Badge of Infamy (version 2)

Published in 1955, 'Badge of Infamy' by Lester del Rey is a science fiction novel set in the early 22nd century. The story follows Dr. Daniel Feldman, who becomes a pariah after violating Medical Lobby rules and flees to Mars Colony. There, he discovers a deadly plague organism that threatens humanity and must conduct research to find a cure while defying a bureaucratic system intent on suppressing the truth for political reasons. The novel explores themes of medical ethics and the consequences of authoritarianism.