“I told you so…”

From Crichtons The Andromeda Strain to Atwoods Oryx and Crake, and in many other examples, sci-fi authors have written apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic tales about pandemics. Most can be considered warnings, and I doubt few are popular now. Were fighting a real pandemic, after all.

Some of these tales are about the outbreak itself, like the first example; others about the aftermath; and still others consider both. The main villain is usually the contagion, although it might only lurk in the...