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I write this foreword during a pandemic of epic proportion, one not only
wrought by nature but also helped along by those entrusted with her care.
It may very well be that we are actualizing the Terminator’s prophecy
when he matter-of-factly proclaimed, as if simply reading from the pages
of history, that “it is in your nature to destroy yourselves.” The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse seem to be galloping at full stride, driving
humanity, or perhaps leading it into the abyss. Our nonfictional leaders,
who have the power to grab the reins and pull us back from the precipice,
have seemingly failed us. So perhaps there is comfort in the knowledge
that the alternate universe of fictional characters we have created may
very well be the ones to save us.
The average person on the street is not likely contemplating that
moment when our sun collapses upon itself, when the animals we have
exiled to the fragile margins finally exact their revenge, or when we
finally annihilate ourselves. More likely, the average person, if there is
such an entity, struggles to maintain a grasp on their sanity while
managing the unrelenting demands of day-to-day survival. And it is to
that latter group that this book is directed.
When I was asked by Larisa and Justine to write this foreword, they
were already known to me from the wonderful blogs on Therapeutic
Fanfiction they’ve written for Psychotherapy.net, where I am the editor,
and the chapter they have contributed—“Beyond Cannon: Therapeutic
Fan Fiction and the Queer Hero’s Journey”—to my book Using
Superheroes and Villains in Counseling and Play Therapy. They had
me at mythology and Star Trek, two defining elements of our popular
culture that are close to my heart, skin (via tattoos), and writing, both
professional and personal |
