Dear friends,
This May, I am running some pieces I drafted at various points in the early days of Stranger Worlds and How to Live in Them. I have collected them together this month as they have a theme: open talk about these subjects is forbidden. The pieces deal in various ways with terrorism, vaccination, gender, racism, religion… but they are probably not the usual perspectives you will encounter on these topics.
Perhaps something I write will strike a profound chord with you, or perhaps you will find yourself rankled by something that I write. Either way, I encourage you to become a Stranger Traveller so you can share your perspective with me, and we can talk it through. Nobody should hold any view so strongly that they cannot talk about it. When that happens too widely, the tapestry of society begins to unravel.
Want to talk about topics that truly matter with one of the most thoughtful correspondents of our time? Consider joining our merry band of Stranger Travellers.
I’m also open to bartering for a ‘paid’ subscription: I’ll accept anything creative you make in trade. This also goes for Substack authors who are posting regularly - I’ll gladly swap paid subscriptions with you if you are interested in what’s going on at Stranger Worlds (and if you don’t have a paid tier, the offer still stands). Comments are open to everyone on this particular post, so please have a chat with me about bartering your way to becoming a Stranger Traveller if you don’t want to pay in money.
Prefer to listen in…? You’re more than welcome. But whatever you do, please don’t think you’re not qualified to join the conversation. Academic life breeds a certain arrogant swagger, but it’s a façade. Even the most eminent professor can be no more or less qualified to speak for their own world than you are. I promise you that you already have everything you need to talk to me about anything, as long as you have the time and the will.
With unlimited love and respect,
Chris.
Sounds good to me, Chris. Let's talk some more. I've not had chance to reasons to your comments in my blog, but I will do.