Optimism and pessimism
A reflection on firsts
The last couple of weeks have been full of firsts for me. A first poem, written and submitted. A short story, sent to a magazine for the first time. And a first rejection! Apparently these are a lot more common in fiction than research, so I’m expecting hundreds to follow! After more than a decade in academia, writing and submitting work should surely be second nature, I tell myself, but somehow I’m back to that bundle of nerves and insecurity. Writing fiction seems somehow much more personal than writing journal articles and outreach pieces.
I’ve realised that the themes that began to penetrate my academic work in my later years are infiltrating my fiction too. I find myself drawing on my deep seated desire to draw attention to environmental issues. So whilst my worlds may be futuristic or alternative, there are still imbalances between nature and the sentient beings that inhabit the realm. Damage and destruction are evident, and whilst I strive for optimism, bleak notes dominate, perhaps reflecting my own concerns about the damage we’re causing to our own planet.
Fantasy writing gives us a tool to illustrate a better future, a world where technology and nature coexist rather than the fight for domination we see today. One where cooperation and peace can defeat the monocultured powers dictating the shape of the world.
Plus, whatever the story, there’s always space for dragons.
