below the death line...
The nanotech has one weakness: it self-destructs at altitudes above ten thousand feet. Those few who've managed to escape the plague struggle to stay alive on the highest mountains, but time is running out—there is famine and war, and the environment is crashing worldwide. Humanity's last hope lies with a top nanotech researcher aboard the International Space Station—and with a small group of survivors in California who risk a daring journey below the death line...
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
397 people are currently reading
2591 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Carlson
39 books160 followersJeff Carlson is the international bestselling author of "Plague Year," "Long Eyes," "Interrupt" and "The Frozen Sky." To date, his work has been translated into sixteen languages worldwide.
His new novel is "Frozen Sky 3: Blindsided."
Readers can find free fiction, contests, videos and more on his web site at http://www.jverse.com
His new novel is "Frozen Sky 3: Blindsided."
Readers can find free fiction, contests, videos and more on his web site at http://www.jverse.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
February 24, 2021
No he podido con esta lectura. La verdad, las premisas apocalípticas me encantan por regla general, este no ha sido el caso.
Los personajes me han parecido forzosamente construidos, con flashbacks y líneas de tiempo paralelas demasiado confusas, los problemas que tienen los personajes son forzosos y poco creíbles y eso que en un apocalipsis, lo más fácil es crear problemas de convivencia.
Está claro que la novela está hecha para entretener; pero no.
Y lo de los nanobots pues bueno, me habría interesado más un apocalipsis de delfines, como en ese capítulo de los Simpsons, la verdad.
Tampoco me ha entrado el gusanillo de saber que puede pasar en el siguiente capítulo. Según he visto,es una trilogía, y no me imagino la imaginación que hay que tener para darle vueltas a lo mismo y estirar el chicle de esta forma tan infernal.
Le doy dos estrellas, por el simple hecho de escribir una novela y ese trabajo siempre lo reconozco, pero nada más.
Los personajes me han parecido forzosamente construidos, con flashbacks y líneas de tiempo paralelas demasiado confusas, los problemas que tienen los personajes son forzosos y poco creíbles y eso que en un apocalipsis, lo más fácil es crear problemas de convivencia.
Está claro que la novela está hecha para entretener; pero no.
Y lo de los nanobots pues bueno, me habría interesado más un apocalipsis de delfines, como en ese capítulo de los Simpsons, la verdad.
Tampoco me ha entrado el gusanillo de saber que puede pasar en el siguiente capítulo. Según he visto,es una trilogía, y no me imagino la imaginación que hay que tener para darle vueltas a lo mismo y estirar el chicle de esta forma tan infernal.
Le doy dos estrellas, por el simple hecho de escribir una novela y ese trabajo siempre lo reconozco, pero nada más.
October 10, 2011
The first time I got to a complicated action sequence and thought, "Wait, who are all these people?" I said, "Bad reader! Back to the beginning!" and started over, paying more attention this time. The second time I got to a (different) complicated action sequence and realized that I had no idea who I was reading about AGAIN, I put the book away.
May 12, 2010
With a first sentence about cannibalism you would think this would be an interesting, fascinating read. It has so much potential with a nanotech virus, a destroyed world, and a reduced population struggling to survive. Instead this work focuses primarily on the egos involved in the story rather than the actual people. These people are faulted to a fault. It seems that anyone who does not have an extreme selfish streak are the ones who die regardless of their value in curing the disease or their survival skills.
A large portion of the novel was also dedicated to an 8-hour trek from one mountaintop to another. There's really only so much you can do with that to make it interesting. And it just wasn't. But then when you try to establish that people have turned into deformed monsters in order to survive it's hard to really connect to them as people.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
A large portion of the novel was also dedicated to an 8-hour trek from one mountaintop to another. There's really only so much you can do with that to make it interesting. And it just wasn't. But then when you try to establish that people have turned into deformed monsters in order to survive it's hard to really connect to them as people.
