Dead Airwaves Episode 4: Plague Studies

A Comedy of Denial: Plague Studies follows two wealthy, out-of-touch aristocrats who refuse to believe in the deadly black plague ravaging their medieval world. Their pointed chatter, filled with bizarre conspiracy theories and outlandish justifications, turns a disaster into a darkly humorous farce.

Dark Humor Audio Short Story

Dead Airwaves is a short story podcast with stories of horror, sci-fi, and dark fantasy.

Credits:

Written and Performed by Jack Ward and John Bell
Theme Music By Tim Slade
Production By Mark Slade
Dead Airwaves Art By Cameron Hampton

Laughing in the Face of Pestilence: The Dark Humor of Plague Studies

Set in a medieval world beset by the dreaded black plague, this story zooms in on two wealthy aristocrats who remain blissfully, and willfully, ignorant of the crisis at their doorstep. Instead of donning protective masks, they fashion conspiracy theories. Rather than accepting that something deadly stalks their halls, they assure each other it’s all a plot conjured up by royalty, clergy, and union workers they barely understand.

The power of Plague Studies lies in how it balances absurd comedy with historical terror. The world beyond the whispery voices of these socialites is presumably chaotic, filled with coughing neighbors and an economy on the brink. And yet, locked within their perfumed chambers, our protagonists are convinced it’s all nonsense, a scheme to rob them of their precious “rights and privileges.” With stinging wit, the drama skewers denial, mistrust of authority, and the silly lengths people will go to maintain their comfort. In essence, Plague Studies plays with the notion that those in power, or in comfort, often cannot see the truth until it’s too late.