Sydney says

by sydney elias

“Get your head out of the clouds.”

But what if I want to stay here? What if I want to dream and never stop dreaming?

Fiction, — stories of love and loss, joy and sadness, excitement and fear — no matter the emotion provoked, always offers an escape from reality or a magical turn into a mystical, new world.

Staying up until 2 a.m. with nothing but a small reading light to compensate for the arbitrariness and the unpredictability of the real world may seem pessimistic, but to me, it is anything but.

I learn through authors’ creativity, envision myself in new and exciting universes and uncover stories that I relate to or strive to one day experience. Fiction has the ability to prod me into understanding more about myself and gives me a deeper, emotional intellect that better allows me to connect with all that is around me.

The world of fiction offers an escape from the rigor of school, the stress of family, the confusion of friends and more. It simply allows a break from the reality of everyday life.

Whether grieving Scotty’s death in Reminders of Him, yelling at Miles to be a better man in Ugly Love, falling in love with Prince Maxon Schreave in The Selection or feeling all of Belly’s insecurities in The Summer I Turned Pretty, I find myself utterly captivated by every story in which I am vicariously living. Turning the pages of these books allows me to live a hundred more lives than just my own.

While many view a love of fiction as living in a fantasy world, I view fiction as a refuge — one that has allowed me to appreciate the coexistence of physical reality and fictional truth.

Most of school requires a logical lens, however, fictional literature occupies a very different realm, one that is subjective and open to interpretation. Instead of utilizing the brain power required to complete school assignments, reading allows my mind to wander and explore.

Escapism fiction is often deemed inconsequential or even frivolous compared to more serious literature such as required reading in school. Genres of science such as fiction, thriller, mystery, romance and fantasy, commonly classified as sub–literary, are oftentimes considered unworthy of being regarded as true literature.

Although books about history and war hold substantial meaning, nothing compares to the feeling of placing myself inside a fictional story. Going on adventures through magical lands, being the main character’s partner in crime, becoming the eighth member of a secret club of only seven and so much more are the beauty of fiction and the endless possibilities it holds.

With that being said, immerse yourself in new worlds. Let yourself transcend through different stories, different places and even different time periods. Let that 2 a.m., tiny reading light be a light that covers the entire horizon, taking you through a limitless world of fiction.