Normalcy


I know that your dear Uncle Morry has been away fro awhile, but I have returned my beloved friends and conspirators.
This evening I have something on my mind outside of the usual Lifebomb post. In many ways it does tie in, but it is a bit different.
this evening I want to speak to you all about normalcy.

What is normal? Do the fictions that we create define a new form of normalcy?

Let us turn to popular media and zombies shall we?

There has for several years now been a trend in the popular media, written and visual, to have heroes (however anti they may be) that are outside of the accepted norm. We have seen OCD, addiction, psychopathy, sociopathy, depression and even (now) schizophrenia reduced to convenient plot twist and lovable quirks.
Now, by no means do I declare myself sane, but I think we are doing a dis-service in our fictions by the constant downplaying the seriousness of these, or any serious, condition.

We must be mindful in what we create, it must come from an authentic place, and it must be true to those involved.

Examples of the aforementioned

Dexter (main character is a serial killer)
Monk (detective with OCD)
Sherlock (hero describes himself as a high functioning sociopath)
Addiction (media darling Charlie Sheen, actor Robert Downey Jr.)
Schizophrenia (the new show Perception)

And now Zombies.
Zombies are possibly the greatest example of a meta fiction gone wrong that I can think of. I admit to not really understanding the popularity of the adventure/horror/necroporn that has swept the country.
Everyone loves zombies. So much so it seems that it has become a favorite for the occasional nutter to emulate. The news is full of "zombie "attacks lately. They try to blame it on drugs, but the fact of the matter is that drugs aren't to blame. No, it is the ever present meta fiction that we have created. Some are always going to be more susceptible to the work.

So, we do influence the reality around us with our works. We do define the normality of our society.
I am not saying that we can't push boundaries, that we can't write great horror, what I am saying is that we must be cautious what fictions we imbue with energies that we have.
We are capable of great change me droogies. We can create the world we want.
We, however, should not strive for a world of mentally ill necrophiles praying for an apocalypse.

Keep the work personal, keep the rest of it talented, but powerless. Write the great stories you want, but keep the true sigil work true.

Cheers and more on my great work soon.