The Scarlet Plague

As relevant today as ever, ‘The Scarlet Plague’ is Jack London's science fiction novel and a compelling post-apocalyptic dystopia.

It has been 60 years since the Red Death nearly wiped out mankind, creating an apocalyptic and savage world. The few survivors, man and beast, become feral, and life as it once was known is slowly forgotten.

James Howard Smith is one of the few survivors from the San Francisco area who remembers life before the plague. As the time on Earth drastically grows shorter, Smith tries to impart his memories to his grandsons, Edwin, Hoo-Hoo, and Hare-Lip, only to be met with disbelief. They ridicule his recollections of the past, finding Smith's depictions unbelievable.

Written by renowned nineteenth-century American author of ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘White Fang’, ‘The Scarlet Plague’ presents themes that are astonishingly current in today’s world.



Jack London (1876–1916) was an American writer and social activist. He grew up in the working class, but became a worldwide celebrity and one of the highest paid authors of his time. He wrote several novels, which are considered classics today, among these 'Call of the Wild', 'Sea Wolf' and 'White Fang'.