I’ve been feeling mighty philosophical over the past two weeks. Partly that’s because of the state of world affairs. I keep circling back to that proverb, “May you live in interesting times.” We certainly live in those.
The other reason is because, true to my word, I’ve been rereading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. To give you an indication of just how much I’ve been reading them, I’ll confess that I’m now on Book 8 of the series (extending from 2001 to 2013, with 13 books in total). What has philosophy got to do with vampire / werewolf / fairy telepath novels, you might ask?
Well, I’d argue that these books have a lot to teach us about extremism in America, and about accepting difference — from sexual preference to race to differing ideas — and about the history of violence that America is seemingly wrapped in. It does so through the fantastical lens of vampires and werewolves and telepathic fairies — so that we, the reader, can see the vast experiment of the American Dream (even in the far south) in brand new and integral ways.
The act of producing fiction—as well as the act of consuming it—is one of pure and necessary rebellion.
If I were to tiptoe into giving my thoughts some (actual) philosophical structure, I’d maybe say this: The act of producing fiction—as well as the act of consuming it—is one of pure and necessary rebellion. That’s because fiction activates the heart. The mind can lie, but the heart never does.
If you consider the number of communities censoring and banning books right now, you’ll feel the truth of this statement. Fiction enters us unbounded. It’s like wild magic in a game of D & D, dangerous because its effects are unpredictable, something that remains unspoken and ephemeral for the longest time. Some people don’t want that.
Who controls the narrative? Fiction writers, that’s who. So keep reading, friends. And keep writing. Right now, the world needs as many vampire / werewolf / telepathic fairy books as it can get its hands on.
L. E. Sterling 
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