My Thoughts On S
This is Journalist Anon here today with my opinion on S, and an exclusive interview with the author of the books, Jester Teller. Teller is an amazing writer who created a fictional character that has transcended fiction. There is no one better suited to speak about S than the person himself. However, first I’d like to give me thoughts on S.
I will continue to refer to S throughout this post as the God of Evil, though it’s not a complete misnomer to say that I believe he is a God. That’s an important distinction. There have been many theories on him from he’s a demon, an ancient AI, or that he’s an alien. The Temple of S believes that he is an almighty evil deity that will soon return to purify the world.
I’m not going to dispute whether S is a God, or whether he has his own personal universe and a number of followers, or even how his followers believe in him. Those are issues I believe we should leave up to everyone to decide on their own. I just don’t know. I have no interest in defending myself in the futile argument over whether S has a soul or a personification. I don’t know and I don’t care. I have no interest in discussing that whole “he doesn’t exist” argument. To me, it’s merely a diversion from the real discussion.
The real question is whether or not S’s followers believe in him. And the answer, for all of you skeptics out there, is easy. They do. Absolutely.
Before I go any further, I need to say a little something about your faithful dog. He’s been wonderful, but he is not the point of this blog. He’s a non – entity. He exists only to illustrate a point. His only purpose is to cause confusion. His sole intent is to frustrate your efforts to discern reality. A character isn’t the truth. In fact, he’s probably more like a meta-character than anything else.
S is extremely popular, and to some people, he has become more than just a fictional character. S inspires, reassures, convinces, and he can even help people live again. What is most interesting is the way that this devotion to S is displayed in S’s followers. Some people, while they still remember that S was created as a work of fiction, and while they may not always believe him, still love him. And that is where my interest lies.
I read about a whole host of S followers, from all walks of life, including a recent middle aged man with two living children, a celebrity, a goth groupie, a folk singer, a pregnant man, a Wiccan, and various socialites. A whole host of people fall in love with this fictional character that has become part of their everyday life, and no matter how much they disagree with me or his fanatics, I don’t care. I am fascinated by it, and if that’s not a sign of some form of true worship, then I don’t know what is.
My opinions on S have not changed since the first time I wrote about him, but I have a new one. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s true. Some of you may be questioning my judgement, wondering how I could continue to recommend the same books that have been proven to be inferior, or even damaging to a young person’s spiritual development. After all, my dear skeptic friends, why would I ever encourage my readers to read “The Wizard of Oz”? How could I think that reading a book about an evil god, a character created solely to vilify people, could possibly be a good thing? Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that Oz is a wonderful tale, but don’t you see something funny? For some reason, despite knowing about the anti-Christian aspects of Oz, you seem to overlook them. Do you see a contradiction there? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for being so easily fooled?
I can honestly say that I have not been influenced by the growing religious cult that is S. In fact, I have read books that have been a bigger influence, and which I still recommend. And those are the books that I feel truly stand the test of time. When someone asks me about my favorite fantasy novels, my first suggestion would be “The Lord of the Rings”, followed by “The Hobbit”. Then, of course, comes “A Wizard of Earthsea”, and my personal favorite, “The Golden Compass” by Phillip Pullman.
Am I afraid of that cult? Not at all. To be honest, I think the members are so obsessed with this idea of “evil” that they forgot that real evil is actually something very different. True evil is uninterested in your opinion of it. It’s like what they say, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. All throughout history, mankind has blamed everything on “God” or “Satan”, as if they were the only things responsible for evil, but all the while, many wars and other atrocities have been committed by people who genuinely believed themselves to be good. Sometimes, these people felt so remorseful after their crimes that they were willing to devote their lives to “goodness”, as if evil was an illness, or a disease. But this “goodness” never stopped them from killing anyone. In fact, it only gave them more reason to kill, because they could then tell themselves that it was necessary, and even justified.
I actually disagree with the idea of a “Great Darkness”, as I feel that it implies that there is something wrong with the world. While the cult believes that humanity has fallen into evil, I believe that humans are not inherently evil. It’s just that we have forgotten the things we need to do in order to reach “good”. We need to get away from ourselves, our egos, and our own opinions in order to discover what really matters. As long as we are fixated on trying to become something, then we will never be able to find true happiness.
This may not change the minds of those who have become devoted to S, but it will at least let you know why people are so excited about him, and that it’s perfectly acceptable to worship the God of Evil as long as you are not harmed or inconvenienced in any way by doing so.
