Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication ??Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 ?? Acknowledgements “An epic of apocalyptic fiction: Harrowing heartfelt and rock-hard realistic. A cautionarytale. Not to be missed.” —James Rollins New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain ?? “Part Michael Crichton part George Romero Jeff Carlson’s Plague Year is deft andcompelling full of high-altitude chills.”—E. E. Knight National bestselling author of Valentine’s Exile ?? “Frightening plausible and action-packed Plague Year is one of the best debut novels inyears . . . Jeff Carlson packs riveting storytelling with a lot of fresh ideas.” —David Brin New York Times bestselling author of Kiln People ?? “A grim and fascinating new twist on the post-holocaust story unlike anything I’ve readbefore.” —Kevin J. Anderson New York Times bestselling co-author of Hunters of Dune ?? “Jeff Carlson is a terrific writer and Plague Year is a marvelous book full of memorable characters white-knuckle scenes and big ideas. Get in on the ground floor with this exciting new author.”—Robert J. Sawyer Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Rollback ?? “ Plague Year proposes a frightening new nanotech catastrophe and uses it as a crucible toexplore the best and worst of human nature. Tightly written and well-told.” —Robert Charles Wilson Hugo and Aurora Award-winning author of Spin THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group USA Inc. 375 Hudson Street New York New York 10014 USA Penguin Group Canada 90 Eglinton Avenue East Suite 700 Toronto Ontario M4P 2Y3 Canada a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc