People keep asking me when I will be releasing a story (even a short story) about the current pandemic, so I thought it would be a good idea to state my position here.
SARS-COV-2 is a novel coronavirus that was first discovered in the human population in late 2019 (although was probably around for longer). This strain is particularly dangerous due to its ability to spread rapidly before the host starts showing symptoms.
Back in the 1980s I was experimenting with Artificial Intelligence by building mass population simulations (yes nerds know how to have fun too). One thing I found was that the spread of an infection (or meme) is strongest when the vector is spread rapidly before it is cauterised. For an infection, this is the COVID-19 pattern. For a meme, Fakebook is a great example.
So to me, the pandemic is three stories
- The science (how the disease spreads and how a rational population would deal with it)
- The personal (how a sufferer and their family are affected)
- The politics (how opposing forces enforce their ideologies in the face of something that challenges their objectives)
The first of these have been covered adequately since 1969 by luminaries such as Michael Crichton. I could not hope to do better, particularly as that word “rational” seems to be missing in the current social climate.
I do not believe that a fictional story could do justice to the second -besides, we are being overwhelmed with opinion dressed as YouTube research on this subject. Only a biography tracing the real personal horrors of this disease is appropriate. I have decided I will not write true-life biographies (another blog post on that subject).
The third story (politics) shouldn’t really have surprised us. We saw it in World War I, Vietnam, the “Coalition of the Willing” invasion, etc, etc. The cannon fodder class being swamped with propaganda from their masters that it is their duty to die for their country. (The assertion in all these examples was that “My Country” is not the population, but the interests of one member of the Leader class).
So although I doubt I will ever write a pandemic story, the Arkship Universe is all about the social and political climate that drives what we are seeing right now. I don’t have a war story planned, (personally I find war tales repetitive and one dimensional); but when I do, it could be set on an Arkship planet as a metaphor for our Earth Leader, Mr Murdoch’s insistence that the Service Caste get straight back to work and die.
My condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one in these terrible times. My hopes and best wishes for the many more who will be permanently damaged – physically, emotionally and (of course) morally.
Gerald St Clare, Daylesford, Australia. 22 Aug 2020.
