EDITOR’S CHOICE
Inventive, witty, and thought-provoking, The Conscious Virus masterfully blends science, spirit, and story into a daring, unforgettable reading experience.
Miki Mitayn’s The Conscious Virus is a bold, genre-defying novel that blends medical drama, spiritual exploration, and speculative fantasy into an arresting narrative. At its heart lies Dr Nerida, an Aboriginal doctor whose scientific training collides with the unconventional spiritual channelling of her wife, Mari. Through Mari’s trances, Nerida encounters voices from the other side – a Druid, a Medicine Man, and even a flamboyant Tudor dandy – whose wisdom challenges everything she thought she knew.
The premise itself is captivating: what if a man-made virus became self-aware, and the knowledge of it came not from laboratories but from spirits? This imaginative set-up allows Mitayn to explore weighty themes: the fragility of truth, the tension between science and faith, and the blurred lines between sanity and revelation.
The novel is as much about relationships as it is about ideas. Nerida and Mari’s marriage is depicted with warmth, humour, and friction, grounding the more mystical aspects in human reality. Nerida’s inner conflict – torn between her Aboriginal spirituality, her medical duty, and the startling claims of the spirits – is particularly compelling. The Australian setting, richly described from remote communities to mining towns, adds depth and authenticity.
Quirky, irreverent, and thought-provoking, this first instalment in the Aedgar Wisdom series refuses to fit neatly into one category. It may not be for readers who prefer straightforward plots, but those open to something offbeat and cerebral will find much to enjoy. The Conscious Virus is an imaginative and daring beginning to a series with great promise.
