Member-only story
Truth in Story
Escaping our world to a greater reality
During my reading this week, an author made an aside that his multiple shelves of books throughout his house was because of his need to escape from reality. I don’t think he was necessarily talking about reading fantasy, or science fiction, in particular. In fact, I think he was including non-fiction as a way to escape from reality.
This may sound counter intuitive. Isn’t non -fiction often a commentary on some aspect of our reality, either past, present or future? Therefore, it seeks to enhance our understanding of reality and the world in which we live. It is hardly an escape.
I guess, it depends on what you mean by escape. It may not be an escape from all reality, but it is an escape from your reality. I’m not saying we all live lives of quiet desperation with a constant need to get away from it. Although, no doubt, some do. But since I was a kid I had this nagging feeling, occasional at first but growing over the years, that there was something wanting in ordinary, everyday existence.
This is hardly news. For instance, practically every society has needed some form of intoxication, alcohol or some other drug, as a brief respite from daily living. In terms of intoxication, it is an escape from our everyday consciousness.
