Smut? or social issue smut?

[resonant]

Would I like to read quarantine fanfic? I'm not really sure.

On the one hand, it's an easy twist on the classic stranded/safehouse trope family, which has many well-established virtues.

On the other hand, is it fun to read about something if you're undergoing the same thing? If it's boring you? If it's stressing you out? If it's forcing you to homeschool algebra to a kid who at this point knows more math than you do?

What do y'all think?



My entire job can be done from home, so my days aren't really that different, except that on slow days I can wander into the kitchen and bake bread.

The kidlet was home for spring break, and suddenly the university is going online-only and shutting all the dorms, so we have to make a quick road trip and clean out their room. I suspect we're going to be somewhat under each other's feet, but we're both introverts and good negotiators. As a mom, I admit I'm happy that if my kid should get sick, I'd be there to provide soup.

I'm missing the spouse, but it seems irresponsible to take my city germs to his tiny town, so for the nonce we have an online-only marriage.

Comments

[sara]

I have to say that sadly my impression is it will be even more difficult to find love during the pandemic. Like...yeah.

[resonant]

In real life, yes. In fiction, possibly the impossible will be possible.

[goss]

an online-only marriage

Heh. "Online Marriage" sounds like it could be some type of modern-era fic trope. *g*

[jesse_the_k]

+1000

[resonant]

Virtual Marriage could be even funnier. We could have two Skype lectures a week plus a video chatroom for discussions.

[lunabee34]

I wouldn't mind reading about my fandom faves quarantined for other reasons, but I don't want to read about them quarantined for the coronavirus.

I'm glad your family is doing okay, and I'm sorry you and your spouse are separated.

[resonant]

They could be in the Biosphere and not even know this stuff was happening outside.

[lunabee34]

That could work.

[rheasilvia]

Personally, I don't like to read about anything that closely reflects my own personal sphere of experience - I want reality and fiction to stay nicely separated, so as not to damage my suspension of disbelief. And beyond that, I like my fiction to be an escape from reality, and a quarantine story wouldn't really let me escape, so...

Glad to hear you're all doing well! I'm holding up well, too. I have everything I need, and am not actually having a terribly hard time with social distancing as of yet. I work from home normally, so that's good, too.

[resonant]

I'm glad it's not too hard for you. And I hear you about escape fiction. But I'd definitely read "trapped together in a Pensieve" or something.

[erika]

Yeah, this occasion desperately calls for Time in a Bottle, a Stargate Atlantis fic by astolat about the main pairing getting trapped in a virtual reality, potentially forever. It's so good, and re-reading it right now is soothing to me.

[pauraque]

I'm firmly in the "don't want to read it" camp, but if it helps some to cope then more power to 'em.

[resonant]

Commenters are sharing your opinion here. It will be interesting, though, to look at AO3 three to six months down the road and try to pick out how this stuff influenced what got written.

[trobadora]

I don't want to read it myself right now, but I can see why other people would. I don't mind so long as I can personally avoid it.

[resonant]

Speaking of avoiding it, have you noticed that in general news sites the commonly used tag was "coronavirus," and then it was "covid-19," and then it went back to "coronavirus"? Everybody needs to agree on a tag for blacklisting!

[the_shoshanna]

As I understand it, "coronavirus" is the virus, and COVID-19 is the illness it causes.

[trobadora]

Yeah, and some are just using "corona", too ...

[the_shoshanna]

Not only do I emphatically not want to read quarantine/pandemic fic, I was reading a wholly unrelated story last night and started getting anxious when a character got pneumonia.

Time for cozy historical romance, I think.

[resonant]

Not unrelated, I have trouble with historical romance (at least the het kind) because the idea of pregnancy before, um, about 1960 just *worries* me.

[the_shoshanna]

Hee, fortunately virtually all my cozy historical romance is m/m!

[exceptinsects]

YES I so agree about historical romances, all I can think is YOU’RE GOING TO GET PREGNANT AND DIE HORRIBLY, THAT’S NOT SEXY

[jesse_the_k]

If anyone can make "rona" fic shine, it would be you!

Fansplaining just discussed this topic in some detail -- podcast & transcript
https://www.fansplaining.com/episodes/122-wash-your-hands-and-read-some-fic

The Fansplaining hosts claimed that "rona" is what cool kids are calling the virus. I'm doubtful but I'm curious what kidlet thinks.

[resonant]

Oh, thanks for the link! I'll check that out.

The kidlet says, "Of *course* I can't speak for the cool kids. Who do you think I am?"

[laurenthemself]

Gods, apocafic is my jam and I don't even want to read and write that at the moment, let alone go right into quarantine territory.

I think the difference really is that we're going through this, it's too close to home, and unlike being snowed in or in witness protection or what have you, there's really no clear end date.

[exceptinsects]

It’s weird, I didn’t think I would want to read quarantine fic but someone I subscribe to wrote one and I was all excited to read it until I found it was an established relationship one where they were trapped APART not TOGETHER and I was like, no.

As long as it was fluffy enough I would totally read one.