What Fictional World Would I Like to Live In?
My daughter is in her first year of college, and her writing professor presented a question to the class: What fictional world do you want to live in? Her classmate’s answers spanned the spectrum of anime, adventure, drama, cartoon, Minecraft, and science fiction. She asked me the same question, and my answer was, “Umm, I don’t know. Let me think on that.”
Fiction can take us anywhere. Take Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth” series. An incredible novel set in 1800s England. It is loaded with drama, romance, politics, and some of the best scene descriptions of any book. Why not live there? Umm… What if I get an infection? Antibiotics will not exist for another 50 years.
How about another direction? One of my favorite television shows is Rick and Morty. Each episode is loaded with fantastic technology, exciting plots, outrageous characters, and nearly anything is possible. Plus, I do not have to be the main character since the other characters have lots of fun. True, but in many episodes, somebody dies. In one episode, an entire planet went poof!
How about a romance? The movie Outsourced was fun, realistic, and a good story. Plus, nobody was injured, and all the medical science we have today is available. And the plot? Everything worked out fine. I could do that! But could I? I have a wife and daughter. Leave them for a far-flung romance? Pass.
Alright, I might be taking this too seriously. How about Futurama? Suddenly, I am in the future: just me and a fantastic world of fun, humor, and science fiction adventure. Yes, my family wouldn’t be there, but the main character overcame the loss of his family, and so could I. Umm, I would be devastated.
I may be missing the point of the exercise. It is supposed to be: “Pick the universe that would be the most enjoyable. The one you wish you were born into.”
My answer is: “That mental leap is difficult because I am very attached to the universe I am living in.” Live a little. This is just a thought experiment. Your family will still be there during and after the experiment. Here, I will get this started. You are now in the cartoon universe of Richie Rich and have a trillion dollars. Go!
I have met wealthy people and seen how their money does not bring them happiness. While I would like a few more bucks, billionaire land is not a desirable universe.
Just disconnect from everything. You are Luke Skywalker. Confident, attractive, desirable, and essential. Umm, didn’t several people try to kill him? I prefer to be a moisture farmer in the Star Wars universe.
Try harder! I enjoyed the writing and setting of Star Trek Lower Decks. Plus, only a few characters get injured. The episodes are fun, exciting, not too serious, with some romance and lots of new things to see. I guess I could stick my little toe into that deep pool of a different universe. Finally! Now, what adventure would I like to go on? Remember, this is just a thought experiment; everything is fine.
I suppose it would be interesting to try alien food, meet beings from another world, and see futuristic technology. How about a bit of adventure? Explore a safe planet. And then what? Something more adventurous. I could use my skills to save the ship. I guess.
My problem with this thought experiment is that I find an alternate existence difficult to relate to. Yet, that is not entirely true. I have three book series in which I have mentally spent a lot of time imagining myself in the story. How about living there?
Yes, my characters experienced a mix of drama, success, and fun. And for all practical purposes, I was mentally living there. So which one would I pick? I suppose my spy novel, Cable Ties. I modeled every scene and character to be as close to reality as possible.
So… I would be living my life as usual, but be in a giant plot to steal data? Errr, I want no part of that. Leave it to the professional law enforcement. And my other books? My Interviewing Immortality novel features ruthless characters, while Pushed to the Edge of Survival offers harrowing drama and otherworldly interactions. My quiet life has too much drama.
Why, just this morning, I was trying to sell something on eBay. The person paid for the item and was about to take the package to the post office. Now, they insist on a shipping discount. ENOUGH DRAMA!!!!
Let’s pretend I lived in the Harry Potter universe. That would up my stress level 100 times. Why do stories contain so much harm, adversity, pain, and discomfort?
The answer is that writers must elevate their stories and universes to make their narrative compelling; otherwise, readers would not buy their books or attend their films. The result is dangerous, unrealistic, foolish, and illogical. Plus, writers invent all kinds of things that sound/look fantastic, but are horrific. Luke Skywalker’s Light Saber? No, thank you.
I guess I am to suck in my humble life, but I do apply a tiny effort to push boundaries. Like today, I am going on a bike ride. I do this knowing I could get hurt. Still, I am going to do it. Well, how about a tiny step? Mentally take that bike ride on a distant planet. No need for drama, just different trees. I could even imagine myself on the Star Trek Lower Decks holodeck and program it for 100% safety. That is the absolute smallest step outside my comfort zone, and I know it would be fun.
Fine, I surrender. So, I’ll do it. When I go on my bike ride, I will imagine the trees are not from Earth. But just for the beginning of my ride. Well, maybe the first ten feet.
