This evocative series delves into the darkest aspects of human nature and the fragility of civilization when faced with an unforeseen catastrophe. As a mysterious epidemic renders most of the population blind, individuals are forced to confront their most primal instincts and rebuild society from its ruins. The narratives explore the psychological and social fallout of mass blindness, revealing both brutality and unexpected acts of humanity and resilience under extreme duress. It is a chilling examination of what it means to be human when conventional societal structures collapse.
A driver waiting at the traffic lights goes blind. An opthamologist tries to diagnose his distinctive white blindness, but is affected before he can read the text books. It becomes a contagion, spreading throughout the city. Trying to stem the epidemic the authorities herd the afflicted into a mental asylum where the wards are terrorised by blind thugs. And when fire destroys the asylum the inmates burst forth and the last links with a supposedly civilised society are snapped.
Four years after a bizarre blindness plague hits the capital, the political arena is thrown into turmoil when election day is marked by an unprecedented turnout of blank ballots and rebellious acts that prompt a state of emergency declaration. By the Nobel Prize for Literature-winning author of Blindness. Reader's Guide available. Reprint.