The Animals in That Country

In her speculative science-fiction novel The Animals in That Country (2020), New Zealand-based author Laura Jean McKay explores human-animal communication triggered by an infectious virus. The protagonist, Jean, is a misanthropic grandmother working as a park guide in the Australian outback. Her life is quickly turned upside down when a new virus, the “zooflu,” appears. The disease infects its victims with the strange ability to communicate with animals—a symptom that induces psychosis as it progresses. McKay’s novel examines themes of environmental destruction and its consequences, as animals slowly begin to dominate humanity. Despite being written and released before the pandemic, McKay unintentionally creates a powerful parallel between the zooflu and the possible origins of COVID-19, influenced by climate change. As a result, The Animals in That Country highlights humanity’s relationship to nature and the consequences of its destruction, revealing the interconnectedness of human and animal lives, while also depicting the chaos and confusion engendered by a novel virus with opaque long-term consequences.