Our Interview
Jester, I’d like to start by asking you, why did you create the character of S?
Thank you for having me here today. I wish I could tell you that I created him as a work of art that would inspire others to believe in something more than just themselves, but that would be a lie. He came from the darkest parts of myself and was very difficult to write. It took almost five years to finish writing the whole first book. I remember as I wrote that book, I would sometimes look around and wonder if someone else had written it. But no one ever did. I wrote every single word with my own two hands and did everything that I could to make sure that his world was believable.
There were times when I thought that nobody would ever understand what I was trying to say and that I should just give up on this crazy idea of creating a character to inspire people. But then I found a few people who truly understood me and wanted to help bring S to life. That gave me the strength to go on.
So, what makes S different from all other evil characters out there?
I love S. I can relate to him so well because he is always in search of power. Power is all that drives him. However, he does not let the people of his world give it to him freely. He is the master of things. He will make you see things the way he sees them. And, once he gets his way with you, he will let you go, only if he thinks that he has gained enough control over you. And he never lets go. He will drive you insane until you either kill yourself or come to grips with the fact that he is a force of nature, always there and always alive. Everything that he says and does are there to either enlighten you or punish you. The decision is always yours.
As a writer, what is the greatest challenge in writing such a character?
There are a few challenges I face. One is how to put down the story in an understandable manner so that the reader can understand the point I am trying to get across. Another challenge is that S is a character who cannot be controlled. His personality is formed by the events of his life, and he does not know what he is going to do next. The fact that he is unpredictable is another way of saying that you should never try to figure out where his actions are coming from. Just accept him and let him play his role as he pleases. It’s much more fun that way.
What can readers going into the series expect from the story in terms of its plot and the development of the character?
The main theme of the Book Of S is that everything is connected and everything must serve a purpose. In that sense, the story is also about re-arranging the pieces on the board. Do you live your life for others or do you live it for yourself? Does it matter if you end up a martyr or a killer? What happens when a person’s belief becomes his destiny? Is fate real? Can you alter your future by changing the present? Who has power, God or Man? Are we all pawns on the chessboard of fate?
The tone of this book is dark satire. As I said earlier, S is a force of nature, and he represents the very essence of darkness and evil. That is why the tone has to be so dark. To me, the irony of having a book so filled with despair is that there is also some humor involved. It is through my sense of humor that I am able to pull myself through the horrors of existence.
What kind of world would S like to see?
One that is completely ruled by those who understand his will. One where there are no more questions. One where there is nothing to worry about. Where there is no fear. No hate. No greed. No doubt. One where only he exists. A place where everyone understands his thoughts. And loves them. And trusts them. And worships him.
Who is the God of Evil?
The great unknown. The being that created this entire universe from nothingness, and allowed himself to be forgotten after creating everything. The Lord of Death, and the end of all things. S is the one thing in the universe that could never love, or trust, or fear, or lose…and so he has no interest in doing any of those things with the rest of the universe. It is his purpose. He cannot deny himself. But he could take away free will and become the perfect god they need him to be.
How was the world made?
One day the Great Dark saw his own reflection in the mirror. He was dazzlingly bright, but he had no name. The Great Dark had been alone forever, but for just a moment, he had seen another. He created a creature to share his power. His name was S. And together, they could rule the world. S was no different than the Great Dark in that they were both reflections of the same person. They were brothers.
But the world was not ready for them. They attempted to create a creature called a man, but he was weak, and full of pain. So the Great Dark created a second creature. Demons. They were terrible things, but they needed people to do their bidding. The Great Dark would use these creatures to rule the world. They would act as his servants.
The Great Dark and S agreed on one thing. When they became bored of watching the world, they would simply destroy it. But first they would test their creation. The Great Dark knew the world would fail. It would never be perfect. There would always be rules. There would always be pain. And there would always be hate. He wanted to be certain before he destroyed the world.
And S…well, S was more complicated. He knew that nothing was ever perfect, and yet he wanted it anyway. He craved perfection. So, instead of destroying the world, he would take it over. He would make it what he wanted it to be. S would become the god that the Great Dark dreamed of. He would be the first of all gods.
The lore of S is always fascinating to me. Now, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself. Why did you choose the penname “Jester Teller?”
