addressing a puppy-sized elephant in the room

[ratbones]

"You know that Lizzo song that goes like 'Why men great till they gotta be great?' I've been singing a version of that in my head but with different lyrics which go 'The world doesn't need your coronavirus hot take.'" - John Green in the first ten seconds of this video

I've been trying to think of something to say about COVID-19 and the obvious but completely coincidental thematic overlap with the long longfic I finished posting recently, but really, I got nothing. My degree is in astrophysics; I have no relevant expertise here. I have a little bit of experience in how to make a pandemic into an entertaining story, which is the opposite of useful right now. I don't keep up with the news (one might say I generally avoid the news as much as possible and get my coronavirus information from the CDC and WHO websites) so I have gaps in my knowledge of current events. If anyone has thoughts, feel free to think them at me! I just thought I'd better make some kind of note somewhere, since people are picking up on the confluence of events, that I don't have a take, and that All-Consuming is...okay, I wouldn't say it's wholly apolitical, but it's not a specific commentary on any news story.

EDIT 4/22/20, for those coming from the link in the author's note: WELP. The fic still isn't about coronavirus, but, look, this is the world we live in now. The story is permanently entangled with the actual plague that it accidentally presaged. I hope it can be comforting or hopeful in some way. (For what it's worth, I've come around to finding the whole thing kinda funny?) If the fic brings up feelings, I'd be delighted to talk to you about it. <3

Comments

[extrapenguin]

1. The CDC is apparently being an underfunded hot mess about covid right now, so looking at more local level leadership might be a good idea? Or just wash your hands and and don't spread any bugs you might catch, especially not to elderly or immunocompromised people. On the science side, you might enjoy the situation report by NextStrain, or this overview with links about what is currently known.

2. WRT All-Consuming, I think you finished it off just in time for it to not look terribly topical. Had it started posting now, it would look very different.

3. Coronavirus take cold enough to cure global warming forever: wash your hands. (Twitter thread with the science of soap vs viruses!)

(I haven't joined Twitter! I have merely started procrastinating by reading about the covid situation through scientist outreach twitters! I should probably go write fic instead...)

[ratbones]

I made the post because I've had a few questions/comments regarding All-Consuming. I don't think anyone's thinking I was intentionally making a commentary, the timing doesn't work, but I wanted to acknowledge the similarities and be transparent about my (non)views.

Thanks for the links! And, yes, of course, hand-washing and sneezing/coughing into the elbow and so forth. Re the CDC vs local sources, I'm out in the boondocks. There's not much that's relevant, and I don't think my keeping a superclose eye on developments is likely to keep anyone safer. I'm already pretty much as reclusive as I can possibly be, lol, so.

"I haven't joined Twitter" is what they all say right before they succumb. ;)

[extrapenguin]

Ahh, yeah, people gotta people. Congrats on receiving comments on the fic? I hope they comment on the fic instead of only soliciting your hot takes on covid vs zombies, at any rate.

I see you've also activated the "become a hermit" part of social distancing years in advance, lol. Let's hope it works.

I don't see myself joining Twitter – most posts are inane and I find it full of BS; I suspect this is just the newest form of Autism Obsession Brain finding something shiny. Probably socially conditioned, too; small talk in these parts has been 99% coronavirus for months. It'll find something else to do soon enough.

But speaking of zombies, have this line from my next project:
Zhao Yunlan realized that, like a zombie, he'd fallen in love with Shen Wei for his brain.

[ratbones]

Oh, nobody's hassling me or commenting off-topic or anything! There have just been a few, like, "this is extra creepy right now" type things, in the course of people saying entirely lovely things about the fic itself.

Some 30% of me wants to join Twitter and just sequester myself in the Guardian part of it, but the other 70% knows that that's impossible by design. (highly likely worst-case scenario: winding up reading about the US presidential election.) So. No twitter for ratto. I see how COVID-19 could turn into a bit of a fascination though.

Zhao Yunlan realized that, like a zombie, he'd fallen in love with Shen Wei for his brain.
Lmao. We're really circling the drain of somebody writing the "Zhao Yunlan is Shen Wei's pet zombie" fic. Also, don't front, Yunlan, the brain isn't the only part you love. :P

[extrapenguin]

Ah, yeah, I can see where those people are coming from. (Though if it were me, I'd probably not add that to the comment, since it's not like you caused the coronavirus outbreak. Or just not connect the dots between zombies and reality. *g*)

(highly likely worst-case scenario: winding up reading about the US presidential election.)
I think the probability of this approaches certainty, since I've come across more than I wanted to on the US presidential election trying to look for virus genomes. Be wise and continue staying off twitter!

We're really circling the drain of somebody writing the "Zhao Yunlan is Shen Wei's pet zombie" fic. Also, don't front, Yunlan, the brain isn't the only part you love. :P
Lol! You tempt me with your song of crack. Though in Yunlan's defense, the brain was the part of his lovely Shen Wei most relevant to the situation. Even if he does appreciate every other piece of his Shen Wei. Especially the gropable bits. ;P