title: Plague: A Story of Science, Rivalry, and the Scourge That Won't Go Away
author:  Edward Marriott 
description: <div> &#8220;In elegant prose, Marriott makes the scientific struggle emotionally compelling . . . He also brings plague into contexts that cannot help but resonate&#8212;horrifically at times&#8212;with present-day readers.&#8221; &#8212;<i>The Portland Oregonian</i><br><br> &#8220;Told with a zippy flair . . . Marriott makes a compelling case that an epidemic of plague could occur in New York without the assistance of terrorists.&#8221; &#8212;USA Today<br></div>
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  ![Cover](images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Plaguesville, USA
  
  
    
  
  
  ### Jim Lavigne
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The year is 2075, and a global outbreak has wiped out over 99% of the
  population. A small team of specialists from the Center for Disease Control
  have discovered a cure for the plague in the blood of a cantankerous 102 year
  old. But the old man couldn’t care less whether humanity lives or dies. And he
  most certainly doesn’t feel like going on a road trip to sunny California.
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Jim LaVigne
  
  
  ## PLAGUESVILLE, USA
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Acknowledgements
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dedicated to:
  
  
  Kevin, for the spirit
  
  
  Jane, for the undying support
  
  
  Ellie, for the spark
  
  
  And most of all, to Katy, without whom this would not be possible, for
  Everything Else
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Prologue:
  
  
  ## From Baron Zero’s New History of America
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Q. How many survivors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
  
  
  A. Doesn’t matter; there’s no electricity and no more bulbs.
  
  
  
  
  