Taking the
dark road.
Let’s start with a story.
When the movie Avatar came out in 2009, I was like every
other action movie fan, there on the first day. When it comes to
movies, I like them big and bold, splashy and thrilling. For a
reason I can’t remember, I saw it in the 2-D version, but quickly
realized that was a huge mistake, like riding a rollercoaster at
half the speed. The next day I rushed back and saw it in 3-D,
which was a whole new experience. This time the visuals were
even more startling and real, damn close to being transported to
a strange and dangerous new world.
So I’d already seen the movie twice, but then I went back
again with my son, because I wanted him to experience it too.
I should mention that he was only seven years old at the time,
and his most intense artistic experience at this point was the
SpongeBob SquarePants TV show. I can still remember him
sitting in his seat, his sneakers dangling above the floor,
watching the movie through the too big 3-D glasses. As the
Pandora dragons swooped and soared through that tangled
otherworldly jungle, I remember thinking that poor little
SpongeBob was going to seem pretty bland after this. As
we walked out of the movie, I also remember looking at his
blinking eyes, because I was looking for something very
specific. I was looking for the same look I’d had when I
was growing up, when I first saw Godzilla, Dracula, and
Frankenstein. . . a look of excited wonder and amazement.
I’m pretty sure I saw it.
Last year, I also took him to see The Hunger Games,
which probably put me ahead of the parental curve for taking
a 10 year old boy to see a movie about kids battling each other
to the death. But again, it was about giving him an experience
that was riveting and different, hoping to push his boundaries
away from the bland and boring.
Which brings me to what this blog will
be about.
Believe me, I love serious literature
and movies too, a
secret vice I don't often reveal, but as a writer that’s usually
not where my interests are. I love fantasy, horror, and science
fiction, because that's where the unexpected surprises are. I
love stories that suddenly rumble off the roads we travel
routinely in everyday life, and take us to a radically different
place that’s more startling than anything we’ve ever experienced
before. There are usually lots of shadows and some very strange
sights lurking in the dark. Because I honestly believe that dark
and fantastic stories celebrate life, just in a different way.
They illuminate its extreme complexity and showcase the
primal fears that make us who we are. There's no light without
darkness, no heroes without villains, no courage without fear.
secret vice I don't often reveal, but as a writer that’s usually
not where my interests are. I love fantasy, horror, and science
fiction, because that's where the unexpected surprises are. I
love stories that suddenly rumble off the roads we travel
routinely in everyday life, and take us to a radically different
place that’s more startling than anything we’ve ever experienced
before. There are usually lots of shadows and some very strange
sights lurking in the dark. Because I honestly believe that dark
and fantastic stories celebrate life, just in a different way.
They illuminate its extreme complexity and showcase the
primal fears that make us who we are. There's no light without
darkness, no heroes without villains, no courage without fear.
That’s what this blog will be
about.
So buckle up.
It’ll be getting darker ahead.
1 comment:
This is a great time for a blog like this. I look forward to reading you on a regular basis.
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