Madness is a condition that few of us willingly pursue, but in madness our mettle can be tested, and, should we survive, we transform into wiser, more experienced beings. Dionysus, the Greek god of drama, wine and madness, knew that a story has its own logic. Some would say that to act is to become mad, for you are changing into a different personality; it is a temporary metamorphosis that allows individuals to view a new realm and understand other perspectives. Perhaps, only a god can journey through madness unscathed.
Lewis Carroll’s characters have prevailed through the test of time, where the inanimate takes on life and madness becomes the norm. While the original tales are still popular, the imagery and ideas have shifted and been adapted into numerous stories, comic books, movies and TV series. As editor of Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland, I did not want rehashings of the familiar stories, but something new, set in a more modern or futuristic time. There could be trips to Wonderland but the magic, and the characters had to affect more than that make-believe land – as in “True Nature” by Sara C. Walker in which displacement plays upon what would happen if the characters had to live in our world? Or, how would we cope with such encounters and with a reality twisted by the logic (or lack) of Wonderland? And perhaps, the craziness is already in this world, and only revealed when the looking glass is held up.
As I read through the submissions, I noticed that Wonderland’s aether does not engender many tales of love, though Cait Gordon’s “A Night at the Rabbit Hole” immediately captured me on this aspect. Love is a motive for a few characters, but more often it is love lost and warped, as in Christine Daigle’s “Reflections of Alice.”
The vein of madness runs so pure through this anthology that I would say every tale is touched by it, and I could list every title here. The exploration is sometimes light, sometimes deep and always an expedition into the unknown. Insanity may present in the form of infection, loneliness, living up to the status quo, or gambling everything on an outcome. Madness means crashing through the boundaries of normalcy, taking chance by the throat and beating logic into submission.
Losing one’s mind, or being physically shaped into something “other” weaves through so many themes of war, loneliness, health and experimentation – Lisa Smedman’s “We’re All Mad Here” puts the madness of war under the looking glass, while Danica Lorer’s “Twin” examines the search for well-being of self. Whether we have dealt with lunatic thoughts, crazy surroundings, mad ideologies, or insane politics, few people ever stay the same after having danced through that particular minefield. Change is often integral to any story but when madness plays a part, when that special substance from Wonderland permeates, then it can be permanent and liberating, or destructive. This metamorphosis might be controlled or coerced, and it may not be what you expect.
To say each piece in this anthology is only about the forces of madness, or only about metamorphosis would be a disservice. Themes involve complex searches and battles against insanity; sometimes embracing it, but always involving one’s self, one’s dreams or how the world expects one to behave. There are stories that can offer release, such as Catherine MacLeod’s “Jaune,” and those that will be a trap that leads into evil, which Andrew Robertson adeptly explores in “Her Royal Counsel.”
It is said that the final goal does not matter; it is the journey that is important. The ventures here delve into the psyche, the world order and what it means to be. A chess piece can find a new place, an outmoded technology can find new purpose, and a soul bearing scars from moving through the landscape of life can find redemption. These adventures can be as much fun as a rollercoaster ride and as terrifying as falling off a precipice. The madness and metamorphosis is sought, self-inflicted, invented, chosen or coerced. Not all will remain unscathed. May you enjoy your madcap journey through Alice Unbound and find visions and capers that transport you beyond Wonderland.