COVID. War. Totalitarianism. Pandemic. Climate change. Terrorism. Nuclear war. Judging from hyperbole in social media, we are out-and-out terrified of these things. Just consider the rhetoric around the use of “tactical” nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Will he? Won’t he? Should we? The job of writers of fantasy and speculative fiction is to reflect our audience’s fears back […]
Or, The Weaponization of Stupidity People believe what makes them comfortable. When I was about 11 years old, I saw in a book that newborns can distinguish shapes and shadows. Many of my classmates believed humans are born blind. When I mentioned what I had read, not only did I get arguments, but anger. So […]
The importance of clarity Every message has to have one clear, main message. Mix in too many, and you risk coming across as confused, dishonest or ridiculous. And when you change your messaging, you lose credibility. Sometimes, you have to change your message because circumstances change, or we learn more. Even so, you will raise […]
“Authoritarianism appeals, simply, to people who cannot tolerate complexity.” Authoritarianism is growing in popularity in many democracies, as we can see in places that were once seen as democratic success stories like Hungary and Poland. “Populist” parties and leaders in Italy, France and the U.K. Trump’s populist and authoritarian appeal is undeniable, and terrifying as […]
This is one of those times that clarifies the word surreal. To qualify: I’m neither in quarantine nor isolation. I have no symptoms. I have not been near anyone with symptoms. I have not travelled in over a month. The whole family is healthy and safe. But life is certainly different. Driving to the grocery […]