by Jason Sizemore

The first sentence of the book is the succinct: “They ate Jorgensen first.”

Sounds wild, right? Plague Year is wild.

In this near-future, action-packed novel, humanity finds itself on the brink of extinction thanks to one research group’s good intentions. Nanobots designed to devour cancer cells are misprogrammed and thus they devour anything warm-blooded. This leaves fringe groups of people trapped in various mountainous locations around the United States.

The nano-plague dies at atmospheric pressures that exist around 10,000 feet elevation. Only those smart enough to flee or who were already living above this height scrape out an existence via whatever means necessary, including cannibalism. It’s in this setting that we meet Cameron Najarro and Albert Sawyer, who have a most unusual symbiotic hate/love relationship. This relationship is put to the test when a young man named Hollywood makes the dangerous trek below 10,000 feet to reach their outpost. Hollywood makes a convincing case to Cam and Sawyer to make the trip back with him, as Sawyer has a secret plan.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ruth Goldman and a group of researchers are orbiting in the International Space Station. During the course of the Plague Year, they listen with horror to the events unfolding via intermittent radio conversations with ground control and other scientists. Ruth believes she can create an antibody (called ANN) that will cure the nano-plague.

I’ve probably given away too much plot as it is, so I’ll stop except to say that Cam, Ruth, and the enigmatic Sawyer cross paths and partake in an intense battle to save humanity from itself and the plague.

Perhaps the only complaint I can level against Carlson’s debut is that it lacks a strong emotional center. Ruth isn’t quite someone you can root for: she’s shallow, stubborn, and standoffish. I suspect this is Carlson’s view of scientists in the field of nano-technology. Cam has some great character moments, but his attachment to Sawyer perplexed me at times (Sawyer being a complete ass).

Jeff Carlson’s Plague Year was a rare impulse buy. Somehow, I’d missed all marketing for the book and the multitudes of reviews. But I’m glad I was drawn to the book’s catchy cover design and cover copy. If you’re a fan of dark SF, this is one thriller you don’t want to miss.

A sequel, Plague War, was released in July of 2008 and was recently shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award. Expect to read my review of Plague War in the next few weeks. The third book of the series, Mind Plague, is schedule to be published in December, 2009.

I heartily recommend Plague Year for those who enjoy Apex published literature.

Pick up Plague Year in the Apex aStore.
Pick up Plague War in the Apex aStore.


JasonA young writer and editor from Appalachia Kentucky, Jason Sizemore has seen his fiction appear in nearly two dozen books and magazines. He’s a prolific non-fiction writer, having dozens of essays, reviews, and editorials published in print and on the web on varied subjects such as gaming, geek culture, and politics. He earned his college degree from Transylvania University, making him an ideal candidate to head a horror magazine. He was a 2006 Stoker Award nominee for his work on the Aegri Somnia anthology.

Jason invites you to visit his personal webspace.

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