PS, I went for my ride and saw a rattlesnake in my path. Drama! Then I got a flat tire. Mega-drama! But then something unexpected happened. I re-inflated the tire and continued my ride without the tire going flat because I have a “slime” tube, which sealed the puncture. Hmm, seems quite fantastic; as if I were on a holodeck…
You’re the best -Bill
August 06, 2025
Fiction can take us anywhere. Take Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth” series. An incredible novel set in 1800s England. It is loaded with drama, romance, politics, and some of the best scene descriptions of any book. Why not live there? Umm… What if I get an infection? Antibiotics will not exist for another 50 years.
How about another direction? One of my favorite television shows is Rick and Morty. Each episode is loaded with fantastic technology, exciting plots, outrageous characters, and nearly anything is possible. Plus, I do not have to be the main character since the other characters have lots of fun. True, but in many episodes, somebody dies. In one episode, an entire planet went poof!
How about a romance? The movie Outsourced was fun, realistic, and a good story. Plus, nobody was injured, and all the medical science we have today is available. And the plot? Everything worked out fine. I could do that! But could I? I have a wife and daughter. Leave them for a far-flung romance? Pass.
Alright, I might be taking this too seriously. How about Futurama? Suddenly, I am in the future: just me and a fantastic world of fun, humor, and science fiction adventure. Yes, my family wouldn’t be there, but the main character overcame the loss of his family, and so could I. Umm, I would be devastated.
I may be missing the point of the exercise. It is supposed to be: “Pick the universe that would be the most enjoyable. The one you wish you were born into.”
My answer is: “That mental leap is difficult because I am very attached to the universe I am living in.” Live a little. This is just a thought experiment. Your family will still be there during and after the experiment. Here, I will get this started. You are now in the cartoon universe of Richie Rich and have a trillion dollars. Go!
I have met wealthy people and seen how their money does not bring them happiness. While I would like a few more bucks, billionaire land is not a desirable universe.
Just disconnect from everything. You are Luke Skywalker. Confident, attractive, desirable, and essential. Umm, didn’t several people try to kill him? I prefer to be a moisture farmer in the Star Wars universe.
Try harder! I enjoyed the writing and setting of Star Trek Lower Decks. Plus, only a few characters get injured. The episodes are fun, exciting, not too serious, with some romance and lots of new things to see. I guess I could stick my little toe into that deep pool of a different universe. Finally! Now, what adventure would I like to go on? Remember, this is just a thought experiment; everything is fine.
I suppose it would be interesting to try alien food, meet beings from another world, and see futuristic technology. How about a bit of adventure? Explore a safe planet. And then what? Something more adventurous. I could use my skills to save the ship. I guess.
My problem with this thought experiment is that I find an alternate existence difficult to relate to. Yet, that is not entirely true. I have three book series in which I have mentally spent a lot of time imagining myself in the story. How about living there?
Yes, my characters experienced a mix of drama, success, and fun. And for all practical purposes, I was mentally living there. So which one would I pick? I suppose my spy novel, Cable Ties. I modeled every scene and character to be as close to reality as possible.
So… I would be living my life as usual, but be in a giant plot to steal data? Errr, I want no part of that. Leave it to the professional law enforcement. And my other books? My Interviewing Immortality novel features ruthless characters, while Pushed to the Edge of Survival offers harrowing drama and otherworldly interactions. My quiet life has too much drama.
Why, just this morning, I was trying to sell something on eBay. The person paid for the item and was about to take the package to the post office. Now, they insist on a shipping discount. ENOUGH DRAMA!!!!
Let’s pretend I lived in the Harry Potter universe. That would up my stress level 100 times. Why do stories contain so much harm, adversity, pain, and discomfort?
The answer is that writers must elevate their stories and universes to make their narrative compelling; otherwise, readers would not buy their books or attend their films. The result is dangerous, unrealistic, foolish, and illogical. Plus, writers invent all kinds of things that sound/look fantastic, but are horrific. Luke Skywalker’s Light Saber? No, thank you.
I guess I am to suck in my humble life, but I do apply a tiny effort to push boundaries. Like today, I am going on a bike ride. I do this knowing I could get hurt. Still, I am going to do it. Well, how about a tiny step? Mentally take that bike ride on a distant planet. No need for drama, just different trees. I could even imagine myself on the Star Trek Lower Decks holodeck and program it for 100% safety. That is the absolute smallest step outside my comfort zone, and I know it would be fun.
Fine, I surrender. So, I’ll do it. When I go on my bike ride, I will imagine the trees are not from Earth. But just for the beginning of my ride. Well, maybe the first ten feet.
PS, I went for my ride and saw a rattlesnake in my path. Drama! Then I got a flat tire. Mega-drama! But then something unexpected happened. I re-inflated the tire and continued my ride without the tire going flat because I have a “slime” tube, which sealed the puncture. Hmm, seems quite fantastic; as if I were on a holodeck…
You’re the best -Bill
August 06, 2025
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