My Problem with Indian Authors
01:40am I read books. A lot, perhaps … at least that’s what people say. And I have a pretty diverse bookshelf. Discriminating between books by genre, author, or country is of no use. However, I am annoyed. Annoyed by Indian authors.
Be it The God of Small Things, Midnight’s Children, or Malgudi Days – most of our authors wrote historical fiction. Other than that, there are a gazillion mythology books. Why cannot we write futuristic novels? Are we just incapable, or we just don’t even try? This is why I still honor Chetan Bhagat even after all the hate he gets online. He at least writes contemporary fiction and not dwell back into history. Also, kudos to Jhumpa Lahiri for writing books of her time – although it is arguable now if she is Indian. Other than the legendary Satyajit Ray, there is hardly any true science fiction writer our country ever had. I am no expert in books but it does appear that authors wish to write on history of India because it, first of all, sells and second, wins awards. We have excessively romanticized our history – be it the Mahabharata era or the colonial period. The colonial period, especially, is probably the sweet spot for authors to crunch some quick money. Had to happen when you have a population as big as India’s with permanent inferiority complex against the whites. And the whites too find it fashionable to award such books.
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” —Albert Einstein
It’s time to start writing futuristic fiction. Literature influences the mindset of the people. I bet if we write more fiction it will help us think more about technology. That pushes one to think about the future. The past is done. Thinking of the past can give some a sense of patriotic pride, but that’s hardly possible with a country like India where most of the times it was not a white, capitalist pig flogging us but rather another foolish Indian shooting on another Indian with an outdated rifle for the two two peanuts he got monthly in the name of ‘income’. It’s time we prepare the upcoming generation with scientific temper because the future is going to be about saving the planet and sustainable development. Leave future, it’s already the need of the hour and it’s all happening right now.
The Americans and Europeans advanced their children’s minds with Isaac Asimov, Stanisław Lem, and HG Wells. Now, it’s our chance. Mindset is everything. The same reasons that push you to thrive can lead one to depression as the keys to the gates of heaven can also be used to get past the gates of hell. So, this is a request to Indian authors, write more fiction; preferably science fiction. We don’t need another story about a woman getting burned in the name of Sati. We know it happened and we condemn it with all of our hearts and minds but it’s time to look ahead. There are thousand years more we must conquer and the first rule of driving is to “look ahead”.