My answer is no, and from my very “scientific” research, I am not the only one who feels that way.
My very “scientific” research consisted of asking my friends and colleagues, both avid and casual readers, if they would be interested in reading a book about our current pandemic. I was sure one or two people would have loved the idea, but honestly, everyone said no.
Why?
In the beginning of the lockdown, I noticed that a lot of people were watching movies like Contagion and Outbreak. My son reread The Maze Runner because it’s post pandemic and dystopian. But I think people are done with those types of things. It was fun in the beginning because we didn’t know just how much the dictator-in-chief would fuck up the national response. Most didn’t know that the clown we currently call “president” had thrown away the How to Survive a Pandemic guidebook that President Obama had successfully used left him. Most didn’t know that he fired the whole pandemic team at the CDC.
And because of that…
COVID-19 fatigue is real, very real. I work in a hospital as a pharmacy tech, and while I’m not a nurse or doctor treating C-19 + patients, I feel like I’m neck deep in the pandemic every day. While I care so deeply for every life touched by this horrible illness, I am also tired of it, and so are so many of my co-workers. Don’t get me wrong, we are not the crowd who are tired of it and refuse to wear masks or refuse to believe the science behind social distancing and basic hygiene. We are the people who get home from work and don’t want to talk about the positive cases anymore. Home has become the one place I can pretend the world is normal. And books are my escape because nothing is normal.
Pandemic fatigue is why everyone told me they wouldn’t read a work of fiction or even a memoir about COVID-19. I’m sure as time passes more people will be willing to read about these things again, especially if we writers find an interesting way to spin/twist it.
Let me know in the comments if you are wanting to write or read something pandemic related!!
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Thought provoking post. I immersed myself in my writing as an escape from the world, but can understand that's not an option for many, so I've learn't to be more grateful for what I have.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised at all by this. I read books to escape. Books about pandemics are all too real now. No thanks. I do see some romance writers whipped up love in a pandemic books right quick. I wonder how they're selling?
ReplyDeleteI've found I don't want to read anything about these times right now, in fact I've been reading mostly thrillers as opposed to my usual fantasy/sci-fi reads. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think your hypothesis would hold up if we surveyed large numbers of people. Give me anything except pandemic right now. This said, I continue to read articles about the pandemic, and the point is I want to continue to keep reading them. The idea of a full book about the pandemic makes me want to vomit though. And I'm not on the front lines, so I can't imagine what it's like for you. I'm trying to what it's like on the front lines, because I'm not there. You're living it. Great post.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I are guilty of watching both Outbreak and Contagion shortly after the lockdown began :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you do.
I think we are all raw with emotion, worry and media overload currently to consider a pandemic narrative. It is not escapism but reality unfortunately.
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