You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
fast-paced
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Violence
This book was okay. Grandma Lee lent me her copy after she read it. She purchased the book because of the date similarities between this book (written in 1912) and the current COVID-19 situation [2013 vs 2020].
I was not a hugeeee fan of the writing. It seemed kind of boring... I am also an avid post-apocalypse reader so I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to these kinds of books. I guess it was pretty good for being written in the early 1900's.
I was not a hugeeee fan of the writing. It seemed kind of boring... I am also an avid post-apocalypse reader so I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to these kinds of books. I guess it was pretty good for being written in the early 1900's.
Un anciano narra a sus salvajes nietos la época distante en la que una plaga devastó la humanidad y anuló 10 mil años de civilización en cuestión de meses. La peste escarlata es una pandemia que, una vez se registran los primeros síntomas -la cara teñida del color rojo de la sangre- la persona muere a los 15 minutos. No hay curas. No hay sobrevivientes.
Solamente restan un puñado de inmunes que, décadas después, en los paisajes agrestes y reconquistados por la naturaleza, se establecieron y consiguieron repoblar la humanidad hasta ser 400 personas en toda Norteamérica.
Es un relato muy corto, profético casi; London era un verdadero visionario y este libro es casi un presagio, una advertencia del futuro, una avejentada y filosófica reflexión de lo cíclico de la humanidad.
La narración del abuelo es mezcla del meme de los Simpson de "Anciano le grita a una nube" y el hombre en Soy Leyenda.
Las ilustraciones meten mucho más miedo con la cizaña de sus parajes desolados y grises, llenos de cadáveres y vastedad, pinchados súbitamente por el rojo.
Este, por razones obvias me dio mucho, mucho miedo. London entendía bien la torre de naipes que es la humanidad y la fragilidad de nuestros avances y conocimientos.
Un librazo. Me hubieran gustado menos intervenciones de Labio Leporino.
⭐⭐⭐
Solamente restan un puñado de inmunes que, décadas después, en los paisajes agrestes y reconquistados por la naturaleza, se establecieron y consiguieron repoblar la humanidad hasta ser 400 personas en toda Norteamérica.
Es un relato muy corto, profético casi; London era un verdadero visionario y este libro es casi un presagio, una advertencia del futuro, una avejentada y filosófica reflexión de lo cíclico de la humanidad.
La narración del abuelo es mezcla del meme de los Simpson de "Anciano le grita a una nube" y el hombre en Soy Leyenda.
Las ilustraciones meten mucho más miedo con la cizaña de sus parajes desolados y grises, llenos de cadáveres y vastedad, pinchados súbitamente por el rojo.
Este, por razones obvias me dio mucho, mucho miedo. London entendía bien la torre de naipes que es la humanidad y la fragilidad de nuestros avances y conocimientos.
Un librazo. Me hubieran gustado menos intervenciones de Labio Leporino.
⭐⭐⭐
The rise of Covid-19 apparently led to an increase in appetite in post-apocalyptic fiction. It is not at all clear why some readers seek comfort or pleasure in reading about fictional catastrophes in the middle of a very real one. In my case, I think that what led me to seek some post-apocalyptic fiction was an attempt to build a fictional barrier between me as a reader and what the world is going through right now. Rather contradictorily, I felt that the ability of contemplating absolutely “worst-case scenarios” through fiction made me better prepared to face the daily barrage of pandemic news.
And so it was that I came across Jack London’s early post-apocalyptic novella The Scarlet Plague. Originally published in 1912, this work is set in 2073, sixty years after a deadly epidemic ravaged the world. James Smith, an erstwhile literature professor and one of the few survivors of the disease, lives in a wild, rural area close to what was once San Francisco. After the collapse of society because of the plague, those who escaped the disease reverted to tribalism. For their subsistence, they rely on hunting and fishing. At the start of the story we meet Smith accompanied by his three grandchildren. He wistfully reminisces about better times, continually bemoaning the fact that the new generations have lost the learning of the past, regressing so far that they are unable to string together sentences in “proper” English. At the children’s insistence, Smith, whom they call “Granser” with a mixture of affection and scorn, recounts the horrors of the epidemic and the early days of the new world order.
I must say that the intial parts of the novella did not particularly impress me. Before he gets going with the core of the story, London needs to give us some background, hence the initial chapters emphasizing the contrast between the old “cultured” man and the young uneducated “savages”. To be honest, however, I found their bickering rather tiresome. Also, as is wont to happen with old “futuristic” novels, the author’s imagining of the “developed world” of 2013 is, with hindsight, quite off the mark, with a description of a future that is more or less like 1912 with extra perks.
