The Mortis

by Jonathan R. Miller

A husband and wife are staying in a hotel resort on a remote islet when the sickness comes. In a matter of days the resort is overrun with the ill and the dying, all of them lost in a psychosis brought upon by the disease. The islet quickly falls, and the only safe haven is Cãlo, a southern township that the locals—the indigenous population who used to serve as resort workers—call their home.

The couple is forced to flee into La Sielve, the wildlands, and what follows is an out-and-out struggle for their survival, a series of unnerving trials that test their bodies, minds, and their relationship with one another.

They soon learn that the islet is not the only place affected by the sickness, that it’s everywhere, and that the carriers are only those with a particular strand of ancient European DNA, previously believed to be inert. At first the husband and wife believe they may be immune, that they may be able to ride out the collapse, but when they begin to notice signs of the sickness in themselves, in each other, they’re forced to question whether they’re really as healthy as they hoped. A story of love, loss, and the struggle to maintain one’s humanity in the face of barbarism, The Mortis explores the lengths we will—and sometimes won’t—go for each other during the crises we face.

Genres: Horror, Zombies

218 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2014

About the author

"Though his books are labeled literary thrillers, Miller is most concerned with his characters, who struggle with issues of discrimination, identity, ideological rigidity, and belonging."
- Poets & Writers Magazine

"The protagonist's story feels light-years from the typical hero's journey, consistently focusing on more existential themes—and the result is something unusually unsettling and unforgettable. A strange, inventive tale that evolves into a challenging and rewarding odyssey."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A bold, cerebral, and unnervingly intimate exploration of what happens when the need to make the world better collides with the corruptive pull of control. Miller balances cerebral depth with raw emotion, crafting a story that lingers long after the final page."
- BookTrib.

"Miller's skillful economy of language and penchant for playing the cards close to the vest — or chest plate — works to his advantage as the tale picks up momentum/mayhem and puts an intriguing, nonstereotyped lead character through pitfalls and deadly perils of parahumanity. Ghost in the Shell fans will have a blast."
- Kirkus Reviews

"A truly layered piece of fiction"
- ABC's news magazine program, "CityLine"

"High-tech thrillers with complex characters"
- San Jose Mercury News

"A lean, well-oiled narrative"
- Kirkus Reviews

Otherwise Award nominee and Kirkus Best Indie Books of 2025 honoree Jonathan R. Miller is an author of "magical realism" literary fiction novels, as well as sci-fi thrillers featuring diverse, complex characters.

Miller was born in Illinois, lived in New Mexico for most of his childhood, and then became a California transplant after undergraduate school at Stanford University. He was an 8th-grade teacher for 7 years in the Oakland public school system, and has worked as a writer/marketer in the San Francisco Bay Area ever since.

Miller's own multiracial heritage has had a strong influence on his thought processes and writing approach. His novels deftly explore issues of identity while providing storylines that are layered, thought-provoking, and moving.

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh.....ok....?

So, this could have been good. Like, really good. I love plague/sickness/contagion type stories. I was so excited about this one since it's in a gorgeous secluded setting, a couple is on vacation, and BAM disaster strikes!

But dang. There was no lead up to the sickness. The sickness just happens right off the bat then for the rest of the book it's just some random events (imagined or real, I can't tell) that the characters have to do. I'm confused by the motive of some plot points.

Like, the man who is holed up with a commune in the hotel. What was his point? Why was he doing things the way he did? What did he do to the "Hannas"?

How did Park get back to the hotel after he brought the medicine to Lee??? I am SOOO confused about that part. It makes it seem like maybe he imagined the whole thing, but then the medicine wouldn't have been then for her to find. I'm just lost. I literally have no idea about most of this book.

[Stefanie Wille · Rating 4 out of 5]

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The premise of this story immediately drew me in because it’s just so much more than the horror story of a freak epidemic. It also entails what happens to personal relations within that situation which just promises to take the whole story to a new level. Once I received the physical copy of this book in the mail (Thanks again Jonathan!) I got to reading it right away. Despite my swift start in this book I needed a lot of time to finally finish this book. It definitely wasn’t because of the quality of the book, but rather an unfortunate convergence of situations.

In this book we follow the husband and wife throughout their fight for survival, and what a fight it is! There are just so many layers to their survival that it’s difficult to discuss them all, especially without spoiling the book. Just read the synopsis and know that Jonathan R. Miller doesn’t do obvious writing. All of the themes that are drawn into the story aren’t written in an “in your face” kind of way, it’s much more subtle and let’s you come to your own conclusions. Personally I really enjoy it when the author trusts the reader to be able to figure out things without having to point it out multiple times.

