We Can Use Literature To Make Ourselves Uncomfortable

And all the better for it

a woman sitting on an armchair in a cozy cottage reads a book which is a window to a different dimension, neat, sleek, digital art — by DALL·E

My mum cannot stand fantasy or science fiction, two of my favourite genres. This has been an immutable fact in my life. My brother and I would grow exceedingly excited about the many books we shared and the stories we would create. My dad and grandma always made up the most surreal tales, so we knew a story only needed a free mind with some time to spare. Later, as a teenager, a friend and I created a world and a political game that took place there. As an adult, I have spent most of my time writing and telling stories. Yet, my mum, who happens to be an avid reader, cannot suffer fantastical and futuristic narrations. Why?

Admittedly, there are far too many strange aspects about our families that we accept and do not question, either for lack of interest, awareness or courage. Indeed, I have had to read several non-fiction books written around a hundred years ago to understand my mum’s apprehension. Every sci-fi buff should try reading the memoirs of someone born a century and a half ago, written over five decades back. More than historical fiction or even history essays, I have found these accounts to be much tougher to grasp, their realities harder to visualise. It isn’t only the language used, the events described or even the dissonance between their social values and ours, but the…