Prevailing Pandemic:Vulnerability and Solidarity in Contemporary English and Chinese Fiction

In this introduction to the special issue we co-edited, we (Xiaohui Liang and Claire Chambers) examine how vulnerability and solidarity are portrayed in contemporary English and Chinese pandemic fiction, linking these depictions to philosophical inquiries into human resilience. Building on Platonic distinctions between Being and Becoming, we discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic unsettles notions of universal harmony, exposing global interdependencies. Through comparative analysis, we explore how cultural contexts shape portrayals of suffering and collective strength. Ultimately, we advocate for interdisciplinary dialogues such as those in the articcles that follow in order to deepen understanding of the pandemic’s transformative impacts on literature and society.