Weird poll time, and I don’t think that this one’s even been done yet. (I’m almost 30% sure of it.)
And “conditions” or “syndromes” count as well, as long as they’re fictional. Although “favorite” is somewhat subjective, I’ll conceede.
For starters?
•The Mutaba Virus from “Outbreak.” Just like Ebola, only airbourne. A classic.
•The ****, from the Marvel Comics universe. Aka “The Techno-Organic Virus.” Transforms the organic tissue of it’s victims into a technological construct. Nasty stuff, but good for clearing out the ranks of luddites. (Yuuzhan Vong, I’m looking at you, 'ere!)
So…any other suggestions? And a outline of the symptoms for each entry would be appreciated.
The one from Star Trek that makes everybody horny. It made orgies break out on both Kirk’s and Picard’s Enterprises. I can’t remember what it’s called (if in fact it was ever named).
Although now that I think about it, it also made Data uncontrollably aroused, so maybe it wasn’t a disease but some other phenomenon . . . Trek Dopers . . . ?
My choice? No contest…cathynpnia, the childhood disease that renders its small victims both lethargic and telepathic, and elegible for “treatment” by the mysterious McNair Foundation.
From the brilliant Peter Dickinson’s especially-brilliant 1971 mystery novel Sleep and His Brother.
Good one. To which I’ll add vampirism (in some books and movies it’s caused by a virus or bacteria).
And according to a couple websites I’ve looked at since my first post in this thread, the horniness that afflicted the Enterprises’ crews was indeed a disease of some sort, even though it affected Data who I thought should be immune to such things. The ST:TOS episode was called "The Naked Time"and the ST:TNG episode was called “The Naked Now.”
On an old soap opera (can’t remember which) there was a woman who suffered from ‘hysterical pregnancy’. It was a psychologic disorder wherein she wanted to be pregnant so badly that her periods stopped and her tummy started expanding. It was a very bizarre storyline…
IIRC the horniness disease from ST was caused by “long chain water molecules” or some such treknobabble.
My favorite fictional diseases are the ones, too numerous to list off, in which if the serum/vaccine/antidote is administered by, say, 11:51 AM then the disease will go into instant remission with no after-effects of any kind, but at 11:52 AM it’s too late and the end result is a 100% fatality rate.
Oh, and also what at least one movie reviewer has termed “Ali McGraw Disease” from its appearance in Love Story, the symptoms of which are to have it announced one is ill and then die shortly thereafter.
The Vapors is very real as well, just very Southern. Actually it’s just gas, but real southern belles don’t have gas, they “get tha’ vapahs.” Just like they don’t sweat, they glisten.