SHERIDAN: Fantasy in reality
I'm pretty good at wasting my time.
I might even say I'm an expert at it, able to distinguish a fool's errand from a time sink at least 100 paces away. That's why I take exception to the idea that fiction classified as fantasy or sci-fi is a waste of time.
Kids play make-believe because it's fun, but also because they want to learn. Playing house, doctor or magical ponycorns gives them a whole new perspective on the world: "What would it be like if these overpriced toys were real, and we were them?"
That voluntary change of viewpoint is something we adults don't do nearly enough.
Some might question how useful it is to consider life from the mindset of a man who drinks his ale from orc skulls or an adolescent boy who rides brooms competitively. But the best kind of fiction leaves its readers with new ways to look at their own lives.
One example of another world with a lot to say about our own is in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series. While its dozens of entries have the typical staples of warring kingdoms, fantastic creatures and magical exploits, many of their elements cleverly parallel contemporary issues such as jingoism, racial tension and governmental corruption.
The "Alien" series is better known for its frights and thrills than its reflection on business ethics. But its Weyland-Yutani Corporation embodies megalomaniacal corporatism taken to the extreme over hundreds of years of development, portraying a too-close-for-comfort example of a company willing to sacrifice hundreds of lives in the name of profit.
And although Greek myths may seem pretty far removed from modern reality, it's unlikely that many would have survived long enough to be retold today if they did not carry timeless messages about love, loss and compassion.
After all, what are you more likely to remember: Treat visitors well just because it's the decent thing to do, or because they might be gods in disguise who already smote your unwelcoming neighbors?
