In his first novel, Thoughts of God, Michael Kanaly created a metaphysical saga of murder that moved from the mean streets of modern-day America to the very notebook of God - in which earthly justice meets cosmic vengeance. Now this stunningly original writer once again probes the farthest reaches of the universe-and the human experience. It is the story of a research scientist on the verge of an extraordinary discovery: certain viruses are no longer acting in a random way. In fact, they seem to be intelligently planning where and how to multiply. And intertwined in this powerful drama is the story of the virus clans themselves, spanning millions of years as they evolve and make their own extraordinary discovery: to be the perfect hosts, human beings will have to be changed.
The Official Line: Michael Kanaly is an author and artist living in Upstate New York. He writes to critical acclaim across a wide spectrum of genres. His work has been called 'provocative and original'...'relentless...impossible to ignore or forget.' Mr. Kanaly is currently at work on what will be his fifth novel, THE LONG ARMS: A Story of Early Humans.
The Unofficial Line: Once when I was a kid, maybe eleven or twelve years old, I finished a book and stared out the window at the little town where I grew up. It was late at night, as even then I had a tendency to stay up long after other people were in bed. The moon was shining on silent streets, no cars, no people...and I wondered, looking at the paperback in my hand: Who are the people writing these books? Where are they in the world? How do they do such a thing? Unspoken, of course...because it was much too outrageous a thought to have, even to one's self...was the idea that I might like to grow up to do that kind of work. And now, decades later, much to my surprise and delight, I became one of those people! It just doesn't get any better than that...