The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
July 19, 2025
I admit it--I'm fascinated by stories about plagues and people's reaction to them. This one is from 2007 and is the first of a trilogy. The situation is in the near future and nanotechnology has evolved into the machine plague, killing nearly 5 billion people. Needless to say, civilization has crashed and there is famine and war. But the nanotech has a weakness--it self-destructs at altitudes above 10,000 feet. So the people who are trying to survive have to stay in the highest mountains. Carlson's story is really two stories, one about a researcher on the International Space Station trying to develop a vaccine and the other story about a small band of humans struggling to survive in the Sierra Nevadas in California.... I guess I will read the next book...
I reread this book ( in 2025) before donating it to an upcoming library sale. I note the above in which I said I wanted to read the second book of the Plague Trilogy. No, I never got around to doing that. Now that I have reread "Plague Year," I would like to get to the sequel ( "Plague War" followed by "Plague Zone")--but I don't know if I ever will. I've got so much else to read!
I reread this book ( in 2025) before donating it to an upcoming library sale. I note the above in which I said I wanted to read the second book of the Plague Trilogy. No, I never got around to doing that. Now that I have reread "Plague Year," I would like to get to the sequel ( "Plague War" followed by "Plague Zone")--but I don't know if I ever will. I've got so much else to read!
March 6, 2015
This is the first Jeff Carlson novel I've read. I have enjoyed some of his short stories, often in audio form.
The first half of Plague Year grabbed my attention thoroughly. The plight of scattered survivors, barely eking out an existence on mountaintops after a plague has wiped out 99% of human civilization, fascinated me. Carlson described material and psychological conditions with great clarity.
It was also a very disturbing, sometimes horrific first half of a book. The first line welcomes us to cannibalism, and we move on to a variety of privations, torments, and deaths. Shifting perspective from a California mountaintop to a clutch of astronauts in orbit only heightened the sense of agony. This is no cosy catastrophe.
The setting alone would have been compelling, but Carlson adds hefty plot drivers to haul us along with even greater assurance. Our peak survivors learn of another group, and have to work out how to respond. The astronauts might be able to solve the plague, if only they could descend. And one survivor seems to know an awful lot about the end of the world...
The second half advances these plots, yes, and knits them together. But then Plague Year becomes a different book. Things shade from horror into action, from survival to small unit tactics. A political plot arises, but never really receives its due. And then I did enjoy the expansion of the science plot, verging into hard science. But I missed the initial horror, and even the ongoing torment of one character, , didn't slake my awful appetite. Heck, I like playing The Long Dark for pleasure.
I listened to this book instead of reading it, and commend the reading by Jeffrey Kafer. He read the novel with mordant intensity, a splendid voice for bitter action. I'd be happy to hear Kafer read noir fiction or, well, anything bleak.
So I recommend listening to this, if possible. If your tastes are as Grand Guignol as mine, focus on the first half. If you are gentler than I, dear reader, rest assured that things do get better.
There are two sequels. How are they?
The first half of Plague Year grabbed my attention thoroughly. The plight of scattered survivors, barely eking out an existence on mountaintops after a plague has wiped out 99% of human civilization, fascinated me. Carlson described material and psychological conditions with great clarity.
It was also a very disturbing, sometimes horrific first half of a book. The first line welcomes us to cannibalism, and we move on to a variety of privations, torments, and deaths. Shifting perspective from a California mountaintop to a clutch of astronauts in orbit only heightened the sense of agony. This is no cosy catastrophe.
The setting alone would have been compelling, but Carlson adds hefty plot drivers to haul us along with even greater assurance. Our peak survivors learn of another group, and have to work out how to respond. The astronauts might be able to solve the plague, if only they could descend. And one survivor seems to know an awful lot about the end of the world...
The second half advances these plots, yes, and knits them together. But then Plague Year becomes a different book. Things shade from horror into action, from survival to small unit tactics. A political plot arises, but never really receives its due. And then I did enjoy the expansion of the science plot, verging into hard science. But I missed the initial horror, and even the ongoing torment of one character, , didn't slake my awful appetite. Heck, I like playing The Long Dark for pleasure.
I listened to this book instead of reading it, and commend the reading by Jeffrey Kafer. He read the novel with mordant intensity, a splendid voice for bitter action. I'd be happy to hear Kafer read noir fiction or, well, anything bleak.
