The 7 Habits of Highly Infective People by William Todd Rose is an interesting read. The main character, Bosley Coughlin, who tells the story in a colorful way, leads us into a strange world. Coughlin describes how he encountered the Eye of Aeons while tripping on drugs. Consider this narcotic induced phenomena to be transcendental meditation on steroids as it shows Coughlin how the world will be in just a few years.
He comes to the conclusion that by stopping one person, the person that puts the apocalypse in motion, he can save the life of a young girl named Ocean. This brings up all kinds of paradoxical problems with the one question that some of us have always thought about, ‘What if we could go back and stop or do something?’ Coughlin decides that he needs to remove Clarice Hudson or as he puts it, Clarice Fucking Hudson the cause of the end of the world.
As the plot unwinds, we see the future from Ocean’s perspective and we see Coughlin trying to find ways to first track Clarice then some way to kill her. In Ocean’s world, a world where zombies now roam and humans hide and scavenge what they can, she makes a discovery that will change her world as she knows it.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Coughlin struggles with how he could kill Clarice after having a couple of encounters with her. The first time at the store where she works where he sees the symptoms starting. A second time at a bar where events transpire in a way he didn’t expect and the third time definitely not in a way he expected at all. These encounters lead him to a source that provides him with supplies and knowledge on how to take Clarice Fucking Hudson out of the picture for good.
Ocean in the future, has met a group of survivors and is surprised at how well they eat considering that most people are scavenging between meals to find their next. While this new group seems to have their shit together there is something about one of them that just doesn’t seem right. Why does that horribly burned/scarred man they call Corduroy keep staring at her?
Coughlin finally proceeds with his plan to rid the world of Clarice Hudson. He has his tools, he has his plan and he has his motivation. If he kills Hudson now, Ocean won’t have to face the bleak future.
But, as a wise person once said, no plan survives contact with the enemy.
The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People has a wonderful dialogue as told by Coughlin. His manner of storytelling puts you in the room with him as he answers the question posed to him by the unseen interrogators.
William Todd Rose has a sure fire winner on his hands with this book. I recommend it for anyone looking for a few laughs, a few thrills, many chills, and nice plot twist.
Available at Amazon.
