Joe Jagusah: "Dear Michael Damian and Lynne Thomas: What I Love about Short Science Fiction and Fantasy"

Dear Michael Damian and Lynne Thomas: What I Love about Short Science Fiction and Fantasy

By Joseph Jagusah.

                The reason I enjoyed reading and will continue to read short works of fiction and fantasy is that by consuming such literature, I can expand my mind and always keep on my toes about what I consider to be real. The act of reading many short works allows me to adapt myself to a large variety of different stories—and therefore different worlds—and helps me to consider what it is like to operate by a different set of rules than the ones that I am familiar with. I also believe that reading a diverse amount of literary material gives me the mental practice of recognizing how different sets of rules interact, and thus allows me to think critically when I work on mathematics and other fields. Overall, I consider the process of reading short fiction to open my mind in a way that reading longer works does not, and in a much more convenient fashion.

                Some works of short fiction that I like to read are the short stories of H.P. Lovecraft. His work generally focuses on the concept of experiencing an event whose significance is beyond human ability to interpret. This, I believe, leads me toward opening my mind more, especially when I must consider strange, incomprehensible ideas that are well defined in mathematics and physics. Conversely, reading longer works like those of Robert A. Heinlein gives me practice recognizing the nature of human struggle against the environment by altering the environment without changing the humans. In both cases, reading short fiction allows me to reflect on what I understand about humanity and its environment by placing me outside of what I consider normal.

                I use this open-mindedness particularly in my study of mathematics and physics, when I must consider something that goes against my knowledge of the everyday world. For instance, the field of spherical trigonometry violates one of the most basic rules of trigonometry, the parallel postulate. But exposure to works like that of Lovecraft—where the geometry of space can be warped so that two men can find themselves unable to escape, even by walking in a straight line—helps me to wrap my head around the idea of geometries that have relativistic implications, even if they make no sense from a conventional understanding. This expanding of my thinking often traces back to works of fantasy, and the act of immersing myself in these worlds is what ultimately helps me to comprehend a world that seems random and meaningless, but still follows distinct rules.