Break on through to the other side

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Jaymon
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Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:51 pm

Re: Break on through to the other side

Post by Jaymon »

Connie Willis book Doomsday Book, is set somewhat in the future. There is an outbreak of an unknown virus. As part of the story its mentioned there have been pandemics in the past. So local to where the outbreak happens, it goes into lockdown mode, and its a normal sort of thing for them. (its set on london) the tubes shut down, road blocks go up, everybody shelters in place. government folks show up in hazmat suits with testing kits.

the blood samples are shipped off to WHO or CDC, (I don't remember the acronym she uses) for sequencing. Its like, this is the new normal because its happened a few times. just like if you live in USA tornado ally, you know what to do when the tornado siren goes off. Now, across the world, you know what to do when a hospital identifies an unknown strain of virus that causes a fatality. the local area goes into lockdown, testing kits come out, the vector tracing folks show up. labs around the world get blood samples and start work on sequencing.

And like, everybody is annoyed, but nobody rebels. I know its a feel good scifi book, but I have hope that this could end up being the new normal. We, humanity, could get our shit together. Covid-19 is not going to wipe us off the planet, but its hopefully a big enough scare that we sort ourselves out.



I know there is a lot of doom and gloom going on right now. but we , meaning humanity in general, and successfully gotten our shit together many times in the past, and I fully believe we are going to do it again.

Also, Connie Willis is fantastic. If you need something to read. Doomsday Book is really good. Her novel Passage, after I read that the first time, When I finished it, I immediately went back to page one and read it again. Its that good, seriously. Its the only book I have ever done that with, read cover to cover twice in a row.
Bunnies like beer because its made from hops.
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Holman
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Re: Break on through to the other side

Post by Holman »

Jaymon wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 11:38 am And like, everybody is annoyed, but nobody rebels. I know its a feel good scifi book, but I have hope that this could end up being the new normal. We, humanity, could get our shit together. Covid-19 is not going to wipe us off the planet, but its hopefully a big enough scare that we sort ourselves out.
Some places will. China will do it under a heavy hand, and Western Europe and some others will do it because it makes good social sense.

The question is whether the USA can do it for the public good or will instead mutilate and murder itself because Freedom!!1!
Also, Connie Willis is fantastic.
+1
Much prefer my Nazis Nuremberged.
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