Paul T Kidd - Why Use Fiction?

Transitioning to a sustainable civilisation involves changing the collective values and beliefs upon which the present industrialised world is based, and opening peoples’ eyes to the damaging consequences of the ideologies that underlie science, technology, engineering, free market enterprise, religion, etc. If humanity is to ever achieve sustainability, it will need to reinvent these most important aspects of our civilisation.

Paul T Kidd uses fiction to explore these matters, and to comment upon the nature of contemporary society, the forces at work that keep people locked in a way of living that has long since ceased to be relevant, and to highlight the possibility to follow a different path. He then builds upon this in his non-fiction writing, showing how these new paths could be developed in practice by providing critical analysis of prevailing thinking and assumptions, offering new visions, and identifying the policies and research that need to be pursued to make these visions a reality. Paul also aims to provide people with methods and tools that will help them begin to lay the foundations of a different world, based on new approaches to science, engineering, technology, free enterprise, etc., as well as a new spiritual awareness that transcend the old order.

Paul's two Christmas books are examples how fiction can be used to explore profound issues. They are both what Dickens would have called, children’s stories for adults. On the surface they are both stories involving Father Christmas (sometimes called St Nicholas, or Old Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, or just Santa). But there is more to these two books than just a good read that will stir in the reader some Christmas spirit. Buried in the tales are comments upon the nature of contemporary society, and an exploration of choices (particularly between different values). The underlying message is that humanity now needs to take a conscious choice to follow a different path.

Taking this idea further, Paul's work is structured to take people on a journey of discovery, with Encounter with a Wise Man (now available) being the first step. Read this book first, and then take the next step and read A Tale of Two Deserts (now available). Next in the sequence is Enigma, and then Moments in Time. You can also read Paul's blog entries and also his twitter tales. All this material is available to read for free, online (open access).

And then ... the next steps are up to you, for it is your world and your choice what to do about using what is told in these books and writings to peacefully bring about a different circumstance. In the books that will follow in the years ahead and in the content of this web site as it develops, you will also find more to help you make this most important of journeys, which ultimately will also be one of self-discovery.

Fiction, it can be said, is also what passes today as sustainability, as Paul's books demonstrate.

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Paul's Internet Art Experiment

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Paul's Books—Non-fiction

Paul's Edited Books

Why use fiction?

Paul's Recent Public Domain Reports

Paul's ICT Design Related Research Papers

Paul's Control Systems Design Research Papers

Paul's Sustainability Related Research Papers

Brochures, Leaflets, etc.

Paul's Contribution to Edited Books

Paul's Involvement with the Future of Book Publishing

Other Reports Produced by Paul

Paul T Kidd's Blog