So I recommend listening to this, if possible. If your tastes are as Grand Guignol as mine, focus on the first half. If you are gentler than I, dear reader, rest assured that things do get better.
There are two sequels. How are they?
December 14, 2016
Not bad, but not great. The book plummets into a story with many questions and takes a while to provide the backstory (a brief introduction would have been nice). I started to get attached to several of the main characters as the story unfolded, but some of the pre-plague and post-plague connections of the characters was quite a reach. I was glad there was some resolve at the end of the book, but was not engaged enough to want to read other books in the series.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
November 22, 2022
One year into a plague caused by nanotech, former ski bum Cam and space station scientist Ruth struggle to survive.
"They ate Jorgensen first." I vividly recall when I bought this book back when it was published. The summary sounded interesting - I love apocalypse stories- so I flipped to the first paragraph. And then immediately went to the cashier so I could start diving in. Both Cam and Ruth are problematic people but I rooted for them the whole way. I read the second book in the trilogy and then never made it to the third because it wasn't yet published at that time. So now I'm starting over so I can finish up the story.
"They ate Jorgensen first." I vividly recall when I bought this book back when it was published. The summary sounded interesting - I love apocalypse stories- so I flipped to the first paragraph. And then immediately went to the cashier so I could start diving in. Both Cam and Ruth are problematic people but I rooted for them the whole way. I read the second book in the trilogy and then never made it to the third because it wasn't yet published at that time. So now I'm starting over so I can finish up the story.
February 6, 2010
The worst book i have ever read nice concept but the writing was horrific: unclear, confusing. Hard to tell what is happening to whom based on the indirect writing which attempted to be smart and clever. I kinda like the beginning of the book but reading it became a chore.
August 15, 2011
Bleh. Could not get into this one at all. I tried to stick with it in hopes that it would grab my interest but gave up at about page 200.
October 30, 2011
Where to start - ok the first thing to say is this certainly was a different read - the idea of a bio-engineered plague to end all of life or at least human civilisation is not the first and i am sure not the last (think white plague by Frank Herbert or Blood Music by Greg Bear) but this was an interesting addition to the genre all the same. One thing i would say though is that this is the first of a trilogy - and it certainly felt it - some characters took long descriptive paths to get to a certain point in the story while only vaguely touching on characterisation and back stories - the sort of thing you know will be expanded upon in later books. This said the story once started does pick up a pace and has plenty of potential for the next two suppliments. I guess its a case of read on and see- i any authors challenge when selling a series.
March 12, 2012
Hooo, this is a tough book. Carlson paints a post-apocalyptic nightmare with vivid, crystal-clear strokes. Looking for comic relief? Look elsewhere. From the opening scene, he illustrates what it would be like to be part of humanity's final breath. This book's horror comes from pure realism, from understanding what it would be like to watch all hope fade away.
May 19, 2020
I know there is a finished date, but this book was do bad, I didn’t finish it.
August 10, 2018
I live at 8150 feet, not too far down the road from Leadville, CO, the capital of the United States in Jeff Carlson's Plague Year trilogy - Plague Year, Plague War and Plague Zone. Naturally I was intrigued by the premise, a worldwide nanotechnology contagion devours all warm-blooded organisms living below 10,000 feet in elevation. At 10,152 ft, Leadville is just safely above the kill zone of the nanotech killing machine. I was hooked at the opening line, "They ate Jorgensen first."
This is a story of good intentions gone awry. Scientists were using nanotechnology in an attempt to kill cancer. When the nanotech "bug" is inadvertently released, billions are killed worldwide. Survivors gather in mountain locations above 10,000 ft, some resorting to cannibalism to survive. A small group in California includes one of the scientists who worked on the nanotech vaccine. Another nanotechnology expert, Ruth Goldman, is circling the globe in the international space station. Can they stay alive long enough to save the human race? Ruth teams up with one of the California survivors, Cam Najarro, a ski bum and heroic jack-of-all trades, and a small cadre of civilians and soldiers to battle the plague and a host of other adversaries. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, Plague Year, but my interest waned a bit in the succeeding books as the plot unfolded and folded back upon itself with global conflict pitting China and Russia against the U.S. Nanotechnology is an integral element in this global conflict as nanotech vaccines and counter vaccines are developed and deployed along with nuclear weapons in the battle for global supremacy. Carlson cleverly engages the emerging science of nanotechnology to create a post-apocalyptic world. The trilogy was a perfect read for a 2-week vacation.
