H. Rider Haggard 
Doctor Therne 

Sir Henry Rider Haggard was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire. "Doctor Therne" is a 1898 science fiction novel about a plague that sweeps England. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)