Shadows are still on my mind. Nights are long, and it has been
cold here, for Las Cruces. I tried my hand at writing a 55 word
story, and discovered I’d written horror. The leaves are falling,
a reminder of mortality. I’m still thinking about things out of
sight, by choice or by chance, and what it means to look away from
darkness.

I make ongoing efforts to focus on the bright. I practice
gratitude, and make plans and goals. I shun marketers who try to
make me afraid, and limit my exposure to pessimists and wallowers.

Yet sometimes I enjoy a good scare. Fear is vivid. I have a
nightmare from childhood that gave the headless horseman a bloody
half-skeletal horse that is stronger than the memory of any of my
pleasant dreams. I occasionally crave a frightening movie, and I
like a dark edge in fantasy novels. I feel alive when giving my
heartrate a bump at a safe distance from actual danger.

There’s a persistent discussion around science fiction conventions
that horror writers are nicer. I found Edward Bryant – whose book
Fetish nearly made me leap off my chair – cordial and courteous.
Actually, Neil Gaiman’s legendary kindness to fans by itself raises
the niceness quotient of horror authors considerably.

So, why do horror authors seem to be so nice? I’ve been
formulating theories about this for years.

The first theory is that it was simply contrast. Expecting a
ghoul, to have created such dripping phantasms, readers were
surprised to discover a simple human. However, the judgment
persisted, when familiarity would have reduced the surprise. So my
next theory was that, having imagined the worst humans could do to
each other, horror authors became very, very cautious around
people. That is, they were polite for self-protection.

But, if that were the case, why would they come into public at all?
So now I have a third theory. It is a theory that has been
offered by many other people throughout recorded history: Looking
at what we fear is good for us. So horror writers are nice because
they have done the work of looking into their own dark places.

The most famous and well-developed version of this theory descends
from Carl Jung. He proposed that what we push away from
consciousness without resolving becomes baggage – a ‘Shadow’ from
which our repressed personal flaws can jump out and ambush us.
According to his theory, we essentially create our own bogeymen.
And the way to remove their power is to look at them and come to
terms with them.

So I think I will look into the dark while I have the yearning.
Perhaps I’ll find a story from the tradition of Christmas ghost
tales. (Charles Dickens’ frequently adapted A Christmas Carol is
the most well-known.) (Yes, I am afraid I’ll die without a
legacy.) Maybe I’ll gather my courage and watch 28 Days Later
(yes, I am afraid of disease, of becoming mindless and violent).
Or I can sample the growing ranks of vampire and werewolf novels,
or seek a story of an insane murderer. (Yes, I am afraid of being
predator or prey.) I’ll look at what I’m afraid of.

It could be fun.

Don’t want to look into the dark alone? I can help! I have great
tools for bringing light to fears. Please call me at 575-640-0979
or reply to this email.

————

Great review!

Prolific writer Alexandra Erin reviewed From Wishing to Writing on
her blog. Check out what she has to say here:

http://www.alexandraerin.com/?p=92

Caution: some of her other sites, including the very popular Tales
of MU, are not safe for work.

————

Small Steps

“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space: Share one of your favorite books
set in space.

Every so often, someone rounds up some space scientists and
engineers, and asks why they chose that work. More often than not,
they were inspired by reading science fiction, often Robert
Heinlein. So keep the world reading! It makes a difference.

————

Book Recommendation

Natural History by Justina Robson

I’m always excited to find a good book by a new author. Natural
History was a very satisfying read. Humans have created many
“Forged” — people who have the self-awareness and thinking
abilities drawn from human genes, repackaged into forms suited to a
particular service. As the story starts, Isol, a Forged space
explorer, encounters an alien artifact on her way to Barnard’s Star.
Damaged by debris, she can only save herself by taking it in. Its
surprising abilities offer a chance for the Forged to leave Earth
for a new homeworld. But what are those voices from the shadows?

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We are smarter together! Please forward this newsletter to a friend.

————

Creating Space is my twice-monthly newsletter. In my usual
fashion, I chose the name for more than one reason. One goal of my
newsletter and my coaching practice is to create a space that opens
new perspectives on my clients’ lives. Another goal is to offer
information and support for creating a spacefaring civilization.
It will take many, many steps for humanity to leave the nest of
Earth. Better to take the steps we can than to despair at the size
of the project.

You can subscribe to Creating Space at
www.annaparadox.com/newsletter. And you can ask any questions you
have about my life coaching and editing services by calling me at
575-640-0979 or emailing me at anna@annaparadox.com.

I wish you the power of creating space.
Anna Paradox