Many thanks to Rochelle for Friday Fictioneers!
Book Fear
For all Jane’s life, there had been books. Little Women to The Shining to Atonement and beyond.
Now, members of the school board wanted to rip books from her shelves. Parents wanted to burn them. How had she gone to sleep in the 21st century but awoken in the 1930’s?
Jane braced herself as the book banner approached.
“Why is that book here?”
“Have you read it?”
“No.”
“Perhaps you should.”
Jane thought it a small victory when the woman took the book and left. Maybe after she read, she’d understand.
Then Jane received the reprimand and leave without pay.
end
Sascha, I noticed that my local branch has the red observer bulbs in it now. Big Brother probably watches libraries more closely than many other places.
It’s the little sisters with the snitch lines that seem to be on the rise. Do you think Margaret Atwood was prescient?
Absolutely.
As they say, a society that burns books ends up burning people
Thank you, Neil. I have never heard that quote before but I will certainly remember it.
It could happen. Let’s all make sure it doesn’t.
School board and parents in various counties in VA are going crazy either banning or trying to get books banned. It’s happening. Some did suggest burning, created an FB event to make it happen. It hasn’t yet.
This feels so prescient — I really hope it’s not.
Unfortunately book banning (and desires to burn) is back. Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
Love the title of this piece, Sascha. This time-warp phenomenon is so scary. If you’re scared of what’s inside the covers of a book, don’t read it and tell your incredibly impressionable children to stay away. And if, God forbid, they actually read one of these horrible, mind-altering books, won’t all the family values you’ve been inculcating them with all these years prevent them from believing any of the subversive ideas inside? Enough said.
I agree. This is really fear into anger and anger into banning and burning. I would think that by trying to ban books, it makes them more desirable. I know I want to read these books they’re trying to ban. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.