The intro struck a cord with me. I'm kind of a fringe SF/geek who has many hardcore, card-carrying friends. Something I've seen come up often are people who have read a few too many SF and are trying to live their lives as though they were one of those heroes. They buy fantasy weapons they can't use and believe that your life should be lived to uphold a single ideal. The most popular and comprehensive ideal seems to be *HONOR*, and that with enough *HONOR* or the right kind of *HONOR* life, love, and happiness will be yours. *HONOR* comes from slaying dragons, righting wrongs, saving the damsel/planet, or beating the unbeatable odds. That's what the Hero does. Unfortunately there isn't much in fiction (that I've seen) that highlights the heroism, dedication, and honorability of doing a good day's work, paying your bills on time, putting your kid through college, and saving for retirement. That's what "Farmer #6082" does, and although he never gets a sword of power to pass on to his son, he won't get caught changing a diaper while wearing a broadsword and loincloth.
Frodo had to destroy the Ring to protect the Shire. It wasn't some macho quest to get "honor."
A hero uses what strength they have to protect what is good in the world, rather that protection is done by wielding a sword, a pen, or just a mop. A hero loves the Shire, and so goes to Mordor. He doesn't go because fighting orcs sounds fun.
That's a great example. Thank you.
First off, I have NO PROBLEM with fictional characters. They live in fictional worlds that have real wizards, and swords, and dragons, and kings, and jedi, and magic rings, and triffids,
and zombies, and floating castles, and cyborgs, and time machines, and... That's fiction. Fiction is great. I'm talking about the real world.
The hero of Lord of the Rings isn't Frodo, he's just some simpering hobbit.
The real hero is Samwise.
Frodo got the ring by chance or fate, but it was Sam who had the courage and strength to press on and take Frodo to Mount Doom and complete the quest, showing caring, dedication, courage, honor, and compassion the whole way. If Sam hadn't been there to carry most of the luggage, cook, keep watch, ration the food, and bolster Frodo's confidence Frodo wouldn't have ever made it. But few people remember Sam as the hero, it's always Frodo, and that's what I'm talking about.
I love stories about rings and swords and dragons, and I'm not alone. There's a reason they're so popular and people can make money writing them. Some even leave you with a warm glow deep in your chest that makes you want to live up to your full potential, to be a great warrior in your own right. That is an admirable thing for a book to do. What I mean to say is that there is a population of people who read too many of these books, watch too many movies, and take them too much to heart. That they focus on Frodo and ignore Sam.
They would rather play, or dream of playing, the big part than tow the line or do the unpleasant tasks. Standing watch and minding rations is boring, droll, and thankless, but will ultimately make more difference than who actual pockets the ring. The same thing goes for making sure bills get paid and floors get vacuumed vs. being the "cool dad." It's the difference between someone who reads fiction about being a hero (or playing one on the computer), rather than showing up for all the PTA meetings, getting to work on time, and makes all their kid's baseball games.
Back to my point about *HONOR*. There are people who would rather live under fiction's protective wing and dream of themselves as an *HONORABLE* warrior and never have their mettle tested, than to stand watch all the boring hours (eg. go to work) and test themselves against adversities of life.
Edit: Ok, I take back the thing about zombies being fictional.