Graduate Studies

Digital Futures (MA, MDes and MFA)

Maria Yala

Once Upon A Virus

Once Upon A Virus is an interactive fiction tale that retells the story of HIV by using fantasy to critique societal attitudes towards disease.

“This work draws on queer and feminist writers’ practice of subverting literature as an act of resistance, reflection and therapy. the story subverts iconic fairy tale motifs to critique issues such as transphobia, violence against women, homophobia, and pharmaceutical greed. Using fairy tales, the work brings the HIV virus into a fantasy realm through the creation of a dynamic work of fiction that grows and changes, revealing more layers as it is read and interacted with. ”