Author: Carver, Will Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)Published on 26 June 2025 by Orenda Books in the United Kingdom.Paperback | 300 pages128 x 197 x 21 | 212g A Japanese scientist thwarts an international plot to release a deadly virus by mutating it to make people kinder, but something goes horribly wrong … A darkly funny, mind-blowing speculative thriller from the ‘most original writer in Britain’ (Daily Express)… ‘Utterly believable, dark and disturbing … one of my books of the year’ Trevor Wood ‘Brilliantly original … an alternative reality of the pandemic that’s both terrifyingly plausible, relevant and timely’ Sam Holland ‘His best yet. Carver just gets better and better’ S.J. Watson ‘Arguably the most original writer in Britain’ Daily Express Compassion may be humanity’s deadliest weapon… The threat of nuclear war is no longer scary. This is much worse. It’s invisible. It works quickly. And it’s coming. The scourge has already infected and killed half the population in China and it is heading towards the UK. There is no time to escape. The British government sees no way out other than to distribute ‘Dignity Pills’ to its citizens: One last night with family or loved ones before going to sleep forever … together. Because the contagion will kill you and the horrifying news footage shows that it will be better to go quietly. Dr Haruto Ikeda, a Japanese scientist working at a Chinese research facility, wants to save the world. He has discovered a way to mutate a virus. Instead of making people sick, instead of causing death, it’s going to make them... nice. Instead of attacking the lungs, it will work into the brain and increase the host’s ability to feel and show compassion. It will make people kind. Ikeda’s quest is thoughtful and noble, and it just might work. Maybe humanity can be saved. Maybe it doesn’t have to be the end. But kindness may also be the biggest killer of all… ‘One of the best things I’ve ever read … incredibly moving and hugely entertaining’ Chris McDonald ‘Insightful, sharp-minded, and fascinating … a brilliant twist on a pandemic’ Sarah Moorhead ‘Thoughtful, challenging and unafraid to examine the impact huge events can have on the human condition … his most important novel to date’ The Madrid Review ‘Unflinching, smart and entertaining … as thought-provoking as it is brilliant’ Isabelle Broom ‘One of the most compelling and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North
