Iron Fic 3-10: The Monster That Is Man
What do you think is the scariest monster ever? Zombies? Giant insects/arachnids? How about one of several of the nastier space aliens?
Here's a thought: they're all fictional, made up. That's right, your fellow human beings imagined creatures whose sole reason to exist is to maim and murder people. And that's just in fiction; think about the horrible things people can actually do to one another. And if you really want to scare yourself, ask yourself why mankind is capable of doing this to itself.
Monsters in fiction are a mirror of humanity. The good ones are created to make a point, and those monsters are a mirror of the darkness in the human soul.
Your challenge is this: write a story about people out-monstering the monsters. Perhaps the historical Vlad ôThe Impalerö Tepes shows Dracula why the vampire is based on the mortal. Or an alien invasion is turned back by humans willing to do anything to defeat them (X-Com move out!). Or maybe a short from the monster's point of view as to why they've stayed in the shadows of history.
The challenge is made!
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
EDIT: Pic posted. Thanks biigoh.
What do you think is the scariest monster ever? Zombies? Giant insects/arachnids? How about one of several of the nastier space aliens?
Here's a thought: they're all fictional, made up. That's right, your fellow human beings imagined creatures whose sole reason to exist is to maim and murder people. And that's just in fiction; think about the horrible things people can actually do to one another. And if you really want to scare yourself, ask yourself why mankind is capable of doing this to itself.
Monsters in fiction are a mirror of humanity. The good ones are created to make a point, and those monsters are a mirror of the darkness in the human soul.
Your challenge is this: write a story about people out-monstering the monsters. Perhaps the historical Vlad ôThe Impalerö Tepes shows Dracula why the vampire is based on the mortal. Or an alien invasion is turned back by humans willing to do anything to defeat them (X-Com move out!). Or maybe a short from the monster's point of view as to why they've stayed in the shadows of history.
The challenge is made!
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
EDIT: Pic posted. Thanks biigoh.
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