The last few weeks of the pandemic have been surreal, scary, and strange, to say the absolute least.
During quarantine many readers long for the escapism offered by sci-fi and fantasy, but find it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the news and the health of their loves ones. But even at our most harried and distracted, there are quotes from sci-fi and fantasy that can provide inspiration and courage during coronavirus and other challenges.
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Here are six SFF quotes we’re holding onto to keep our spirits up day by day — we hope they can help you, too.
This quote from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring is a reminder that even though we did not choose to live through the chaos and fear of the coronavirus, we can choose how we respond to this time.
Tolkien wrote from experience, as he himself lived through deeply dark periods in history. To learn how he was impacted by World War I and used those experiences to inform his later life, download Tolkien and the Great War.
Our lives changed drastically over the last four months. To do our part for our communities — through social distancing, political action, and supporting the most vulnerable — we need the clarity and courage to admit just how much our reality has been altered.
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16-year-old Lauren Olamina in Butler's Parable of the Sower is one of the clearest examples of a fictional character with the courage and wisdom to acknowledge change. The quote above comes from Lauren, and is a tenet of a religion she founds called Earthseed, based on the core belief that "God is change."
When we feel unprepared for what the next few months bring us, the above words from Butler's Parable of the Sower provide guidance for how to accept this turmoil.
In her role as an author and cultural commentator, the late Ursula K. Le Guin pushed readers to resist capitalism. As she said in her 2014 speech at the National Book Awards, “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings."
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Le Guin's 1974 novel The Dispossessed was informed by anarchist and pacifist philosophy, and is a vital reminder that capitalism is not inevitable. In the coming years, as we analyze America's response (or lack thereof) to this pandemic, we would do well to remember Le Guin's messages.
Who among us hasn't bawled or downed a pint of ice cream in the past few weeks? This quote from Ray Bradbury's novel Dandelion Wine, which celebrates the glory in our fleeting daily moments, is a reminder to find joy and relief where we can right now.
Lloyd Alexander is best known for his high fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain, which explores a battle between good and evil. His words here are particularly poignant considering that Alexander lived through the Great Depression as well as World War II.
This recommendation comes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fictional advice manual from Douglas Adams' novel of the same name, is also an apt recommendation during current events.
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For a cathartic laugh and more no-nonsense advice from Adams, download Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a biography of Adams by Neil Gaiman.
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