This is a story of good intentions gone awry. Scientists were using nanotechnology in an attempt to kill cancer. When the nanotech "bug" is inadvertently released, billions are killed worldwide. Survivors gather in mountain locations above 10,000 ft, some resorting to cannibalism to survive. A small group in California includes one of the scientists who worked on the nanotech vaccine. Another nanotechnology expert, Ruth Goldman, is circling the globe in the international space station. Can they stay alive long enough to save the human race? Ruth teams up with one of the California survivors, Cam Najarro, a ski bum and heroic jack-of-all trades, and a small cadre of civilians and soldiers to battle the plague and a host of other adversaries. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, Plague Year, but my interest waned a bit in the succeeding books as the plot unfolded and folded back upon itself with global conflict pitting China and Russia against the U.S. Nanotechnology is an integral element in this global conflict as nanotech vaccines and counter vaccines are developed and deployed along with nuclear weapons in the battle for global supremacy. Carlson cleverly engages the emerging science of nanotechnology to create a post-apocalyptic world. The trilogy was a perfect read for a 2-week vacation.
July 4, 2010
Interesting take on end-of-world genre using man-made nano-technology.
Our story begins in the after-math one year after the world as we know it has died off. People, animals, etc leaving only insects and reptiles to populate the earth. We learn about the world's end during our story in flashbacks to find that a man-made nano-technology had been accidentally released onto the world. It was being created to cure cancer and was not yet perfected, obviously. The only survivor's are the those who ran for the mountains and are living above 10,000 ft as the virus cannot live above that magic line. This is the story of how scientist and government work together or not, to bring this virus under control and create an anti-dote. I don't want to put in any spoilers, but sides are divided and chase begins.
I had extremely high hopes for this book since I love the post- apocalypic genre and this one seemed wholly unique and it is. I was offput by the writing style. I realize this is the author's first attempt and debut novel so I gave 3 stars rather than 2.5 which is what I think it deserves. It started out great, building characters and storyline, but parts of it were so clunky I found myself having to re-read parts over again just to be able to tell what it was I was reading. Needed to stay on-point with the people, dialogue and action and dived into alot of technological, science and jargons that were completely uninteresting and took much away from the tension and excitment from the story. Imagine a chase scene in a movie and you're all amped and excited, then the story stops to explain the scientific reasoning on how a car accelerates. Do you even care anymore about the scene. My other peeve was his characters. I found myself wanting to, but unable to really like them. This is an extremely important element for me. I need a connection. I almost find myself connecting with one of the main characters, Cam, and then not quite getting there. Ruth is annoying altogether.
I plan on reading the other 2 books Plague War and Plague Zone. I find that authors tend to find better footing as their stories build. However, if Plague War tends to get to be more of the same, I will drop the series and go onto better reads.
Our story begins in the after-math one year after the world as we know it has died off. People, animals, etc leaving only insects and reptiles to populate the earth. We learn about the world's end during our story in flashbacks to find that a man-made nano-technology had been accidentally released onto the world. It was being created to cure cancer and was not yet perfected, obviously. The only survivor's are the those who ran for the mountains and are living above 10,000 ft as the virus cannot live above that magic line. This is the story of how scientist and government work together or not, to bring this virus under control and create an anti-dote. I don't want to put in any spoilers, but sides are divided and chase begins.
