India, Oct. 9 -- Guess what was spreading faster than the coronavirus at the start of this decade? Digital wildfires. Defined as "inaccurate, counterfactual, or intentionally misleading pieces of information that quickly permeate public consciousness and have serious real-world implications", digital wildfires, according to the World Economic Forum, are among the top global risks of the century.

What's the connection between digital wildfires and Sri Lankan author Ashok Ferrey's latest novel, Hot Butter Cuttlefish? One of its plot points has to do with how the miraculous water promoted as a cure for coronavirus (mis)informs the lives of the novel's characters - Malik, a personal trainer, Kamala, the maid of the 58-year-old Arthur Reginal...