The Stand by Stephen King

From Goodreads.com:
   This is the way to world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.
   And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

   I'll try to keep this short, once I start talking about The Stand it's a very short leap to The Dark Tower and it's down the rabbit hole from there.
   I've read this book multiple times; the first was when Avian Influenza was in the news a few years back, this time around it's Ebola. This is not a good book to read when outbreaks are happening. Or if you have a cold. Talk about paranoia, but I keep going back to read it again. It is one of my favorites.
   This book is not for the faint of heart. It is over 1,000 pages and takes some getting into. The first time I tried I gave up. The second time I took notes (yes, notes, for something I'm choosing to read.) I had trouble keeping all the characters straight for the first few chapters. Once people started to meet each other it became much easier to remember who they were. So make sure you give it some time before quitting.
   It has one of the worst (or best, depending on the point of view) villains. I have a trouble classifying Randall Flagg as a 'villain,' he is so much worse than your standard run-of-the-mill bad guy. Even those who choose to follow him can't look at his face. The way King describes him is perfectly horrifying. He is not a man I'd like to meet. (Is he a man? Is he even human?)
   At it's core The Stand is an epic battle of good vs evil. There are so many societal observations and the quote above is probably my favorite. Oh, and I don't want to forget to mention the dreams! Characters all have similar dreams after Captain Tripps (the nickname for the virus) destroys the population. The theory pops up that maybe all the technology used today is dulling the natural psychic abilities most humans have.
   I could go on and on, there's all sorts of goodness in this book. I can't go into each brilliant thing and keep this an acceptable length. And it's impossibly hard to pick and choose so I leave you here; If you like a challenge that will stay with you long after you finish the last page, this is the book for you.