It’s obvious to anyone who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s that high quality science fiction and fantasy for children and young adults isn’t quite what it used to be.
The cloud Thatcher cast over Britain and the growing impending doom of nuclear war created an atmosphere in which ITV created brave and imaginative programming such as 'Chocky'.
'Chocky' was adapted from a book written by John Wyndham, author of the uniquely English tale of the end of the world by alien plant doom ‘Day of the Triffids'.
John Wyndham remains one of Britain's most celebrated post-apocalyptic science fiction writers.
'Chocky' was the story of an alien consciousness sent to scout for planets to colonise, who inadvertently becomes friends with a young boy called Matthew, manifesting to him as his imaginary friend.
Chocky demonstrated that during periods of turmoil and stress we begin to recreate the world in our minds. Our imaginations cut a hole in the sky and neon narratives flood the land with ecstatic visions that teach and enable us to imagine new reallities, which in turn offer glimpses of hope in desperate times.
I know 'Chocky' played some a part in who I came to be.
How sublime it is to see the map of our imaginations, brightly constructed and landscaped throughout our lives by stories such as Chocky?
FoolishPeople invoke the memory of stories such as 'Chocky' for three reasons: to pay respect to the storytellers of our childhood, to remind us of the forgotten possibilities of youth and to offer us protection as we venture deeper into the narrative.
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