scary

Why Hallowe’en? Because we love to see fear in the mirror

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 […]

Why Hallowe'en? Because we love to see fear in the mirror

  Ebola. Totalitarianism. Pandemic. Mass migration. Climate change. Terrorism. Judging from hyperbole in social media, we are out-and-out terrified of these things. Even to the extent of people getting angry at climate activists for “spreading fear.” We’re afraid of fear, like Franklin Roosevelt said. And yet, at this time of year, we choose to scare ourselves […]