Truth May be Hidden in Strange Places

The Metal Spy From Space

This week’s post is not quite what it seems. At face value, it’s a story about aliens attempting to conquer our planet from a kid’s comic book back in 1956. Zooming in a bit further, it’s an homage to Edmond Hamilton, one of the two fathers of space opera and a prolific science fiction and comics writer. He was nicknamed both “World-Saver” and “World-Wrecker” as his stories often reflected one or the other. At a deeper level though, this is a post about the strength and power of human creativity.

Let’s take a look at that deepest level. There are many ancient legends about fairy folk, gods, and other “special” beings who are envious of human ingenuity and creativity. These special people cannot create, only copy. But the copies are often so good that it’s easy to miss the fact that they’re riffing on someone else’s ideas. In a sense, we’re facing this kind of issue right now with AI-created art and stories.

In myth, we see many cases of otherworldly beings stealing humans, falling in love with them, or having children with them. Interestingly, the object of affection or desire (the human) is often made a slave once they’ve arrived at the supernatural kingdom, alien planet, or wherever. This is not necessarily a dungeon slavery, it may be a gilded cage. The purpose of this, of course, is to keep the source close at hand.  

I believe that these legends hold a grain of truth. Although many of us envy mythical beings, in story they often envy us. Of course, I don’t know any mythical beings, fairies, or other supernatural folk but I believe that when you have enough stories saying the same thing all through recorded history, it has to mean something. These common thoughts bubble up from the collective unconscious of humanity and we see this happen over and over again through time. The Trickster is often outwitted by the human in a game of chance, a battle of wits, or a fiddle contest. We are the ones who hold the winning card because we are truly creative. They often have to cheat in order to win.

Of course, perhaps this is all wishful thinking from poor, weak humans who really have nothing to offer, certainly not supernatural beings. Do you believe that? I don’t. I remain a cheerleader for the human race.

This is a time of challenge for many. It is also, potentially, a time of despair. I believe that humanity’s greatest strengths reside in our curiosity and creativity. The two together form a powerful and potent weapon against anything that threatens us. You can never know what’s coming for you in the future but one thing is certain—thinking outside the box may just save your life one day.

Here is the comic which inspired these thoughts—“The Metal Spy from Space!” published in “Strange Adventures” #74 (November 1956).      

This is the Rocketeer signing off for today.