In this day and age, you would be forgiven for thinking that a story about a killer virus, created in a laboratory with the intention to wipe out half the world’s population, would be just another news headline.

However, this is not another conspiracy thrown up about the about coronavirus pandemic, but the plot of a novel, written by a new Manx author.

Sholto Brown recently published his debut novel, 'Skin and Bones’ and has now released it as a paperback.

The story is based around the release of a virus, purposely created by a crazed scientist to reset society and remove half the world’s population.

However, the fast-spreading virus has the slight after-effect of turning those infected into the living dead.

The book follows a highly inventive format, being told from two very different first person narratives. The misguided genius perspective sets up and concludes the story while the middle, the filling in the story sandwich, is told from the viewpoint of one of those who are battling to survive the virus and the zombies it creates.

The reader is given insights into what led the scientist to create the virus in the first place, with him voicing his frustrations on the way people behave and how many of the world’s problems are human-created.

The action then travels across the UK as the unnamed second narrator teams up with a band of survivors and tries to outwit the undead virus victims, fight off zombie pigs and create a new civilisation.

Despite the rather prescient subject matter (without the zombies, or course) Sholto wrote his book before the world had ever heard of Covid-19, and originally published it as a kindle or downloadable version.

Then, the plot of a laboratory-created virus being unleashed upon the world, causing a global-halting pandemic , would have been the stuff of unthinkable science fiction.

However, Sholto is confident that his book is still far-removed from any sense of reality.

’I am not a conspiracy theorist but I like to read about conspiracy theories,’ said Sholto.

’But I’m pretty certain what I’ve written about in "Skin and Bones" would be impossible.

’I didn’t set out to make it a zombie novel.

’It was meant to be a story around friendships.’

Sholto currently lives in London and has previously worked in publishing.

He also formed ID-IOM with his brother Hugo, making them a self-confessed pair of ’gonzo’ artists in the world of art and street art.

They have previously worked in London and beyond, and also produced a Manx-themed mural for the Isle Expo in 2019.

Skin and Bones, by Sholto Brown, is available in paperback and Kindle format at Amazon UK