Realistic Pandemic Fiction?

[CountryGent]

Sort of a parallel to this old thread: what are some realistic* pandemic fiction (e.g., novels, films, television series, video games, et al.) that you found interesting? Did you learning anything, change preparations due to said, or just enjoyed the read? Any you found to be crap and therefore should be avoided?

* By realistic, I mean at least somewhat medically possible, rather than completely fanciful. As much as I love the horror genre, including zombies, this would preclude the walking dead because there is no microbial life that can reanimate deceased humans or other primates.

Thanks for sharing.

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[Hueco]

Plague Inc.

Can you infect the world? Plague Inc. is a unique mix of high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation. Your pathogen has just infected 'Patient Zero'. Now you must bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global Plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do t…

apps.apple.com

Report back when you've beaten it on Brutal with the pathogen of your choosing

 

[CountryGent]

Rather unique premise. I don't personally play video games anymore, but others might enjoy.

 

[CRBMoA]

I was actually thinking of that App a couple of days ago - because of these flu threads.

It was a morbid game, and I questioned some of the cause and effect.

The premise was rather dark, too. Unleash a plague and tracks your results!

 

[Stomper]

A book series called, Brushfire Plague. It's based on Brush Prarie, WA and a virus killing most everyone.

It was written by a local forum member, @unionguy

You should check it out!

 

[unionguy]

Thanks for the mention @Stomper I wrote it, in part, for people to get prepared for a pandemic. I hope the trilogy got some people to do just that! And, I hope this thing isn't as bad as the Brushfire Plague. Here's. a link if anyone is interested. Amazon.com: Brushfire Plague eBook: R.P. Ruggiero: Kindle Store

 

[Rickenbacher39]

I don't read about human misery and man's cruelty to man and/or we are
all going to die scenarios.
If I wanted that all I would have to do is watch tv and listen to the news.
Which I don't.
I love science fiction but will not read those repetitive space opera war stories.
Man meets alien.......man kills alien/alien kills man. Robots take over. The end.
Asimov, Clarke and a few others wrote great novels that didn't involve human hamburger.
Just my opinion of course but in my universe it runs the show.
However; any story that involves the Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator
is alright by me.......

 

[BanjoGeek]

All I know is what I read in the paper and I don't take the paper. Watch very little of the news diarrhea. I did look up some nationwide stats on the flu season which came much earlier this year. At any rate:

1,300 flu deaths this season
2.6 million flu illnesses
23,000 hospitalizations

That's so far in this flu season. Take it for what it's worth and put things in perspective.

 

[Alexx1401]

All I know is what I read in the paper and I don't take the paper. Watch very little of the news diarrhea. I did look up some nationwide stats on the flu season which came much earlier this year. At any rate:

1,300 flu deaths this season
2.6 million flu illnesses
23,000 hospitalizations

That's so far in this flu season. Take it for what it's worth and put things in perspective.

Last "good one" we had hear that comes to mind was the Swine flu pandemic we had. That one killed a hell of a lot of people here in the US. The POTUS we had at that time was of course protected though so media downplayed it big time. That was one of the few times I got the flu, assume it was that variety. I was laid up for a week and felt like death warmed over so I could see why so many compromised people died. The way the media is making a huge panic out of this, if we had people dropping now like it was for that one we would have full on nation wide panic going on here. I do have to laugh when I see store shelves emptied out as if a giant storm is coming. Good stimulation for the economy. A LOT of people are working a lot of overtime trying to make all the stuff the panic buyers are hording.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

All I know is what I read in the paper and I don't take the paper. Watch very little of the news diarrhea. I did look up some nationwide stats on the flu season which came much earlier this year. At any rate:

1,300 flu deaths this season
2.6 million flu illnesses
23,000 hospitalizations

That's so far in this flu season. Take it for what it's worth and put things in perspective.

An absolutely perfect description.
You are my hero.........

 

[CountryGent]

A book series called, Brushfire Plague. It's based on Brush Prarie, WA and a virus killing most everyone.

It was written by a local forum member, @unionguy

You should check it out!

I just ordered a copy of the first book. Thanks!

 

[41mag]

Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator

how about Element 115?

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Anyone watched "Contagion" lately? Its pretty similar albeit ebola not carona.
china, via bat/pig..

 

[CountryGent]

Anyone watched "Contagion" lately? Its pretty similar albeit ebola not carona.
china, via bat/pig..

I did the other day as I have a copy of on Amazon Prime. It is worth a watch for those who have not seen it yet.

 

[teflon6string]

Occupied with countless projects, I only read at bedtime to settle down. But during the day when I'm busy, I listen to free audiobooks on my iPhone - hundreds over the past 3 years.

Had this collection of brilliant short stories going a few months ago when the 21-day loan expired. Very entertaining then, so I requested it a second time to finish it. It just popped back up on my phone and I'm listening again, now filtered through the perspective of a global pandemic.

Within this new context, stories take on a sobering sense of possibility as opposed to pure fantasy. Whether based upon war, ecological genocide or pandemics, these imaginative authors all do a great job of exploring what happens to us when the realities and daily routines we once knew are gone, replaced by some new "normal" - at least for the survivors. Fascinating food for thought.

I guess this book this is #1 in a few collections of the same name.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Sort of a parallel to this old thread: what are some realistic* pandemic fiction (e.g., novels, films, television series, video games, et al.) that you found interesting? Did you learning anything, change preparations due to said, or just enjoyed the read? Any you found to be crap and therefore should be avoided?

* By realistic, I mean at least somewhat medically possible, rather than completely fanciful. As much as I love the horror genre, including zombies, this would preclude the walking dead because there is no microbial life that can reanimate deceased humans or other primates.

Thanks for sharing.

"Q" by Ben Mezrich can be found on Amazon:

"Q is the story of a regular cop, Benjamin Grady, who suddenly finds himself on the front line of an unyielding, terrifying epidemic. His job is simple—to quarantine the Probables, those most likely to be carrying a deadly disease. But Grady quickly learns that no amount of training, no amount of lectures from the experts at the CDC or the military infectious disease specialists can prepare him for a society on the verge of losing the war to a microscopic, unrelenting scourge. Ripped from the headlines, meticulously researched, Q lays bare the truth behind the quarantine laws that are already on the books, and what it would mean to implement them on a national scale. At this very moment, we are closer to the edge than ever before. Whether we realize it or not, America is one poorly contained infected airliner, one disease-ridden subway car away from full-scale martial law. Q is a true story. It just hasn't happened yet."

 

[ATCclears]

The Last Canadian

The Last Canadian - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ATCclears]

The Dog Stars. Available in print or as an audio book.

Amazon.com

amzn.to

 

[jbett98]

Earth Abides.

"Earth Abides is a 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by American writer George R. Stewart. Based on the 1912 short story "The Scarlet Plague", by Jack London, it tells the story of the fall of civilization from deadly disease and its rebirth. The story is set in the United States in the 1940s in Berkeley, California and told by a character, Isherwood Williams, who emerges from isolation in the mountains to find almost everyone dead."

 

[PaulB47]

The old classic, "Earth Abides" by George Stewart. Don't know how realistic it is but it's excellent anyway. I think I've read my copy at least 3 times.