The Power of Storytelling
We all create stories, whether we realise we are doing it, or not. Some of us imagine ourselves as “survivors”, some imagine themselves as “dogged and determined”. We take the string of events of our lives and apply meaning to them, often with ourselves as the heroes in these narratives. Some schools of therapy even build themselves around such narrative meaning-making (e.g. Narrative Therapy).
This is normal.
For me, science fiction has power. Yes, it can inspire hope and fear - but even more than that, it allows us to envisage possible futures. Which of these futures do we want? Which of these futures do we want to avoid? Without imagination and planning, we are stumbling towards things completely unknown.
Perhaps one of my stories is that I am a primate at a laptop, trying to reach for the stars from behind a curtain of primitive understandings. We like to imagine ourselves as evolved, but in cosmic time, that really isn’t the case.
I am honoured that you have taken time out of your primate existence to explore the stars and create possible futures with me.
Kia kaha!
Lee Sturgis
