Project Gutenberg 2023-04-14 Public domain in the USA. 145 Abernathy, Robert 1924 1990 Abernathy, Robert Harwood Poulton, Peter 1914 1972 Poulton, Nelson Righteous plague $aUnited States :$bColumbia Publications, Inc., $c1951. Produced from Science Fiction Quarterly May 1951 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Righteous Plague" by Robert Abernathy is a science fiction novelet written in the early 1950s. The narrative tackles themes of biological warfare and unchecked scientific experimentation, focusing on the consequences of a deadly virus known as the "righteous plague." The story explores the ethical dilemmas faced by scientists when their work is co-opted for military purposes, highlighting the thin line between patriotism and the potential for mass destruction. The plot follows Dr. Joseph Euge, a bacteriologist who creates a powerful virus intended as a biological weapon. As the narrative unfolds, Euge finds himself trapped in a morally compromising situation, observing the catastrophic effects of the virus he unleashed. It becomes a tool for the Dictatura—an authoritarian regime seeking control and dominance over their enemies. The story intensifies as the virus spreads beyond its intended targets, ultimately threatening the very society that wielded it. Themes of fear, morality, and the unintended consequences of scientific advancement permeate the tale, culminating in a chilling reflection on humanity’s capacity for self-destruction. (This is an automatically generated summary.) 20220527152002abernathy 1951 US Reading ease score: 70.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Scientists -- Fiction Epidemics -- Fiction Biological weapons -- Fiction Dictators -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 72441 2025-07-28T05:08:09.651232 text/html 71403 2023-04-14T19:16:19 text/html 324912 2025-07-28T05:08:13.058211 application/epub+zip 323691 2025-07-28T05:08:11.151219 application/epub+zip 182528 2025-07-28T05:08:10.354188 application/epub+zip 790551 2025-07-28T05:08:14.496191 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 782562 2025-07-28T05:08:12.532176 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 64978 2025-07-28T05:08:09.463218 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 64697 2023-04-14T19:16:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19147 2025-07-28T05:08:14.638197 application/rdf+xml 29699 2025-07-28T05:08:10.702251 image/jpeg 4860 2025-07-28T05:08:10.527203 image/jpeg 25909 2023-04-14T19:16:20 application/octet-stream application/zip 1496178 2023-04-14T19:16:20 application/octet-stream application/zip 1503720 2025-07-28T05:08:09.680212 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia