I had some internet rando on X sounding off loudly about comics, and why adults had to waste his time talking about such childish things. A few days back there was another saying what absolute drivel fantasy/sf was, and why didn’t people grow up and read books which had more realism in them?
It’s what I mostly write. What I mostly choose to read. Both J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were marked by WW1 – probably more ‘realism’ than most of us ever want to encounter. Both made intellectual replies to this – which was flung at them often enough. But for me C.S,Lewis did it best in the THE SILVER CHAIR: with this speech from what I think is my favorite C.S. Lewis character:
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. “One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”
And I reckon that’s good enough for me. The world isn’t the play-world of my books. Its people are perhaps more grubby, nasty and ordinary and fit for GRR Martin, rather than Tolkien. But yet… yet I choose to believe that people like those I write exist. I’m no Tolkien nor C.S. Lewis – Samwise and Puddleglum are a bit above my level. But Scrap, Fat Fal, Ariel, Fluff, Briz… I could go on a while, these are people I would rather be on the side of, and rather live as if their worlds were something we could look for.
Oddly enough, sometimes in the most bleak of situations (and I am the sort of idiot who has been in them) I’ve seen that side of humanity too. I will continue to look for it and create it as long as I live. It is not a dull place.
Ad astra. Even it is only in our minds.
Nil carborundum illigitimi
Mad Genius Club 
20 responses to “Puddleglum’s response.”
Well said, sir.
Absolutely the best. Thanks.
“All right,” said Susan. “I’m not stupid. You’re saying humans need… fantasies to make life bearable.”
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
“Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—”
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
“So we can believe the big ones?”
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
“They’re not the same at all!”
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
“Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what’s the point—”
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Got to love Puddleglum.
Tom Baker made an awesome Puddleglum. Shame the BBC was never able to finish the series the way it should have been done.
Couldn’t agree more. I want to read (and write about) people facing moral dilemmas and tough decisions, more than the expediency and reality of “real life”. If life is truly all about expedient choices, then where do feelings of shame come from?
We are a storytelling species. We’re all about choices: how to make them, how to choose, and what happens next. The conclusions we draw from the stories are our own, but some stories are more compelling than others.
It doesn’t help my entire adult life the realistic fiction seems to be about who is shagging who or who is oppressing who or who is abusing who with no who in Whoseville staying “stop shagging around” or “stop beating people up”.
I never watched The Sopranos or Breaking Bad or such because I don’t want those kind of people in my sitting room every week. Why should that change just because they are on the page and not the screen?
Indeed!
Bravo, sir!
The world is dark, perhaps beyond hope of cure. All the more reason to tell stories of the Light, the imperfect men and women and bats and rats and cats and mules and English Sheepdogs who battle through and do their best. Puddleglum’s words come from the heart of someone who knew darkness for himself and chose to look for light.
Puddleglum is one of my favorites as well. And temperamentally, I’m also inclined to be a bit of a Marshwiggle so this is a good reminder.
So many people love that cynical Marshwiggle Puddleglum. Heck, I can remember seeing his race get written up in one of the old Dragon bestiaries ‘back innaday’. And it took the time to point out that they come off as very sour sorts, but they were 100% loyal to anyone they thought of as a friend.
I love the very proper “find out the worst, so you can put the best face on it” type thing.
It…works.
Yes.
Referring to the original post above, though, I have to wonder about anyone referring to modern comics as work for children. I’ve looked at them, and at best they’re definitely ‘adults only’ with only a few sad exceptions. They’re incredibly cynical, dark, and ugly in everything they show. Others may make their own decisions but I’d hesitate to show them to children.
Cast your mind back to what they *assigned* us as children, and remember its’ gotten worse!
[…] AND WE’LL CONTINUE HAVING WRONG FUN: Puddleglum’s response. […]
I had some internet rando on X sounding off loudly about comics, and why adults had to waste his time talking about such childish things.
He is on Twitter which has excellent mute functionality for words, hashtags, and people. Plus it has an “only people I follow” timeline option. That’s why it’s my social media of choice.
If he is seeing comics discussion he’s either too lazy to set things up and expects people to do the work for him or he wants to see comics talk then whine about the world lacking superior people like him.
Well said.
As a counter-point, I really should read more about historical, real heroes. They are out there. Reading too many fictional heroes starts one thinking that all heroes are fictional, despite the logical fallacy.
Well damn Dave. Well said. That put a lump in my throat and I appreciate your words.
[…] Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. […]