It is when we get to the story of the pandemic proper that the novella comes into its own. Here London gives his imagination free rein, and the descriptions of the rapid spread of the disease provoke spine-tingling horror. So does his portrayal of a society in collapse. In the context of a disaster, normal rules of humanity break down and the class inequalities inherent in an unfair and unjust societies merely exacerbate the regression into chaos.
Although I wouldn’t classify it as one of London’s best or most typical works, this novella is worth exploring at least for its historical interest. Unfortunately, it also provides some timely reading.
Read a full illustrated review at: https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-scarlet-plague-by-jack-london.html
And so it was that I came across Jack London’s early post-apocalyptic novella The Scarlet Plague. Originally published in 1912, this work is set in 2073, sixty years after a deadly epidemic ravaged the world. James Smith, an erstwhile literature professor and one of the few survivors of the disease, lives in a wild, rural area close to what was once San Francisco. After the collapse of society because of the plague, those who escaped the disease reverted to tribalism. For their subsistence, they rely on hunting and fishing. At the start of the story we meet Smith accompanied by his three grandchildren. He wistfully reminisces about better times, continually bemoaning the fact that the new generations have lost the learning of the past, regressing so far that they are unable to string together sentences in “proper” English. At the children’s insistence, Smith, whom they call “Granser” with a mixture of affection and scorn, recounts the horrors of the epidemic and the early days of the new world order.
I must say that the intial parts of the novella did not particularly impress me. Before he gets going with the core of the story, London needs to give us some background, hence the initial chapters emphasizing the contrast between the old “cultured” man and the young uneducated “savages”. To be honest, however, I found their bickering rather tiresome. Also, as is wont to happen with old “futuristic” novels, the author’s imagining of the “developed world” of 2013 is, with hindsight, quite off the mark, with a description of a future that is more or less like 1912 with extra perks.
It is when we get to the story of the pandemic proper that the novella comes into its own. Here London gives his imagination free rein, and the descriptions of the rapid spread of the disease provoke spine-tingling horror. So does his portrayal of a society in collapse. In the context of a disaster, normal rules of humanity break down and the class inequalities inherent in an unfair and unjust societies merely exacerbate the regression into chaos.
Although I wouldn’t classify it as one of London’s best or most typical works, this novella is worth exploring at least for its historical interest. Unfortunately, it also provides some timely reading.
Read a full illustrated review at: https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-scarlet-plague-by-jack-london.html
This is a short post-apoc novel, written by [a:Jack London|1240|Jack London|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508674808p2/1240.jpg], who is more known for his adventure/wilderness stories. The book was first published in 1912 and can be downloaded online from multiple sources. I read it as a part of monthly reading for October 2021 at The Evolution of Science Fiction group.
The story starts as two persons, a boy and an old man travel along a rusty remains of monorail, one of the relics of our once great civilization. The old man tells a story how the society crumbles, grumbling about inattentive and savage youth. As the title hints, population died of a new infectious disease with an extremely high contamination and death rates. It has happened in 2013 and the world was a continuation of what was the author’s present, e.g. monopolies affecting US politics – here Morgan the Fifth was appointed President of the United States by the Board of Magnates, while low life lumpen proletarian instead of helping others, loots, drinks and rapes. The population statistics was surprisingly accurate – 8 bn people in 2010 in the world.
It is interesting as an early precursor to the post-apoc genre. While later than [b:The Last Man|966835|The Last Man|Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392984325l/966835._SY75_.jpg|835097](1826) or [b:The Time Machine|2493|The Time Machine|H.G. Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327942880l/2493._SY75_.jpg|3234863](1895), it deals more with the world after, not during, like most modern books of the genre do. At the same time, the trope of a competent man, often used in SF including post-apoc, is almost absent here, which is especially surprising, given authors other books.
The story starts as two persons, a boy and an old man travel along a rusty remains of monorail, one of the relics of our once great civilization. The old man tells a story how the society crumbles, grumbling about inattentive and savage youth. As the title hints, population died of a new infectious disease with an extremely high contamination and death rates. It has happened in 2013 and the world was a continuation of what was the author’s present, e.g. monopolies affecting US politics – here Morgan the Fifth was appointed President of the United States by the Board of Magnates, while low life lumpen proletarian instead of helping others, loots, drinks and rapes. The population statistics was surprisingly accurate – 8 bn people in 2010 in the world.
It is interesting as an early precursor to the post-apoc genre. While later than [b:The Last Man|966835|The Last Man|Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392984325l/966835._SY75_.jpg|835097](1826) or [b:The Time Machine|2493|The Time Machine|H.G. Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327942880l/2493._SY75_.jpg|3234863](1895), it deals more with the world after, not during, like most modern books of the genre do. At the same time, the trope of a competent man, often used in SF including post-apoc, is almost absent here, which is especially surprising, given authors other books.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated