Today, I continue my examination of time in fantasy and sci-fi literature. What is time? Is it a line, a circle, or some combination thereof? Historically there are many ways to view it and interact with it; modernity seems to be much more concerned with managing it than experiencing it. Our current approach to time seems to be a revival of stoicism with a twist of fatalism.
The 2016 movie Arrival has a fascinating treatment of time which left me pondering how God’s relation to time comes into play and those classic questions of human free will. Ultimately, it seems that – given omniscience – it is still better to experience life as it is. The acceptance of reality is liberating and beautiful.
When asked what we would do if we knew every event in our lives before it happened, I hope we would all answer the same: “I think I would love everyone a little bit more.”
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The New Middle Ages by Eugene Vodolazkin
Want to sample my own fiction? I have a lighthearted tale for you to start with. Enter your email below and I’ll send you a comic fantasy short featuring an epic standoff between a possibly predatory mermaid, a bunch of crazy Cossacks, and a sheltered seminarian.