Throughout the book the writing is just really enticing, as I had come to expect after reading Delivery. While in the beginning the pacing is a bit slower to allow some attachment to the characters to be formed, it really picks up the pace along the way, to keep your interest sharp throughout the whole book. For me there were only some minor flaws. And while the reasoning of some became apparent throughout the book, it did leave me slightly irritated at the time.

Overall I really enjoyed this apocalyptic story a whole lot. It definitely veered away from many clichés which was very refreshing to read.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won The Mortis by Johnathan R. Miller in a Goodreads Giveaway and was excited to read it.An unknown outbreak on an island paradise,sign me up.It started out interesting but then the characters motivations and story quickly left me scratching my head.I kept wondering why Park and Lee (which could of easily been changed to Leigh or something,to avoid getting their genders confused) were even married to each other in the first place,they didn't seem to like being together at all,so all the heroics toward the end of the book from one of the characters didn't ring true and seemed odd.As far as the outbreak,and how it affected the ones who got it,what was that? Was that supposed to be scary because it wasn't,if anything it was kind of comical at times,and what was the point of the commune leader,that storyline never went anywhere,unless it was just there to get the two main characters in the same area which is what it seemed like.
The story did have potential,but could of used more revision and editing before it was published.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from a Goodreads giveaway.
First of all, the author is clearly a good writer. But the characterization was not great; I was curious about the main characters, but didn't feel connected or empathetic. I also felt the pacing was off. By the time we find out about the crisis, it is over and we are dealing with the results of it. I didn't get the connections of the fossa and the illness and why did the people feel compelled to bite themselves? And how did they die, was it from the self-biting? And what was Nil's motive? Was it just to control the people? Why?
I guess I just didn't really get it.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author Jonathan Miller for this FREE copy of his book titled The Mortis.

I liked it. As mentioned in others reviews, there are some holes, but I think it's not a bad thing to use our own imaginations to fill in the blanks. If we had the answers to everything, we'd be ___. See how easy that was. Anywho, I thought it pretty well done. Nice writing style, suspenseful, good ambiance. A few issues with margins, but don't recall any other editing problems. A good read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a quick read that held my interest with a mixture of excitement and wonder of what was coming next, as there was no real foreshadowing to speak of. A few surprises and an ending that can leave the reader with their own ending as they choose. At only 200 and a few pages it was quick and pretty much let us know all we needed to know with out going overboard, as far as it went. Leaving the rest to the reader. Pretty well written and a solid 3.75 from me.

[Todd Evilsizor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another post-apocalyptic tale of Earth's end, this time by a mystery illness. The affliction is very loosely described and it's evolution and cause are vague at best. The 2 main characters, Park & Lee are stranded at an island resort when everything goes to hell. Their struggle for survival is convoluted and, at times pretty bizarre. The writing is a bit repetitive at times and difficult to follow. Many things just happen with no detail given on reasoning or with any background. The premise for this book was good, but the application was challenging to follow.

[Susan Csoke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Park and Lee are enjoying their time at a hotel resort when a mysterious illness overtakes the islet. Husband and wife must flee into the wilderness to survive. Suspense and Intrigue. Thankyou Goodreads for this free book.

[Noose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was missing the Walking Dead and this was satisfactory. I think there needs to be a Morris Part 2.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[William Mehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this on Goodreads. If you want a book that will keep you up at night, is action packed on every page, and where the story doesn't end.....you have found the book.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I sit here writing my review of the The Mortis, I’m incredibly conflicted. On one hand, there are so many things about this book that I found absolutely fascinating – the premise, the setting, the ideas, and yet some things that I found really, well, awkward.

Although the exact location of the story is never really disclosed, by picking up on some clues in the story I’m pretty certain that it was set in Madagascar – which in itself is pretty cool for a post-apocalyptic novel, which are normally set somewhere far more generic or familiar. There’s a fancy hotel complex, jungle, ocean and some truly fascinating backdrops – it’s pretty much any holiday-maker’s worst nightmare after everything goes to pot. The plot is also interesting, in that a mysterious disease breaks out that doesn’t kill people and it’s definitely not zombies in the traditional sense – it’s much more mental than physical. But that is also one of the reasons that stopped me loving The Mortis, coupled with a gap between outbreak and the majority of the story – I felt like I was missing context and build-up.

