Slow Apocalypse by John Varley
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace Hardcover (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441017576
Official Description: In this highly anticipated thriller, a scientist has developed a cure for America’s addiction – a slow-acting virus that feeds on petroleum, turning it solid, and therefore unusable. What he didn’t consider was that the contagion of an Iraqi oil field would spread to infect the fuel supply of the entire world.
Despite wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 9/11, the United States dependence on foreign oil has kept the nation tied to the Middle East. In Los Angeles, screenwriter Dave Marshall hears about the contagion that is affecting the world’s oil supply from a government insider. It sounded as implausible as many of his scripts, but the reality is much more frightening than anything he can envision. And now he must protect his wife and daughter from the coming apocalypse that will alter the future of Earth and humanity…forever!
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I remember a series of stories in the 80’s based on this theme, centered on a group of Russians (Soviets) trying to survive in a world without oil.
A train was involved.