Does Fiction Matter?

“Books can not be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory… In this war, we know, books are weapons. And it is a part of your dedication always to make them weapons for man’s freedom.” President. FDR

In light of the amount of bad news that spews across the internet and lands like refuse in our soul, I often wonder if what I do really matters. Isis is beheading innocent people. Doctors—with the blessing of our government—are beheading innocent babies. And me? I’m inventing worlds full of Gnomes with deadly skills and Meadow Faeries that can make people disappear.

Are my pursuits just selfish passions? Can stories make a difference in this messy, pain-filled world? IMG_3700

One doesn’t have to look far into history for an answer. When totalitarian governments and evil empires come to power, books are one of the first things to go. Books full of ideas. Books that challenge the status quo. Stories that illuminate the human spirit, point to God, or tattle on the powers that be in allegorical fashion. All are hunted down and destroyed. Wicked governments have attempted to purge their societies of those with free-thinking imaginations. They’ve attempted to shut up any voice that opposes them, knowing that ideas (even ideas about an Animal Farm) can have big consequences. Let’s not forget that religious powers have an equally ugly history in this practice, as well.

“Books can not be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory… In this war, we know, books are weapons. And it is a part of your dedication always to make them weapons for man’s freedom.” President FDR

Does that mean that all stories have equal value, are of equal importance, or are even worth preserving? Of course not. I won’t be shedding any tears if Fifty Shades of Grey mysteriously self-destructs. It doesn’t hold a candle to a beautiful love story like Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. But I do recognize that a trashy book like Fifty Shades exists because of trashy people. People with sinful hearts, like mine, minus the grace of God. Maybe the author, and her readers, need to discover a beautiful love story, like Redeeming Love, to learn what true love really looks like. It’s more likely that they’ll pick up that book, than they’ll pick up the Bible, for answers.

But this is a personal question, so . . . what about my story? Is it merely a fun diversion that asks some clever ‘what if’ bookbannedquestions? Though I don’t believe The Tethered World will change anyones desperate plight, I do hope it is a bit more than words on a page. After all, I’ve poured myself into its pages for six years now. I do believe it offers glimmers of hope and that it whispers of something bigger than ourselves.

It only takes a little thing, like a seed, to grow something bigger, right? Perhaps some readers will view the world, and the crazy circumstances around them, a bit differently, for having read my story.

I’m reminded of a young man, (who insisted on being called Jacksie—though his given name was Clive Staples Lewis), and how he spent hours, and days, and large chunks of his life reading stories. How those stories cultivated his imagination so that he wanted to write stories of his own. How his stories have made a difference in my life, so that I want to share the power of stories with others too. Stories are a way of paying it forward, I guess. Perhaps others who read what I’ve written will be inspired to write stories of their own. I’ll look forward to reading those too!

In our modern world, with the advent of digital media and personal thumb drives . . . it’s going to be a lot harder for the Thought Police to confiscate our books and attempt to annihilate ideas. That doesn’t mean they won’t try, though does it? After all, the Thought Police are alive and well these days, even in the Supreme Court.

We all better get busy. Read and write, people! Read and write and think.

Your turn…Does fiction matter? If so, what stories have mattered to you? In what way? Do you agree with this statement: Ideas have consequences.

17 comments on “Does Fiction Matter?” Add yours →

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  2. Heather,

    I think you have it all figured out. Fiction writing isn’t going to change the world, probably. It isn’t serious business like death, taxes, war or rocket surgery. It isn’t for the stick in the mud Christian who is too focused to see the forest because of the trees. It isn’t for the ISIS gangbanger who is more concerned with chopping off the head of a woman who wore her burka wrong or blowing up an historic site. It isn’t for the doctor who finished last in his class and is now only qualified to kill unborn babies.

    I say let them have their monochromatic life without words, music art or joy. As for the other 99% of us, we crave color in our world. We love to listen to music no matter if it is classical, metal, urban or pop. We love our art no matter if it is romantic, modern, or sculpture. And we love our words no matter if it is pornography or gnomes. All of it together provides depth and width to our daily lives. Some of it is just an escape and some of it helps us to be brave before we have to be brave. I will take it all because the alternative is a life that I have no wish to live.

    Write on and take us places that only you can take us!

  3. Yes, beautifully articulated. I agree with there being times when fiction won’t cut it! Would love for you to share your list. Hmm. Guest post?

  4. I agree. And I write fiction myself.

    I DO find, though, that the people I would put in “The Godliest” category don’t read fiction – or rarely.

    But all of those people have gone through copious amounts of suffering too.

    I think, when times get the hardest, it leads me to (the Bible obviously! and) non-fiction Christian living books, and I find that fiction just doesn’t cut it.

    However, in everyday life, when the going seems good, fiction can hit me between the eyes when I least expect it. I have a list of 10 books that changed my life, and half of them are fictional. Truths and thoughts and lessons that came out and grabbed me when I was only seeking entertainment, not bleeding out emotionally. And those lessons stay with me just as long as the non-fiction ones do when I’m truly suffering. 🙂

    Hope this makes sense!

    1. Ah. I can link back to it. I posted on my own blog some point back. You might remember it when you see it. 🙂
      I’ll get you the link.

  6. I basically second everything AGentleandQuietSpirit just said. 😉 Fiction absolutely matters. It’s a way of exploring and understanding truth. It widens your knowledge and lets you experience things you normally wouldn’t be able to do. It exercises your imagination and creativity. And it creates characters and places that stay with you all your life. Loved this post!

  8. Much of the Bible is written in story. Stories are one of the greatest and oldest forms of communication. They provide a sense of history and community. They let us connect in ways we never would. They let us experience things we would never do. They challenge us, even the bad ones, widening our knowledge. Stories help us understand truth and help us sympathize with others. Stories are magic. And like my Mom says, “stories let you practice being brave before you have to be brave in real life.”

    1. Well said, my friend! What a wonderful thing to be told all of your life. What a wise mom! Yes, what a blah world it would be without stories, eh? And I’m so glad our God uses stories to speak to us…how gracious 🙂