The Stand

I read this in college when the unabridged version was re-introduced. It really shook me up in a way. It seeded my mind with the what-if horror factor of our existence on this planet. It's fiction, and yet, it seems completely plausible especially now that we are experiencing a H1N1 flu epidemic.

Great characterization interwoven with a modern-day setting and mythical/spiritual creatures. Tends to be a bit ‘wordy' but I loved every word of it.