Writing a pandemic

A lot of fantasy is written in something that approximates to a medieval world. Not all, but a goodly amount. And has the usual tropes.

The medieval world was overwhelmingly one where life was nasty,brutish, and short. More often than not, people died from the various infections they got. There were no antibiotics, no proper understanding of how infections and diseases were caused (“miasmas”!). A great many died young. It was noteworthy when someone lived much beyond what could be considered a normal lifespan given all the ways (physical, ailments, accidents) could kill people. There were few “old people” as we interpret the term in such worlds.

It’s no surprise that the four horsemen of the apocalypse are pestilence, war, famine, and death. A merry combination indeed. War and death are often featured in fantasy. Famine occasionally and there’s some inclusion of pestilence.

However, I’ve yet to read a story set within a pandemic environment like the one we’re going through. Taht said, I’ve a great French comic book that sets the story at a time of plague and this influences the plot in myriad ways without taking over. And the story is a good one.

To be fair, writers have addressed the issue of disease in their stories. Disfigurement or disability is one possibility. I’m thinking Song of Ice and Fire here where greyscale can leave a person disfigured (a kind of limited leprosy in a way). Incapacity at a critical juncture is another. Dysentry, cholera and other “war” diseases are often referred to but seldom seem to affect named characters. Fevers are used as an obstacle or delayer.

Yet when we read history, we discover that some ailment often either incapacitated a critical actor or killed them just at a critical moment.

Perhaps the current pandemic will lead writers to include more medical aspects to their stories. I know I will.