In a world of 24-hour news cycles and constant social media updates, it can seem impossible to escape our current stressful reality. So voluntarily choosing to read even more about world-ending plagues and their effects on the human psyche may feel a bit morbid or sadistic. It can be hard to see the benefit of immersing oneself in fictional worlds that parallel our own unprecedented levels of uncertainty, stress, and fear. However, there is an argument to be made that such tales offer us a glimpse of hope. Now, that may strike you as absurd. How can dystopian fiction cheer us up? For one, dystopian fiction generally shows us much worse scenarios than we find ourselves in, even now. We aren’t that far gone. Confronting the scariest and darkest possibilities provides us with a chance to mentally practice for the worst and may let us feel more prepared for the future. Sure, we aren’t fighting off zombie hordes or holing up in abandoned malls, struggling to create a new social order. But we now have an idea of how to do those things should the opportunity confront us. Additionally, in fiction, there is, almost, always a way out. There is always a happier ending. All is not lost. If our fictional ancestors found a way out of these impossible situations, we can see a path out of the one currently weighing us down. Perhaps these stories can remind us of humankind’s resilient nature and give us hope for what lies ahead.
Here are just a few examples of how plagues have played out in fiction—some highly realistic and some fantastical in nature. May you find hope in their tales.