Stories are powerful–and not just the ones we tell each other. In many ways, the most powerful stories begin with the stories we tell ourselves.
The reason my writing is often considered shocking or upsetting, and has even been banned, is because a secret hidden in human nature. If you could read minds, and see the thoughts of human beings around you, you would never want to be around another human being again. You would see that outward generosity and kindness is often fueled by selfishness. Love and relationships are built on lies and fear of loneliness. People happily use each other up with a smile. Behind the closed doors of the mind, the most insane and horrifying things happen.
Being true to reality, the world is an unplesant place, yet if we tell ourselves a lie–that people are naturally good at heart and the world is an overall positive place, the evils of the world only get more evil.
My stories, put simply, explore flawed human motivations: fear, hatred, and love (which, in this case, is hatred spelled differently.) These eternal principles of human nature are the secret to stories that are timeless and unforgettable. These stories, beyond mere entertainment and suspense, are written for your deepest inner ponderings.
Christopher Warren is the author of The Mirror Opened and Other Nightmares, as well as (Un)Civilized, A Man Upstairs, and Midnight Meditations. His work spans from unsettling short stories to unhinged poetry and numerous illustrated books and comics.