Focusing on two main characters, husband and wife Park and Lee, who are on vacation when the other tourists start to act strangely, The Mortis is primarily a survival story – and is equal parts character and plot driven. Sadly, the characters fell a little flat for me – there’s next to no information about their backgrounds, no personality and a distinct lack of chemistry. And yes, they are in an incredibly stressful, uncertain situation, so I wasn’t expecting romance and unicorns, but I did want them to have some kind of connection to each other, either positive or negative. Rather, it felt almost mechanical – and not even in the survival sense that all the other priorities fell understandably to the wayside – simply that I couldn’t imagine them as real people, and that stopped me from forming any kind of emotional attachment.

The Mortis is told through the perspectives of both Park and Lee, but not alternating – Park narrates the first half, and Lee the second, which meant that I got to see events through both their eyes, but it didn’t feel like they had particularly distinctive voices – for the most part they could have been interchanged and it’s possible that I wouldn’t have even noticed.

What The Mortis lacks in characterisation, the pacing goes a long way towards making up for. Despite the gap between outbreak and the start of their survival, there’s very little down time, and some seriously freaky things happening. Despite my love of fast pacing, it’s almost a little overwhelming at times – and although the synopsis insinuates that Cãlo plays a large part in the story, far more time is spent in the wilderness and the hotel complex.

A unique setting, fast plot and interesting premise certainly held my attention, the atmospheric yet distant writing style was memorable, however the coldness of the characters and the lack of more information on the disease and it’s wider effect left me feeling rather undecided about The Mortis, yet incredibly curious about Jonathan R. Millers work.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

While I was reading this book, I had the strangest sense that I was moving through a dream.

The idea of people getting sick all around the world isn't a really unique idea, but the zombie-like twist added a kind of cool dimension to it. I have to be honest, though - I struggled a bit to relate to the characters. Part of it was the very surreal feel to this book, but I also felt that the book came across as if it was being written like a movie.

There were a lot of cringeworthy scenes in this book. One in particular came quite close to making me gag.

It was interesting to see the different ways the sickness affected people. I did feel that there were some questions that I had by the end. Some of the things weren't explained to my satisfaction.

At times, I felt that the book did jump ahead a bit. For instance, it went from the start of the sickness to the whole society having collapsed. I would have liked to see a bit more of how society collapsed.

It was interesting to see how Lee and Park each saw the sickness and how it affected them. The author did do a good job of showing the progression that each of them went through.

I think this book could have been extended a bit and I would have liked to have my questions answered by the end, which I felt was left very open-ended. It was really quick and easy to read, though that was probably more because the writing format meant it was much shorter than it appeared to be.

I'm not sure if I'd read a sequel to this book. I'd have to wait and see and judge it on the book itself.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

*(I received a copy of this book from the author himself in June 2014; a fair and honest review was not expected or an obligation, only polite and respectful on my part)*

When I first read the description of The Mortis I thought it sounded a little zombie-esque, but possibly without actual zombies. And I was right, for the most part. The word "zombie" or anything closely related to the word is never once mentioned, but the way Miller describes the sick individuals, it screams "zombie."

There's the concept of the plague (which is what I'll call it, not to spoil any of the story) and the sick and infected. It's a complete horror story. It delves into an apocalyptic world; surviving and maintaining sanity along the way. All the while, describing the infected and while it screams "zombie," Miller takes a different approach to what Hollywood has made cliché.

Just like any other book, it started off a little slow but it covered some backstory that I think was beneficial for the reader towards the end and why Lee & Park did what they did on both of their parts. It definitely picked up pace about halfway through and became a can't-put-down book! And, I'll admit I was grossed out during several scenarios, but that goes to show how detailed the descriptions really were.

The ending left me a little unsatisfied, but overall this has been one of the best apocalypse stories that I've read in awhile - almost putting The Walking Dead to shame. But I try not to compare, since The Walking Dead is good in its own right.

[Joanne Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via a GoodReads giveaway.

This isn't the sort of book I'd usually choose to read, one of the main reasons why it took me so long after receiving a copy to actually starting it, but I was intrigued by the synopsis.

The story centres around a couple trying to survive on a remote island after the outbreak of a disease which has devastating effects on those who become infected.

This is essentially almost a horror story and some of the descriptions are quite graphic but to label it purely as this would be doing the book, and its author, a disservice. This is a novel about human instinct, relationships, the power of the mind and just how much the body can endure in order to survive in the most desperate of circumstances.

It begins slowly but rapidly picks up pace and the writing style means you often read with your pulse racing in anticipation of what might be about to happen next. The descriptions are vivid enough that you can picture each gruesome scene perfectly and this all adds to the tension as you read.

The way in which the main characters Lee and Park are portrayed lends an interesting psychological aspect and as a reader, your feelings towards each change as you learn more about them.

