Author of coronavirus novel pledges proceeds to PM-Cares Fund

The author of a new novel based on the coronavirus pandemic will donate all of its proceeds to the PM-Cares fund.

Set on the backdrop of the raging Covid-19 outbreak, the book, "Plagued: A Pandemic Survivor Story", is a story about human courage and hope. It is written by entrepreneur and author Anirudh Arun.

"Through this book, I have attempted to capture the journey of various societies during the global pandemic. Further, we have also used contemporary reality and recent developments in geopolitics to predict future outcomes in multiple horizons.

"I pledge to contribute all earnings from the sales of this book to the PM-Cares Fund. 'Plagued' is dedicated to all healthcare workers on the front-line, our soldiers in the war against the virus. I urge one and all to stay home, read more and save lives," said Arun, who last wrote "The Steadfast Tin Soldier?" in 2013.

Touted to be the "first-ever" novel on the pandemic, according to Arun, the 81-page self-published book follows the life of Ved, a software engineer in Silicon Valley who returns to India, and his friends in China and the US, who are each facing the pandemic in different ways.

A compelling portrait of friends -- separated by borders but united in their suffering -- it also claims to paint a vivid picture of "the impact of the virus on economies, professions, politics and the idea of the world itself".

"In the book, the pandemic sets the backdrop for a strange new world, where people work from their homes, are constantly online, and filled simultaneously with fear, revulsion and hope, he added.

The book, priced at Rs 149, is only available in e-book format on Amazon Kindle.