Free at Last
Vaishnavi K.
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I recently read my first sci-fi novel: Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness." The preface of the book was magnetic; Le Guin explained how sci-fi is not a prediction of the future, but rather a fictional thought experiment on present conditions. I loved her thought experiment on the planet of Gethen so much that I decided to create one of my own.
Le Guin's thought experiment played upon the present (mid-to-late 1900s, but still relevant today) notions of gender, sex, and sexuality, among other subjects. In the shower one day, I brainstormed fundamental truths of humanity to toy with in my story. For me, the shower is a place for philosophical musings, and thus is the birthplace of many epiphanies.
I proposed many ideas to my audience of near-evaporating water droplets. My favorite idea was to explore the contrast between anxiety and freedom, and what results from going too far in either direction. I'm a high school student, so I am no stranger to feelings of anxiety about my future. Additionally, I dream often about what I will do when I'm older and independent. But underlying these speculations is an understanding that, no matter what stage of life I am in, the best place to be on the anxiety-to-freedom spectrum is somewhere in the middle. I always want to maintain my balance of anxiety and freedom, as I have experience with the extremes of both. I have never been happy in these extreme situations. My story reflects on this idea. The protagonist is given a fictional drug, Pathazepam, which removes all anxieties. However, a side effect of the drug haunts him. I hope for this story to remind people that freedom cannot exist unless restriction does, as these terms are relative to one another. Thus, we need to embrace both sides of the spectrum and strive for balance.
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Creative writing helps guide how I understand life. Usually, the theme of my work comes from something affecting me. Thinking about how to portray ideas effectively helps me reflect on my life, and allows me to identify areas of personal growth and improvement.