I had extremely high hopes for this book since I love the post- apocalypic genre and this one seemed wholly unique and it is. I was offput by the writing style. I realize this is the author's first attempt and debut novel so I gave 3 stars rather than 2.5 which is what I think it deserves. It started out great, building characters and storyline, but parts of it were so clunky I found myself having to re-read parts over again just to be able to tell what it was I was reading. Needed to stay on-point with the people, dialogue and action and dived into alot of technological, science and jargons that were completely uninteresting and took much away from the tension and excitment from the story. Imagine a chase scene in a movie and you're all amped and excited, then the story stops to explain the scientific reasoning on how a car accelerates. Do you even care anymore about the scene. My other peeve was his characters. I found myself wanting to, but unable to really like them. This is an extremely important element for me. I need a connection. I almost find myself connecting with one of the main characters, Cam, and then not quite getting there. Ruth is annoying altogether.
I plan on reading the other 2 books Plague War and Plague Zone. I find that authors tend to find better footing as their stories build. However, if Plague War tends to get to be more of the same, I will drop the series and go onto better reads.
January 6, 2017
I got this book for free when it was on offer on Amazon, I liked the sound of the storyline so I popped it on my Kindle and I started reading it on a flight.
We learn that there has been a technology plague outbreak which has resulted in most of the world's population being dead. The released nanobots are capable of reproducing inside all hot-blooded animals, consuming the host from within, inside of a few hours. The nanobots are unable to function below 70% of atmospheric pressure so the only survivors are those that managed to escape to altitudes about around 10,000 feet above sea level.
We follow two small groups of survivors as we learn that one group are living on a mountain in Colorado and are rapidly running out of food and the second group of people are astronauts aboard the International Space Station, including a nanotechnology expert who is trying to find a way to destroy the nanobots on Earth.
I usually love post-apocalyptic stories but for some reason, this one really didn’t grab me. I struggled to emphasise or relate with any of the characters and I found it difficult to get interested in their individual plots. I found the characters flat and really quite uninteresting. I felt that the middle section of the book was really slow and the ending was abrupt and (I guess) left open for the next one.
I did enjoy the idea of the nano technology and the little difference that, rather than some ‘special people’ being immune from the effects, it was only ‘normal’ people that got up high enough, but that really wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in the story. It was not as good as some other books of this genre I have read and I was left disappointed.
We learn that there has been a technology plague outbreak which has resulted in most of the world's population being dead. The released nanobots are capable of reproducing inside all hot-blooded animals, consuming the host from within, inside of a few hours. The nanobots are unable to function below 70% of atmospheric pressure so the only survivors are those that managed to escape to altitudes about around 10,000 feet above sea level.
We follow two small groups of survivors as we learn that one group are living on a mountain in Colorado and are rapidly running out of food and the second group of people are astronauts aboard the International Space Station, including a nanotechnology expert who is trying to find a way to destroy the nanobots on Earth.
I usually love post-apocalyptic stories but for some reason, this one really didn’t grab me. I struggled to emphasise or relate with any of the characters and I found it difficult to get interested in their individual plots. I found the characters flat and really quite uninteresting. I felt that the middle section of the book was really slow and the ending was abrupt and (I guess) left open for the next one.
I did enjoy the idea of the nano technology and the little difference that, rather than some ‘special people’ being immune from the effects, it was only ‘normal’ people that got up high enough, but that really wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in the story. It was not as good as some other books of this genre I have read and I was left disappointed.
April 15, 2018
I truly enjoyed everything about this book. The events of the story become more plausible with each year, which is rather disheartening when you think about it that way. The characters are both enjoyable and believable, as is the scenario crafted by Carlson. The further into the book I got, the more I wanted to know. I didn't realize it was a part of a series until getting on goodreads to post this review, so I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next few books in the series. You don't see many books like this anymore - too many that are deemed fit for publication are dumbed down to the point of drivel, but this book, thankfully, was published before that trend. If you're reading because you want a good story, this is a book for you. If you like technothrillers (Crichton, Preston & Child, etc.) this is a book for you. It's a richly complex story that requires a high amount of characters and a certain amount of political subterfuge in order to make it work, and while some readers, like myself, enjoy such complexity, well... based on "current" reviews on this site, that's not the preferred reading material of the masses. That said, the book is well worth the time and is quite the fantastic ride. You're better off with a college reading level when delving into this book. Current reading level statistics (also disappointing) indicate that this is not the majority of the population, so don't weigh the negative reviews that others have written about this book too heavily, just keep it in mind.
