In a world overtaken by an epidemic of love, reserved pathologist Dr. Sylvester Murt tries to meet the crisis with sarcasm, science, and emotional distance. But as marriages surge, desire spreads, and the nation slips into obsession, his careful bachelorhood begins to look less like a choice than a fragile defense against a force no one can explain. With sharp, self-possessed Dr. Phyllis Sutton at his side, Murt helps investigate baffling patient symptoms, mysterious blood samples, and a possible "Love Bug" virus hiding in plain sight. When electron microscope images reveal shadowy six-sided particles, headlines explode and "Murt's Virus" becomes a sensation, bringing government backing, public attention, and unwanted fame. Yet the real danger is closer to home: Murt's attraction to Phyllis grows into nervousness, jealousy, and a fear that he himself has been infected. As the epidemic turns ordinary romance into possessiveness and emotional chaos, the two doctors race to understand the contagion before it destroys both society and their own restraint. Then a promising sulfa derivative emerges, offering hope—and demanding that Murt decide how far he will go to save himself. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.

À propos de l'auteur

Marks, Winston K.

Winston K. Marks, born Winston Kinney Marks, was an American writer whose career flourished in the mid-twentieth century, a period when pulp magazines and popular fiction offered fertile ground for imaginative, fast-moving storytelling. Working across science fiction, mystery, and suspense, he became especially known for his sharp ideas, brisk pacing, and knack for building tension around ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations. His fiction often explored the uneasy meeting point between human desire and technological or social change, with recurring concerns about identity, ambition, manipulation, and the unpredictable consequences of choice. That blend of entertainment and unease gave his work a lasting appeal, because the questions he raised about trust, power, and the fragility of human judgment still feel current today. Marks’s legacy lies in his ability to make genre fiction feel immediate and psychologically alive, helping to shape the tradition of concise, concept-driven storytelling that continues to influence speculative and suspense writing. Readers who enjoy clever premises, vintage science fiction, and stories that combine wit with a sense of danger are especially likely to appreciate his work.