Encoded Minds: A Biological Thriller

by Kfir Luzzatto

Dark Matter meets HBO’s “The Last of Us” in this apocalyptic tale of humanity’s fight against a quickly spreading bacterial infection that turns people into possessed followers of the mysterious “Collective.”

Olivia Scott once had a strange ability: she could glimpse echoes of high-emotion events that had taken place nearby. As a child, those visions terrified her. Now, these long-forgotten gifts might be the only thing standing between survival and annihilation.

When Liv’s brother Bobby is arrested for murder, she must reclaim the power she once buried if she hopes to prove his innocence. With the help of two scientists, she makes a stunning discovery: bacteria can store memories of the world around them and transmit those memories directly into the human brain.

Humans, made of trillions of bacteria, are the perfect hosts for this microscopic invasion. A military state takes control, while scientists search for the bacteria's origins at its epicenter, the city of Wexberg.

But the deeper they dig, the more disturbing the truth becomes.

Because the bacteria aren’t just recording human history. They’re learning to control it.

Can Liv’s visions save humankind before they fall prey to the hivemind of The Collective?

Genres: Thriller

332 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Kfir Luzzatto writes high-concept science fiction and thrillers that blend cutting-edge science with gripping human stakes. He is the author of eighteen novels and seven non-fiction books, including the award-winning PARALLELS, which received First Place in the 2025 Incipere Awards, and his debut, Crossing the Meadow, voted Best Horror Novel in the 2003 Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.

Kfir has been an active contributor to the speculative fiction community, serving on the editorial board of The Harrow Press as Anthology Editor until 2014, where he edited and co-edited four horror anthologies.

Born and raised in Italy, he moved to Israel as a teenager and developed a deep connection to the English language through his father, a former U.S. Army veteran, writer, and passionate reader. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and works as a patent attorney, bringing a strong scientific foundation to the high-concept ideas explored in his fiction.

In addition to his writing, Kfir is a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, reflecting his long-standing interest in the workings of the mind, perception, and the boundaries between reality and imagination—themes that frequently shape his stories.

He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.

You can visit Kfir’s website and read his blog at https://www.kfirluzzatto.com. Follow him on Twitter (@KfirLuzzatto) and friend him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KfirLuzzatto...).

Reviews

[Ashlee Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was kind of an interesting idea, but I could not finish this one after only 15%. One issue was that it repeated phrases. Then, it did not do a great job of world building. At one point, I even yelled "oh come on" when the protagonist said 'I didnt get that, can you explain more?' For the FIFTH TIME in a row. This was the second time that the writer did this by 15%. This feels like a debut novel with amateur skills, not someone who has multiple published books. This was very disappointing especially as I typically can force myself to finish most thing I read.

[Donna Zeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cutting-edge thriller-mystery will delight all those who love the seamless synthesis of up-to-the-minute real science with the terrifying "what-ifs" that the best speculative fiction presents. You will meet Olivia Scott, the sympathetic protagonist whose adventure we follow closely as she begins to understand both the out-of-control world around her and her confusing and frightening inner world. Growing up misunderstood and alienated, "Liv's" father seems to be the only one who supports and believes in her. By suppressing her awesome super-power, Liv loses her ability to perceive things others can't, and consequently loses touch with her inner self-trust. Since this is a thriller-mystery I won't say more about the story, other than be prepared to experience a montage of "The Last of Us," "Pluribus" and the mind-bending Ted Talk by the incredibly articulate super molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler. This is a book you just can't put down.

[LISA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d rate this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. The premise was strong and genuinely intriguing, which is what kept me reading. It was a unique sci-fi story that had great promise. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to the idea. The world-building often felt underdeveloped, the dialogue came across as unnatural, and the characters lacked depth—especially the female lead, who was written in a way that felt frustratingly one-dimensional.
I was surprised to learn this wasn’t a debut novel. I received it as an ARC, which is the main reason I read it to the end. I received this from BookSirens for an honest review, and I did not receive any cash or discounts for my opinion. Overall, this was an uncomfortable read for me, mainly because I found some aspects of it overtly sexist.

[Katinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olivia (Liv) Scott discovered she had a unique ability when she was a child. She was able to see echoes of past events that had happened in different locations that involved strong enough emotions to cause echoes of them to be remembered by the place where they happened. It was not always a pleasant thing to know, as many strong-emotion events are not happy ones, and many are violent and terrifying. And as she grew up, she managed to suppress that ability. However, when her brother is accused of a murder he didn’t commit, that ability is the only thing that might save his life. And, as it turns out, it also makes her one of the few people who might be able to stop a pandemic from killing off the human race.

I read a review copy of this book and enjoyed it. After having made it through the Covid Pandemic, I can see how easily such things can be spread. And as happens to be the case in this story, the illness being spread sometimes kills, but other times causes the survivors to become part of a “hive mind” controlled by a man who calls himself “The First.” He is attempting to create a new form of humans that will follow him as their leader by altering the natural bacteria the each person carries. The means for this is airborne, and spreads quickly from person to person.

The story felt very realistic given the deadly pandemic the world faced only a few years ago. And knowing that there will always be people who believe that they know what is best for everyone around them, makes this plot even more plausible. But for me, the ending of this one-shot story seemed to come a little too quickly and easily. Even knowing that very likely the length of time it took between the beginning of the story and the ending was likely compressed a bit to allow the author to end the story in only the one book, it still felt to me like the bacterial influence controlling everyone was a little too easily and too quickly defeated. (I will admit that I do feel that "The First" got off a little too easily at the end of the story, but you'll have to read the book if you're curious as to how or why I feel that way.)

That being said, I did enjoy the story a great deal. And I believe that anyone who enjoys reading thriller novels will enjoy this book. I also believe that anyone who enjoys any of the other books by Mr. Luzzatto will likely also enjoy reading this book. It really t was a captivating and well written story and one that I enjoyed reading all the way to the end.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this, it had the apocalyptic mind control hive mind that I was looking for from the description. I enjoyed getting to go on this journey with Olivia and how the author was able to use the genre to create something really engaging. Kfir Luzzatto Does an amazing job in writing this and creating a unique world in the genre and how it left me wanting to read more. I thought the overall concept worked well in the genre and you could tell that it had that thriller concept that I was looking for, It was suspenseful and I enjoyed the genetic engineering of the story. I hope to read more from the author as this was really well done and glad I got to read this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cyrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, the concept of bacteria storing memories and essentially creating a "hive mind" takeover is such a cool and creepy idea.🫣 I was really drawn into the mystery right from the start, especially with Olivia’s ability to see "echoes" of the past. The story moves quickly, and the idea that we're all just perfect hosts for this microscopic invasion really made me think. It's a fast and entertaining read that blends science, action, and a solid dose of paranoia. A solid pick for anyone who enjoys a smart, fast-paced biological thriller.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good sci fi thriller read that kept me guessing and engaged