From literature and films, what did you expect and what did you not expect about a pandemic?

[KindergartenKop]

I'm quite a fan of apocalyptic books. There are a few things about the current pandemic which appear as tropes in this genre. For example, there are still buses with posters on advertising films released in March!

On the other hand, the books and films never warned me about the government floundering though this situation. In the books it all happens much more quickly and the government are usually all gone by week 3 (I get that in reality that would be a very bad thing though!)

What did you expect?

@WitchesSpelleas

From 'Outbreak' I thought all they'd need to do was find someone who'd recovered and synthesise their antibodies then we'd all be sorted.

Yes, and it should have mutated at least two or three times by now!

There should be a desperate hunt on to find the original bat, as that's the only way to cure everyone.

If I were the protagonist I should have met The One, and we would have had a whirlwind romance

I’d met someone who probably isn’t The One but had all the makings of being a very pleasant diversion. But his work is not covid-safe and I’m ECV. I would like to say it’s a new scenario of star-crossed lovers, but really it’s just a fizzle out.

@lljkk

Which story put toilet roll shortages in the plot?

It’s not a plague apocalypse, more of an economic one, but Lionel Shriver’s The Mandibles foresaw the toilet roll hoarding.

I agree with the boredom and flatness being unexpected. I guess months of not doing much or going anywhere don’t really make for the most scintillating if screenplay/novels.

I have never , eg, read a 600 pager called ‘months on end - will there be no end to this?’ or seen a trilogy called ‘week 1 the food delivery supremacy’ ‘week 2 the waving through window ultimatum’ week 3 ‘return to Netflix’.
If I had I’d have had some idea.

@MillieEpple

You know we are still in the first quater of the film. The setting it up bit.

Yep. And the problem is we can't change the channel (well we can, but the only thing on the other side is that bloody terrifying film about how a former world superpower became a dictatorship ).

The film Contagion was fairly close to how this pandemic going.

Being part of a monumental piece of history is boring. No one ever says that in the books etc. Boring and tiring. Also nothing about being menopausal and having to wear a mask while having a hot flush

@CeramicGuineaPig is it any good? I love Need to Talk About Kevin and So Much For That, but I've found everything else I've read by her hard going.

@MillieEpple

You know we are still in the first quater of the film. The setting it up bit.

This just pushed me over the edge because I think you’re right I spent the very beginning of 2020 convinced it was going to be a great year, the first lockdown thinking there’s still time and now in second lockdown (wales) staring down the barrel of a no deal brexit... 2021 is going to be the main event isn’t it??

I didnt realise it would go on so long!

Like a previous poster I also didn't factor in hot flushes.

Very disappointed about the lack of pus if I am being completely honest.

@frumpety I actually lolled. Yes. I'd prefer a pus filled pandemic. Read 'Domesday Book' by Connie somebody. It's about a girl who time travels back to the Black Death (accidentally) and there's a great buboe squeezing scene.

I thought the streets would be chock full of people running around manically but, and it might just be that I live in a cul de sac, I swear everyone is at home, sat in front of their telly as usual.

Done and dusted in less than 2 hours? 🤔

Boredom, worry about economic future and not being able to Source a replacement trampoline net.

None of it surprised me that much, but then given it's not a fatal pandemic, it's not very comparable to the usual plots lines where civilisation collapses because most people are dead. We're just making it collapse by arguing about statistics and politicians saving their arses by avoiding some old people dying a bit sooner than they would have and throwing everything else on the bonfire. Oh well.

Randall Flagg!

I thought everyone would be recovered or dead within 3 months max.

I now have a newfound empathy for everyone who was alive during WW2 and complained constantly about how dull and annoying and limited everything was.

I thought there would be Cornettos.

I thought there would be far more hazmat suits and soldiers from the army wandering around!

I did expect a hell of a lot more deaths. The scaremongering that happened back in March was so intense I was convinced that I was gonna kiss goodbye to anyone I knew over the age of 60.

I did not expect the Stasi wannabes reporting neighbours, being mask bullies and getting kicks out of finally being able to be a tremendous busybody in public.

[quote JesusInTheCabbageVan]@CeramicGuineaPig is it any good? I love Need to Talk About Kevin and So Much For That, but I've found everything else I've read by her hard going.[/quote]
I was about to say The Mandibles mentioned toilet roll shortage too! It stuck in my head so much I made sure we had enough in the cupboard early March.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan I haven’t read any other book by her so have nothing to compare to but I enjoyed it-found it hard to get into, so much so I was close to giving up but once it got going I couldn’t put it down.

Much more Waterless Flood, to be honest. Living up a tree wrapped in a duvet with half a pair of sunglasses! Avoiding the wolvogs.

Although Chick-i-nubs might really be a thing

Great thread