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

[clevermanka]

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.
Au contraire! I think it's INCREDIBLY helpful and is one of those weirdly timely things that makes me feel that "wow, maybe time isn't linear!" thing. Here's this giant, scary thing that people are having to deal with and here's this fucking amazing story with characters fighting and succeeding. It provides such good catharsis. Which yes, I think is a hugely useful thing, especially right now.

It does suck that you're feeling weird about it (instead of smug, which is totally where I'd be). That's not a cool feeling and I hadn't thought about those comments making you uncomfortable. I apologize for my part in that.

[ratbones]

Oh. Huh. Well, that is a totally different perspective. Things go so badly on the large scale in the fic that I figured on one level or another it would look alarmist/tend to freak people out more, if anything. But, okay, yeah, I see how it could be an optimistic thing too! The whole plot is about fighting back, not being helpless frightened victims. That is...I'm really glad it read that way for you, thanks for telling me. <3

No need to apologize, I love your comments! Admittedly I have been feeling weird about this, but I blame the kismet of my timing, not anyone who notices the connection.

[marycrawford]

I never thought for even a hot second that the two were related other than coincidentally, since your story came out much earlier, but I agree with manka - having a fabulous story that provides catharsis connected to a scary theme that's in the front of people's mind right now is great. I mean, that is part of what fiction is for, right? To tell stories about scary things, but have the good people win despite the odds (unlike IRL where a brave Chinese doctor died after warning people about the virus, alas).

Also, I get a little emotional about fandom sometimes and All-Consuming is one of those moments - it is so GOOD and reading it I feel like, how did I get so lucky? How can I be reading a novel length story about characters I love, that's as tightly paced as anything you could wish for in a pro novel, with a clever action/time travel plot AND a romance that makes me clutch myself and go eeee, and I just...get to read it for free? HOW?

I will be rereading and dropping some actual comments on AO3, so mostly this is just a heads-up for that, and a whole lot of <3 <3 <3 to throw your way.

[clevermanka]

I would be happy to leave a comment on the fic to that effect (with no mention of this post) if that would help.

[ratbones]

I'm really glad that that's your response as well! Yeah, you're right, of course. Stories that let us vicariously defeat the stuff that scares us in reality are perennially popular for a reason. I guess I was just concerned that the horror themes tied directly to a pandemic were not a good look. And with news stories like that one about the doctor who died, I don't want to accidentally push any upsetting buttons for people. But it sounds like mostly that's not the response people have after finishing the fic, so that reassures me.

Also, I get a little emotional about fandom sometimes and All-Consuming is one of those moments - it is so GOOD and reading it I feel like, how did I get so lucky?
ummm...blushy blush, hee. This is so very wonderful to hear? Thank you. I love this fandom really really hard and I am just happy to contribute my efforts, and extra happy that people enjoy them! I'll look forward to any comments. <3

[ratbones]

Oh, that is super sweet of you to offer, but really don't worry about it! I'm feeling way less anxious about it just having posted something myself (and having nobody tell me the fic is now offensive/distressing/anything like that, hah.)

[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

[nnozomi]

late to the party but I was thinking about this and hoping you were not continuing to worry; from my perspective at least, good fic is always a good thing (I'm still looking forward to the Epilogue too), and All-Consuming in particular is...the right distance removed from reality to be comforting rather than depressing? I mean, the coronavirus is bad, but actual zombies would be so much worse, to state the obvious. And it's heartening that it doesn't end in total despair and disaster, either. (I have also been thinking about going back to reread Anne McCaffrey's Moreta, do you know that one? influenza pandemic on another planet, with dragons, it seems like the time.)
in any case, best wishes and take all good care :)

[tinny]

you are in a weirdly unique position, having just written All-Consuming.

Is it life imitating art? ;P

Also: the hype level around corona really is more reminiscent of a zombie apocalypse than a virus with a lethality of 1%... O_o

[ratbones]

Oh, I'm glad that All-Consuming feels different enough from reality to not be too oppressive right now. I intended the fic to be optimistic; as zombie apocalypses go, it's a happy ending, but the context of COVID-19 makes the story look a lot darker in some ways. Which was obviously not something I expected. I do continue to feel kinda weird about that, but I'm really pleased that people are still enjoying the story! That's the important thing.

I'm aware of Dragonriders of Pern but somehow haven't read any of it (might have just missed it because of my age, I guess.) I had no idea there was one about a flu pandemic, that's awesome.

[ratbones]

Haha, I am not at all superstitious or I might wonder if this was somehow my fault. Of course, my infection didn't involve respiratory distress and also made people into mindless cannibalistic hunters, lol, but there's enough similarity that it's...yeah, it's weird.

I agree, the reaction feels pretty exaggerated to me. Calm down your toilet paper purchasing, people!