September 23, 2017
Summary:
Cam and his small community of fellow survivors live on a small mountain peak just over 10,000 feet above sea level. Below this altitude is an invisible ocean of fatal nanotechnology. Cam’s community struggles to survive until a stranger arrives to help them, setting off an unforeseen series of events.
Nanotech specialist Ruth works in the International Space Station, far above the machine plague below. But in order to craft a cure, she must go back to Earth and find the origin of the plague.
Review:
Jeff Carlson’s debut novel grips the reader from its opening sentence. A strong character-driven tale, Plague Year contrasts people’s heroic side with their basest instincts. Delving into fears regarding technology, weapons of mass destruction, and political intrigue, this book is both chilling and timely.
Cam and his small community of fellow survivors live on a small mountain peak just over 10,000 feet above sea level. Below this altitude is an invisible ocean of fatal nanotechnology. Cam’s community struggles to survive until a stranger arrives to help them, setting off an unforeseen series of events.
Nanotech specialist Ruth works in the International Space Station, far above the machine plague below. But in order to craft a cure, she must go back to Earth and find the origin of the plague.
Review:
Jeff Carlson’s debut novel grips the reader from its opening sentence. A strong character-driven tale, Plague Year contrasts people’s heroic side with their basest instincts. Delving into fears regarding technology, weapons of mass destruction, and political intrigue, this book is both chilling and timely.
October 1, 2007
This was a hit and miss post-apocalyptic tale set in the near future. A nano-tech virus has swept the earth, killing anything below 10,000 feet. To survive you have to move up in the mountains and have to do unspeakable things. I liked the survival elements of the book but there are two stories--one of the survivors and one of scientists trying to find the cure for the nano virus. I didn't like the science element at all. It was clunky and just eroded any tension and suspense from the survival part of the story. The book would have been better had it stuck with just the main storyline of the band of survivors in the mountains. Close to 2 stars but I'm into post-apocalyptic tales so I'll round up to 3...
June 28, 2019
Plague Year begins rather interestingly with scenes of cannibalism and you find yourself wondering what the heck is even going on, initially anyway. After 20-30 pages things become much clearer and the struggles of an almost defeated group struggling to stay alive on a freezing hilltop resorting to eating their fellow survivors paints quite the grim picture of society in the new world.
I found the story to be entertaining and quite compelling, whilst initially the changing of perspectives seemed a little jarring once you're used to the flow of the book it works well.
The ending was a good cap for the experiences told within this installment of the story line leaving plenty of action left to unfold in the following installments.
I found the story to be entertaining and quite compelling, whilst initially the changing of perspectives seemed a little jarring once you're used to the flow of the book it works well.
The ending was a good cap for the experiences told within this installment of the story line leaving plenty of action left to unfold in the following installments.
April 3, 2009
Nice first novel. The narrative flow and prose in the first part of the novel was a bit clunky, otherwise this would be four-star. Carlson clearly researches his topics, and managed to transport the reader into a high altitude survival event. I'd encourage a more realistic 'tramatic stress' orientation on the part of the individuals. Good nanotech overview.
Hope he does well as I think he will be a rising author in the genre.
Hope he does well as I think he will be a rising author in the genre.
October 22, 2014
Great premise, uneven execution. A nanotech plague wipes out most of the world population. A handful of survivors and nanotech scientists try to find out a cure to the plague. Choppy storytelling and a narrative that tells of the plague post-facto from the points of view of the survivors robs the novel of any immediacy. Having said this, Carlson shows promise and most of the novel's weaknesses could be attributed to this being a debut effort. Would keep an eye out for his next book.
August 8, 2016
The premise was really good, but halfway through everything became convoluted and bogged down with technical specifics. I genuinely lost interest in what happened and sort of drifted through the last few chapters. I would like to see this idea done with some different characters and a different sequence of events.
March 8, 2009
Interesting idea. Bloodless prose. Cardboard characters. Long slow haul to nowhere special.
April 8, 2018
Interesting concept, well written
October 26, 2018
Didn’t want to put it down
Read this a few years back, even when you know the outcome it’s a great read. I would love to see more of this series.
