Plague

[Clackamas]

This is pretty specific:

I'm looking for books in which the major change in or end of the world is due to plague.

The Earth Abides, The Stand, and The White Plague all fit this definition. I know it's not exactly dystopic, but often the people who gravitate toward social critiques also go for the apocalyptic books too.

[Cindy]

How about I Am Legend?

Clackamas - by "plague" do you mean any virus/bacteria/illness that wipes out a population? Or do you have a narrower definition in mind?

I recently finished reading a book that would fit that definition, but I'd hate to spoil the story by listing it here. Would you care?

[Dree]

I don't know exactly what you mean by "plague" (see http://dictionary.reference.com/brows... to explain my confusion).

I recommend Oryx and Crake--intentionally manmade disease wipes out almost all of humankind. I am dying to say more, but don't want to give it all away!

The Year of the Flood is supposed to be the same event from a different perspective. I will be getting it this week from my library queue, so can't exactly recommend it yet.

[Patrick]

And The Band Played On is a nonfiction piece on AIDS fit into the concept of plague changing the world.

[Mawgojzeta]

I would second Dree's suggestions (message 3).

Also, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood takes its history from a plague.

There is Clay's Ark and its sequels by Octavia E. Butler. American space shuttle that returns to Earth loaded with a virus that transforms humanity - and only one man survives to infect the human populace. This book was actually written last, but takes place first.

[Emma]

Clackamas wrote: "This is pretty specific:

I'm looking for books in which the major change in or end of the world is due to plague.

The Earth Abides, The Stand, and The White Plague all fit this definition. I..." Check the apocolypse & distopian & also contagious lists on my profile page- I'm a huge fan of this genre & enjoy writing this type of fiction too!

[Terri]

The Girl Who owned a cityThe Girl Who Owned A City

[Emma]

Clackamas wrote: "This is pretty specific:

I'm looking for books in which the major change in or end of the world is due to plague.

The Earth Abides, The Stand, and The White Plague all fit this definition. I..." Try ,The Death of Grass,' it's fantastic!

[Ann]

The Last Canadian by William C. Heine fits your definition exactly. It is a story that has haunted me for years. If we stretch the definition, On the Beach is another "great" read, as long as you're not prone to depression.

[Jamie]

Have you tried any Zombie fiction? I love end-of-the-world books, The Stand is my all time favorite. Try Alas, Babylon but that's about nuclear war, though it has the same feel to it. The Road is also very good.

[Sarah]

Dree wrote: "I don't know exactly what you mean by "plague" (see http://dictionary.reference.com/brows... to explain my confusion).

I recommend Oryx and Crake--intentionally manmade disease w..."

I second Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, but The Handmaid's Tale is more about the repercussions of poisoning our environment than the spread of disease. Same with The Road - that seems more like a nuclear fallout than a plague.

Jamie - I've seen a bunch of zombie movies but not read a zombie book (except Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which doesn't really count). That whole genre fits this topic wonderfully, since you really can consider it a spreading infection. What are your favorites / a good place to start?

[Awesomevegan (AKA JenReads)]

Terri wrote: "The Girl Who owned a cityThe Girl Who Owned A City" I second this. I read this book years ago and I still remember parts of it. A good read. :)