(no subject)

I've always considered myself a bit of a writer. Mind you, I don't think I am much of one - there have been some individuals (one in particular) who have disagreed with that self assessment, but I can't deny that at times I am awed by the control over imagery some writers possess, while I am often times much more technical or literal in my descriptions. Writing as I understand it - especially fiction or science fiction writing - was about having a voice unique to you. Maybe not so much about fancy, twenty word sentences describing the absolute nature of a sidewalk puddle...but I digress. My mentor said one thing to me a long time ago, and that was that writing was about showing, not telling. I agree with that, but it is not as easy as it might appear.

I've been considering lately different ideas. Mostly science fiction anymore - I'm not so drawn to the mystical or fantastical worlds that I was when I was young. But the problem is, I think, everything. What exactly does one write about? The most common theme currently seems to be post-apocalypse. This was a theme in past science fiction, too - Foundation comes to mind. A scientist on Tartarus discovers an equation that can tell him the exact point at which the Galactic Empire crumbles, and so he sends two different ships to colonize two different planets on two extreme ends of the universe with different (polarized?) sorts of knowledge and information to go with them. Nowadays it seems all about viruses and zombies, and an apocalypse that occurs much sooner (like, now, or within the next couple decades) than long after galactic colonization. Even our media in the past decade has really picked up on the potential for civilization ending catastrophe, especially with regards to viruses.

I don't really like the virus idea. I think there's metaphors that play in zombie writing, and I don't like it - even if it might be true. I think that metaphor primarily is, MOST of the human population is destroying the planet/consuming everything/endangering the lives of everything around them with complete abandon and without consciousness of it. That defines a zombie perfectly, and it also defines some of our current issues (climate change, resource depletion, the stereotypical western mentality of "me vs. them" - it even describes cultural peer pressure to assimilate.) And while zombies might make for an interesting/horrifying/gory film (or not) and while the metaphor as I've described it may be as intended, I don't think it serves what I'd call a positive purpose. It may be describing in a roundabout way what's going on right now (which many fantasy and science fiction writers have done in their respective times - Orwell, Huxley in particular) but it's not providing any solutions. Orwell and Huxley didn't, either. This is sort of a very depressing, recurring theme. If you're going to draw parallels, why not draw a parallel solution if possible? And maybe, don't have it rely on an Arthurian heroic figure to come and save ultimate reality from self destruction?

I've been rambling again. I haven't come any closer to an exact theme of any sort, but maybe someone will find this an interesting read nonetheless.