Overall, a fascinating read around an unusual concept!

[Jeremy Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid survival/horror story. I won this book through Goodreads - FirstReads giveaway, and was very pleased. A vacationing couple on at an island resort in the Indian Ocean are forced to fend for their lives after a sickness turns people into violent, brain-dead husks of their former selves. The story was fast paced and a quick read, perfect for a summertime escape at the beach or pool. The story had many elements of a zombie/plague novel, but kept the story fresh by delving into the minds of couple as they fought the elements as well as the encroaching sickness in their own minds. There were actually a couple of passages from the book that creeped me out and made me think about the fine line between reality and insanity.

All-in-all an enjoyable book.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a change of pace from most other books in this genre. The writing is ok but it has an rough feel to the read like it's not a finished product. I did not connect with the characters or feel for them even though I was curious what would happen next. I believe this has to do with how the story is told and the viewpoint in addition to the writing style. The plot has a uniqueness to it even as parts feel familiar. I like the premise for the plot quite a bit. The flow has an uneven feel to it, at times jarring enough to dampen the experience. Overall this book has the potential for something a lot better but as is I'm not thrilled to recommend it.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really excited I won this in the goodreads giveaway, it sounds vey intriguing! Review to come later once I receive and read. :)

UPDATE

I won this book in the good reads giveaway and I was very excited to receive it. The plot sounded fantastic and had great promise. However, I did not care for the writing. It all seemed choppy and out of sync to me. Also, I felt it was missing details. It was really short, which made it fast to read, but I thought there could have been more. I honestly didn't particularly care for this book.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review THE MORTIS

Apocalypse Now: and it doesn't always need to be on a global pandemic scale. An implacable process or event is just as damaging to those who endure it (or fail to survive) as is a planetary collapse. Married couple Lee and Park vacation on a remote, isolated, mostly "uncivilized" tropical resort island, where the language difference bis not the only.barrier. Soon, the Caucasian tourists begin to be overtaken by something that seems to remove higher intelligence, and replace it with feral intensity. On an island, there really is nowhere to escape.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid survival/horror story. I won this book through Goodreads - FirstReads giveaway, and was thrilled to get to read this on.
The story has the elements of being a sort of "Zombie" book though its never mentioned you get the impress maybe that what the infected are. But I'm not going to reveal much in this review so as not to spoil anything. This books was fast paced and just an epic book all around. Characters were developed well and would definitely re-read this one.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 358 pages the book gives the impression of being of reasonable length. But it isn't, with double spacing between lines and around 7 lines between paragraphs this book in reality is only around 160 pages long.
Brilliant concept for the story line but a bit too gory and zombiesh for my taste.
A great take on human frailties and the drive to survive which I feel could have been developed more without going to such graphic lengths to shock.
Interesting read but needs to be in the horror section.

[Sheri Rothe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in the goodreads giveaway

I really like the whole idea of this book, but the writing style was a little halting and in the very first paragraph the perspective was messed up. "We are that type of couple" the book starts out in first person then switches to third person for the rest of the book. I liked the book, but that one thing bothered me the whole book. This is super easy to edit.

Thanks to the author for the giveaway!

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A husband and a wife on vacation at a luxury resort when a sickness hits. They run trying to get away from it.

Sounds good and couldn't wait for the book to come in. But truthfully could only get to page 90 and I gave up. It's the writing style that I think is preventing me from continuing and even trying to find something likable in the man and wife. Maybe other will like this but it is not for me. I won this from LibraryThing Member Giveaway for and honest review.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Park and Lee are going through the motions of marriage on their vacation when the Collapse hits. No one truly knows if it's a virus or some newly awakened part of the genome. Who will survive? How can we survive? What does it mean to survive?

A complex, detailed narrative leads characters and readers through different levels and types of trials and turmoils.

Characters learn and develop as the story progresses, are caring, multi-faceted, and interesting.

Overall, a compelling read.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected but that is not a bad thing! Story jumps right in to the deadly virus without any explanation and that’s OK too! But I wish there had been more character development or background. But that’s just me. This is a well done horror tale and I enjoyed it. The later DNA explanation was well timed and provided a satisfactory logic as to what was happening.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed my attention from the start. Good character development and plot. Not a usual fan of "Zombie" type books but this one had a great twist and a twisted mind.

[Gabby-Lily Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Backdated review may be found here: http://lilysreviews.livejournal.com/3...

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

**included in a giveaway I won**

This book was one of the best I've read this year. The suspense kept me up all night trying to see what happened next.