Life really is stranger than fiction: Award-winning author Andrew Peacock never dreamed his book about a pandemic would be published during an actual pandemic. Peacock started writing the novel two years before COVID-19 broke out. He had no idea how closely his work of fiction would mirror real life. Viral is part adventure story and part commentary on populist politics, complete with echoes of Homer's Odyssey. The book's protagonist, John, survives the outbreak of an horrific disease in Ontario. After hearing rumours that the island of Newfoundland has closed off and escaped the pandemic, he sets off across the wasteland of eastern Canada on a desperate attempt to reach safety. As the disease spreads, he must make decisions that often put his own needs against the safety of others. Viral was inspired by the author’s time working in a biosecure lab where he became acutely aware of the danger of viruses carried by monkeys.