Teach your children well… (Crosby, Stills and Nash)

Human beings seem to be hard-wired to need, to respond to and to let our lives be shaped by stories.  Right back in prehistoric times, we were painting scenes on walls and telling tales by the fire. Until the advent of writing materials, every people’s group had a well-developed oral history. We can still find traces of this tradition today in many indigenous cultures, including our own here in Australia.

For a long time, story-tellers (both in the spoken word and in song) were respected, even revered, members of society. They weren’t just entertainers. They preserved the history of their people; they reminded them of the mighty men and women in their past, who helped shape their culture; they reminded the listeners of who they were and what their place was in the world. It was a very important role.

All the great stories, through the ages, have shaped our thinking, our understanding of how the universe works and of how society works. The great stories tell us that when we live with other people, there are behaviours which enhance communal life, and other behaviours which can cause friction, anger and even bring about the end of a particular society. They encourage us to be like the heroes in the stories: brave, compassionate, generous, trustworthy, wise and good.

Thanks to the invention of radio and film, we are now living in a world that is saturated with stories. However, what are those stories telling us? What sort of “hero” do we glorify on our screens? What do we sing about? What sort of people are we becoming, as a result?

I try to write stories that tell the truth about people, life and the whole damn thing, which might sound strange when you know I write fantasy. I want my readers to know that the human heart can be a wicked thing.  However, I also want my readers know that there is always hope. I want them to see that, ultimately, as long as there are men and women working together for what is right and just, that goodness will prevail. 

I want my children and grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren, to aspire to be Captain America or Batman, fighting for truth, goodness and justice, rather than a contestant on Love Island, indulging their own wants and needs regardless of other people’s feelings.

What sort of stories are shaping your world? What sort of stories do you want your descendants to be reading and hearing?