Interview: Deon Meyer looks back at his 2016 virus thriller eNCA
Deon Meyer hoped his novel would not provide fuel for"wacko conspiracy theorists".JOHANNESBURG - South African novelist Deon Meyer wished the deadly virus wreaking havoc in his 2016 thriller"Fever" had not turned into an eerily accurate depiction of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world."I keep thinking of the sorrow of all those thousands of people who have lost loved ones, lost their jobs, and are living in fear.
In a bizarrely premonitory scenario, borders are shut and characters grow increasingly wary of the other as survival instincts kick in. "I bought a collection of short stories, and read them on the plane," Meyer recalled."One of the stories... was post-apocalyptic and got me thinking about other possible directions the author could have taken."
Hours of consultations with two virology experts led him to the"best candidate" for the task: a coronavirus.The trio's imaginary scenario was fleshed out into the novel's pages. "Even most of the developing countries had extensive plans for such an incident," reads another extract of"Fever".
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