Survivors (1975-77)Sløborn (2020)Black Death (2010)Isle of the Dead (1945)Contracted (2013)Crimes of the Future (1970)Mayhem (2017)Blindness (2008)Panic in the Streets (1950)Carriers (2009)Help (2021) “I have had a headache all day. I am afraid of what will happen next…” A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic is a film book like no other. It opens with the author’s first-hand account of the Covid-19 pandemic and life in lockdown. His sense of dread, and anxiety about his state of health, were experiences shared with millions of others across the world. Already committed to writing a book about plagues and pandemics in popular culture, Covid-19 felt like a perverse twist of fate. Media depictions of deadly contagions had, to this point, been speculative and often off the mark; his book takes an in-depth look at what filmmakers imagined would happen and contrasts it with the reality.International in scope, the book examines films in a wide variety of genres, from the silent era to the present day. Black Death, Ebola, Mad Cow Disease, Bird Flu — it explores fictionalized accounts of plague and pestilence such as box-office hit Outbreak (1995), as well as ‘mockumentary‘ treatments. Whether the threats depicted have a basis in reality — the biowarfare of the Cold War era, for instance — or are more fantastical, Richard Scheib demonstrates how the fear of contagion has provided a wealth of inspiration for the big and small screen. Table of Contents Covid and Me: Dispatches from Death’s MailboxPART ONE: THE ESSENTIALS OF THE PANDEMIC AND OUTBREAK FILMChapter 1: Earliest TreatmentsChapter 2: Biowarfare Agents and ThreatsChapter 3: The World in the Aftermath of a PandemicPART TWO: REAL WORLD PANDEMICSChapter 4: The Black DeathChapter 5: Life after EbolaChapter 6: The Bird Flu and assorted other OutbreaksChapter 7: Assorted other PandemicsPART THREE: PANDEMICS OF A MORE OUTLANDISH NATUREChapter 8: The Zombie ApocalypseChapter 9: Vampirism as Pandemic Chapter 10: Mass Insanity OutbreaksChapter 11: More Exotic OutbreaksPART FOUR: THE ERA OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMICChapter 12: Life During Lockdown: The Films of the Covid-19 PandemicChapter 13: Tales from Covid LockdownChapter 14: The World in the Aftermath of a Pandemic Part II: Covid EditionChapter 15: Works about other PandemicsThank yousIndex Key Points A film-by-film exploration of pandemics and plagues in film and television;Explores adaptations of works by cult writers such as Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe;Goes beyond the usual blockbuster movies, also analysing made-for-TV movies and TV series. Paperback Edition Title: A VIEWING GUIDE TO THE PANDEMICSubtitle: Depictions of Plague and Pandemic on Film and TVAuthor: Richard ScheibISBN: 978-1-915316-39-4Street Date: April 3, 2025Category: Film & TV, HorrorRetail Price: UK £18.99 / US $23.95Binding: PaperbackSize: 240mm x 170mmPages: 218Illos: 43 B&W posters and film stills Special Edition Hardback As the trade paperback, except this special NO-ISBN hardback is exclusive to this website. Because it carries No ISBN number, this edition of the book is off the grid in as much as it doesn’t appear on any database, in any library, cannot be ordered through mainstream bookshops or online retailers. Press Jim McleodGinger Nuts Of Horror “Groundbreaking […] weaving together cinematic analysis, historical context, and raw personal narrative. Scheib transforms what could have been a dry filmography into a meditation on how art anticipates, distorts, and mirrors our collective biological nightmares.” The Bedlam FilesAdam Groves “This book was written in April 2022, which explains the apocalyptic air that suffuses it; the CDC has relaxed its Covid guidelines considerably since ‘22, and Scheib admits his introduction was ‘written in a heat of fearful alarmism.’ That, however, doesn’t detract from the subject matter.” Roger BattyMusique Machine “The book opens with a nine-page chapter, looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected [author Scheib] and his partner, both of whom have respiratory issues. The chapter truly brings back the feelings of fear, bewilderment, and disbelief we all had during that time. […] A Viewing Guide To The Pandemic is both a useful reference book and an engaging/ entertaining read.” RNZDavid Slevin Dan Slevin interviews film critic Richard Scheib about his book, A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic. Slice of SciFiSummer Brooks Summer Brooks interviews author Richard Scheib on A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic, "a fun one to add to your library." Flick AttackRod Lott “2023’s recommended Diseased Cinema covered similar ground, albeit limited to American shores and written by three academics. Scheib admits he’s no expert in that regard, but that’s for the book’s betterment. In fact, his introduction details how terrifying COVID was for him and his companion, both at high risk due to respiratory disorders. That vulnerable decision makes A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic personal — and, therefore, relatable. Stay safe!” The PostGraeme Tuckett “Richard Scheib is an undersung Kiwi hero who deserves to be celebrated. A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic is available from Headpress Books. Richard’s site Moria Reviews is free for anyone to use and lose themselves in. Go and have a look today. I reckon you'll be as amazed and delighted as I was.” Look Inside Click Image For Sample Pages Excerpt Panic In The Streets: The Beginnings Of The Pandemic And Outbreak Film Go to Excerpt » 6th May 2025 1 Comment
