Is Ula Kana an allegory for COVID? Nope. Although...

Aug 07, 2021 17:00


In Lava Red Feather Blue, Merrick awakens Larkin (and the destructive faery Ula Kana) in March 2020, unleashing all kinds of mayhem on his country. Given the date, you might wonder: does Ula Kana represent COVID-19?

The short and obvious answer is no, I didn't intend that, nor could I have, given I wrote the entire thing before anyone had heard of COVID. I set the timing as the current year (that is, the year it was during the editing phase) so that it wouldn't seem too dated; end of story. HOWEVER...

I'm fine with retrospective reinterpretations. And if asked, I generally say the fae represent nature, and the fae-human conflicts and harmonies represent our complicated but vital relationship with the rest of the natural world. And what is a dangerous virus if not a particularly nasty piece of the natural world?

So, though I didn't intend it: sure, you could make a case for Ula Kana being the 'rona. But it was through coincidence, not design.

(Eidolonia does not, as far as we know, have an actual COVID outbreak. They don't have a lot of contact with the rest of the world, not to mention they have magic. They get enchantment-related illnesses, which are nasty, but my firm belief is they'd obliterate regular infectious diseases in no time flat.)

lava red feather blue

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