For me, this genre is the chance to write about very serious ideas in a manner that hopefully will shed some light on the effects such ideas have on the function of the imagination. For instance, when certain ideas negatively affect the very continuation of an individual life, the imagination often becomes the last resort with which to cope with this unsought-after terror. Will the mind fall into madness, as the imagination generates more and more horrendous scenarios fuelled by the injustices of fate, or will it seek to soar to heights of fantasy and reverie to mentally ward off the inevitable tragedy? Or will it do both, uncontrollably oscillating between the two, each vying to be the author of the individual’s last thoughts?

On the other side of the coin, some life-affecting ideas drive the imagination to plumb its creative depths in such a manner that result in its exponential growth. This plunge and subsequent expansion can be both exhilarating and cautious, depending on whether the participant believes the imagination has limits, or is infinite in its creative and explanatory abilities. Some philosophers have argued it has definable limits, while others say it is inexhaustible. In fiction, it is possible to hold both views simultaneously without lapsing into contradiction or incoherence. To my mind, this is one of the strongest appeals of this genre: to inhabit one’s own imagination as a kind of visitor, not predisposed or beholding to judgments of proof, but rather simply as an opportunity to explore how serious ideas affect and illuminate how one thinks. In a way, writing in this genre makes it possible to find out what one is thinking.




No posts found

Sorry, but nothing matched your search criteria.

Go back, or return to Noel Gray Books home page to choose a new page.
Please report any broken links to our team.