The Scarlet Plague

Jack London's post-apocalyptic vision takes place in 2072, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic has depopulated the planet. James Howard Smith, one of the few left alive San Francisco area, tries to impart the value of wisdom to his grandsons and as his time on Earth grows ever shorter. Originally published in 1912, London's grim tale of the future predates works such as Orwell's 1984.