Read this a few years back, even when you know the outcome it’s a great read. I would love to see more of this series.
February 24, 2020
3 1/2 stars
As often as I've heard technology alarmists warn about the dangers of nanotechnology and how nanotechnology might one day transform all life on earth to a "gray goo"... I'd never read a sci-fi book that addresses the issue. After reading Plague Year by Jeff Carlson I can understand why. In order to write a book about nanotechnology, you have to have a pretty decent understanding of nanotechnology, and be able to explain it to the average reader (in this case, me). That's no easy feat.
Carlson does an excellent job of creating a post-apocalyptic world after a nanotechnology outbreak. His description of the technology is compelling and plausible, as is his desciption of post-outbreak society. Sure, there are a few characters in the book who are more caricatures than people, but considering this was Carlson's first book, I'll give him a pass.
My major problem with Plague Year was Carlson's prose for the first half of the book, which was at times hard-to-follow. Especially action sequences. By the second half of the book everything became smoother and more coherent. I can't help but wonder if the editors only had time to edit the second half. Still, the story was intriguing enough that I stuck with it; and I'm glad I did, since this book will stand out as a unique nanotech subgenre in my pantheon of post-apocalyptic literature... along with The Road; The Stand; The Dog Stars; The Girl with All the Gifts; World War Z; Z for Zachariah; Fahrenheit 451; The Handmaid's Tale; I Am Legend; Alas, Babylon; Anthem; 1984; Brave New World; The Giver; The Alliance; The Hunger Games (series)...and a few others not worth mentioning.
I may have to read the rest of the series: Plague War and Plague Zone. Just to see how it ends. ;)
As often as I've heard technology alarmists warn about the dangers of nanotechnology and how nanotechnology might one day transform all life on earth to a "gray goo"... I'd never read a sci-fi book that addresses the issue. After reading Plague Year by Jeff Carlson I can understand why. In order to write a book about nanotechnology, you have to have a pretty decent understanding of nanotechnology, and be able to explain it to the average reader (in this case, me). That's no easy feat.
Carlson does an excellent job of creating a post-apocalyptic world after a nanotechnology outbreak. His description of the technology is compelling and plausible, as is his desciption of post-outbreak society. Sure, there are a few characters in the book who are more caricatures than people, but considering this was Carlson's first book, I'll give him a pass.
My major problem with Plague Year was Carlson's prose for the first half of the book, which was at times hard-to-follow. Especially action sequences. By the second half of the book everything became smoother and more coherent. I can't help but wonder if the editors only had time to edit the second half. Still, the story was intriguing enough that I stuck with it; and I'm glad I did, since this book will stand out as a unique nanotech subgenre in my pantheon of post-apocalyptic literature... along with The Road; The Stand; The Dog Stars; The Girl with All the Gifts; World War Z; Z for Zachariah; Fahrenheit 451; The Handmaid's Tale; I Am Legend; Alas, Babylon; Anthem; 1984; Brave New World; The Giver; The Alliance; The Hunger Games (series)...and a few others not worth mentioning.
I may have to read the rest of the series: Plague War and Plague Zone. Just to see how it ends. ;)
April 30, 2018
Plague Year by Jeff Carlson is a mostly successful SF thriller in the "grey goo of nanotech" vein. What if well-meaning scientists, working on nanotech to treat cancer and other diseases, accidentally loosed it on the world before any fail-safes could be incorporated into the design?
That's what Carlson hypothesizes here, as mankind is decimated by "the Locust", nanomachines that voraciously disassemble living tissue without discernment. Mankind's only hope is to live above 10,000 feet; without a vaccine, it's only a matter of time before humanity goes extinct.
A group of scientists are working feverishly to recreate the nanotech in order to find a way of stopping the plague; unfortunately, people being who they are, a cabal of politicians is engaging in a furious, clandestine effort to control the scientists and their work. As waves of refugees swamp the world's mountain ranges, open warfare breaks out between the remaining governments. Indeed, the US government is having a hard time containing a rebellion that threatens to destroy the scientists' work.
This book is...okay, I guess. It's a pleasant enough way to pass the time, but it's not a world-shaking invention, either. It reads more like a movie or miniseries, actually; you won't be surprised to find out that it's the opening salvo in a trilogy. I give a weak B tending toward B-.
That's what Carlson hypothesizes here, as mankind is decimated by "the Locust", nanomachines that voraciously disassemble living tissue without discernment. Mankind's only hope is to live above 10,000 feet; without a vaccine, it's only a matter of time before humanity goes extinct.
A group of scientists are working feverishly to recreate the nanotech in order to find a way of stopping the plague; unfortunately, people being who they are, a cabal of politicians is engaging in a furious, clandestine effort to control the scientists and their work. As waves of refugees swamp the world's mountain ranges, open warfare breaks out between the remaining governments. Indeed, the US government is having a hard time containing a rebellion that threatens to destroy the scientists' work.
This book is...okay, I guess. It's a pleasant enough way to pass the time, but it's not a world-shaking invention, either. It reads more like a movie or miniseries, actually; you won't be surprised to find out that it's the opening salvo in a trilogy. I give a weak B tending toward B-.
January 21, 2022
Dit boek heeft een ster aftrek gekregen wegens de gruwelijke vertaling en eigenlijk is dat niet eerlijk naar het oorspronkelijke boek. Het boek staat vol taalfouten, grammatica fouten, spellingsfouten, onleesbare zinnen. Het is zo erg dat het je als lezer afleidt van het verhaal op zich.
Het verhaal zelf heeft best wel potentie. Een nanovirus heeft bijna heel de bevolking uitgeroeid, op wat mensen na die zich boven een bepaalde hoogte bevinden. Maar die mensen lijden honger want heel de voedselketen is vernield of verstoord.
Een onderzoekster die nog rond de aarde vliegt in een space shuttle moet de mensheid redden.
Dit is het eerste deel van een trilogie en ik ga me toch nog aan het tweede deel wagen, al was het maar om te weten of de vertaling daar ook zo slecht is. Het verhaal op zich boeit me.
Het verhaal zelf heeft best wel potentie. Een nanovirus heeft bijna heel de bevolking uitgeroeid, op wat mensen na die zich boven een bepaalde hoogte bevinden. Maar die mensen lijden honger want heel de voedselketen is vernield of verstoord.
Een onderzoekster die nog rond de aarde vliegt in een space shuttle moet de mensheid redden.
Dit is het eerste deel van een trilogie en ik ga me toch nog aan het tweede deel wagen, al was het maar om te weten of de vertaling daar ook zo slecht is. Het verhaal op zich boeit me.
April 1, 2018
The Dystopian world of Mr Carlson. May we call a non natural element, a plague? On my opinion Cell phones and FB certainly are, but we can not say that they are properly a plague. This kind of unconnections with the plot, and others about the caracthers, for example, and the event narrated on the book, makes me hard to keep the pace of the story. I though the author put to much effort trying to maintain a government, the goverments, the modern states as we know it. Thye makes rare the narration too... So it was kind of boring, how ever, I managed to finish it, and start to read the next one, Plague War...
January 9, 2025
Lo lamento mucho por el autor porque seguramente pasó mucho tiempo investigando temas de tecnología y robótica para escribir este libro. Pero honestamente por tener una trama apocalíptica, es un libro re contra aburrido.
Los personajes son planos, no empatizas con ninguno, y la mayoría solamente desaparece al avanzar la trama para dejar a los dos principales. Las situaciones y escenas de acción son confusas, sobre todo la parte de la conspiración y de Leadville.
Honestamente hubiera sido mucho más interesante que se abordaran las temáticas de canibalismo y problemas de convivencia entre los sobrevivientes que lo que leemos en este libro.
Los personajes son planos, no empatizas con ninguno, y la mayoría solamente desaparece al avanzar la trama para dejar a los dos principales. Las situaciones y escenas de acción son confusas, sobre todo la parte de la conspiración y de Leadville.
Honestamente hubiera sido mucho más interesante que se abordaran las temáticas de canibalismo y problemas de convivencia entre los sobrevivientes que lo que leemos en este libro.
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