Ever heard of Jules Verne? J.R.R. Tolkien? Issac Asimov? Anne McCaffery? Mark Twain? Of course you have... how about Edgar Rice Burroughs? Howard Pyle? Mary Stewart? Robert Louis Stevenson? Rudyard Kipling? J.K. Rowling?
What do they have in common? They taught us about true life through the genres of fantasy and fiction.
They brought us fresh ideas in terms of technology... they stretched our minds to envision life on different worlds... alternate realities on this world... but consistently they all taught us about our own human nature. They created stories that helped society better understand its own nature and to separate 'good from 'evil'!
They taught us to distinguish good characteristics from bad characteristics!
A person who steals... a person who kills other people... have somehow justified this act to themselves... authors like those listed in this blog teach us to better understand our technological and social responsibilities! They allow us to sense, feel, smell and taste the essence of good moral behavior versus rationalized dogma!
Dare I add Charles Dickens... Alice Mary North (Andre Norton)? Alexandre Dumas? Arthur Canon Doyle? Ursula K. LeGuin? Candace L Sherman? The list is incredibly long and the words they write are about real human emotions and social interactions.
Fiction? Science fiction? Fantasy? High Fantasy? No Sir! No Mam! These are writer's of non-fiction actions/human interactions portrayed in a fictional setting!
In my first novel "The Elfkin Journals - Blending of the Races" - I also attempt to incorporate real science and forward thinking into the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre while addressing social issues that are important to me.
Give me a non-fiction book that talks about social injustice... human deprivation... and within ten pages I'm asking myself - "why am I reading this when I already heard about it... read about it... listened to it a thousand times in the news?"
The value of non-fiction is obvious to anyone who has ever needed to learn something... but through the venues of fantasy and science fiction... authors have an opportunity to stretch the readers minds while instilling a better understanding of good human values. The types of values that make us stronger as a civilization... as a united world!
Here is the key component in my mind... they make it personal... you become the hero(ine)! As you read, you are living through/surviving these situations... you are experiencing the very real pains and triumphs of the character. You live the experience and it forever changes a small part of you and how you perceive life!
Did I remember to include Robert Heilein? Lois McMaster? Patricia McKillip? Robert Jordan? Ad Infinitum!
The world and value of Fantasy Fiction is that it teaches very non-fictional truths in a very entertaining, engaging and mind stretching manner!
Read... grow... live life at its fullest! Do good to others and you help make the world a better place!
About the author:
amazon.com/author/jdeveres
Thanks for reading!
JDeVereS