“Death obsesses me, yes it does. I can’t really understand why it doesn’t obsess everyone – I think it does really, I’m just a little more out about it.” – JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.
Fantasy, as a genre, makes you feel that anything is possible. It offers an escape not just from the mundane routines of daily life, but also from mental rigidity and spiritual stagnation.
To overcome this stagnation and allow characters to live better lives, fantasy often delves into the fear of death.
In many fantasy stories, the characters’ actions are driven by an overwhelming fear of death. For instance, in Terry Pratchett’s Interesting Times, Rincewind dismisses the idea of noble causes worth dying for, emphasizing the value of preserving one’s life over dying for a cause:
“But there are causes worth dying for,” said Butterfly.
“No, there aren’t! Because you’ve only got one life but you can pick up another five causes on any street corner!“
“Good grief, how can you live with a philosophy like that?”
Rincewind took a deep breath. “Continuously!”
Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series reminds us, “Better to do it than live with the fear of it,” highlighting the paralyzing nature of fear. Frank Herbert’s Dune further explores this theme with the mantra, “Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.”
Even in religious texts, the remembrance of death and its implications are discussed. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Make frequent remembrance of the destroyer of pleasures [death]. For certainly it is such that the one who is in constraint of livelihood does not remember it except that it expands it for him [because he remembers the pleasures of Paradise]; and the one who is in expanse [of enjoying worldly pleasures] does not remember it except that it constrains it for him.”
Fear is a huge topic in my Brotherhood of the Wolf comic book series. It’s not just a fantasy; it’s a dark fantasy, filled to the brim with horror elements. Some of my characters are cowards. Some don’t fear death but other things like shame, loss of status, or the loss of a family member.
Our upcoming short story–The Lesser Evil: Where Angels Fall, Monsters Rise–centers on a mother’s fear of harm coming to her son. The story will be released later this summer.
There’s a lot of fear in the world right now. You could argue that this fear, including an addiction to comfort, is causing Muslim countries to avoid taking courageous stands on issues like Gaza. It’s easy to talk about going to war for the right thing, but actually doing it and risking life and comfort is another question entirely.
Maybe reading about fantasy characters overcoming their fears will help us conquer our own…..
Wes
P.S. The people of Gaza are the best example of facing fear in our lifetime. I’m not affiliated with them, but consider supporting Islamic Relief’s work in Palestine. Check it out here.