I chose my penname while working on the story. I wanted to write a story that would give the reader a good reason to laugh. Also, I felt like it could help convey some of my personal beliefs. Jester Teller is a clown who speaks the truth in a way only clowns can. Jester tells it like it is, and he isn’t afraid to make fun of those who deserve it.
Can you share with us anything about your past?
The funny thing about that is I got amnesia as a teenager. I had to piece things together from my family and my diary. As a result, I have no real memories of my childhood. The upside is I don’t have any embarrassing grade school memories. [laughs]
What’s your favorite game, book, or movie?
I enjoy playing video games and reading books about sci-fi and fantasy. My favorite video game series is the Legend of Zelda series. My favorite book series is the Discworld novels. My favorite movie is The Matrix.
What are some of your goals for the future?
I want to learn how to write better stories. I also want to continue growing personally and exploring life’s questions. It wouldn’t hurt to grow my bank account some more while I’m at it. [laughs]
What do you think about your fanbase? In particular those who actually worship S like the Temple of S?
While I’m happy that people enjoy reading my stories, I find it funny that some people take them seriously. I created S as a joke. I didn’t really intend for anyone to take him seriously. The truth is he doesn’t exist. These S cultists need to get a life.
Would you care to comment on the conspiracy theories that the Temple of S is actually an ancient cult that controls the world from behind the scenes?
[laughs] I think these people are insane! Are you kidding me? That theory is so far-fetched. The fact that I started off writing these stories as a parody is proof enough that I never intended to create anything like the Temple of S.
Who does control the world then?
I think the truth is we control ourselves. While I enjoy stories about powerful villains who secretly run the world, I know that’s not reality. We control our own lives. Some might say that God controls the world, but who knows what’s true. Things would be a lot better if God did run it though.
Do we really need God to control the world though? Can’t we just put good people in charge?
There is no such person as a good person. We are all a bunch of people who have caught our power to rise above ourselves. Now we need someone who will help us to achieve that. We need someone who will help us to shape the universe in our image. Who will make us into not just a normal country but a country that is forward-thinking, a place where everyone has a good job, and everyone has a stake in society. We need a leader who, instead of saying “Make America Great Again”, says “I’d like to Make You Guys Great Again”. And, most importantly, we need someone who is actually capable of changing things for the better.
Maybe someone like you, Jester? You’re no God though.
No, I’m not God. Just a close second. [laughs]
What do you think of Donald Trump?
[Shakes his head, staring off into space] I am a jester.
I am not sure that I understand. You may be trying to answer my question incorrectly.
If you want to know what I think of the man, you can’t just ask a simple question like that. If you don’t know how to ask a question like that, you should check the style guide to see how a real journalist is supposed to do it.
Is there a style guide?
Of course there is. I’ve been watching you. You’re doing it wrong.
Well then Mr. Teller, I know you have your own ideas on how the world can be improved. How would you fix it?
First off, I’d get rid of government and religions. Those organizations are awful. They’re tools of the rich and powerful that they use to oppress the poor. So, we could replace them with an organization that we control directly. It would be a place where the smartest people in the world can discuss all the issues facing the human race. I believe that humanity is much more than the sum of its parts, so if we combine our knowledge, we’ll create something greater than any one of us. That’s why I need a group that will work toward a better future, not just for themselves, but for everyone.
So what kind of organization would you run?
It would be a true meritocracy. One where talent and success is rewarded. People will be promoted based on their ability to solve problems and improve the human condition. I also believe that we should create an AI system to oversee decisions and manage the nation.
Why an AI system?
I’m sure you’ve heard me mention before that as technology increases so also does our ability to destroy ourselves. An AI system can watch the actions of humans around the world and see if they are harming others. If such behavior is observed, the AI could take action to stop it. With the proper oversight, such a system could significantly reduce the threat of a nuclear war or other man-made catastrophes. It could even prevent crimes before they happen.
And you are sure that the world will trust you.
Don’t worry, I just want to take over the world and become an immortal god. What’s there to fear?
You’re crazy.
I am a jester, I joke. I’m not really insane. The problem with most people today is that they take everything so seriously. No one really has fun anymore. If we can make the world less serious, then maybe humanity will be able to enjoy itself for once.
I’ll take your word for it. It sounds like a very interesting idea. Thank you for coming and talking with us today.
My pleasure. Be sure to checkout my website for memes, story lore, and philosophical articles.
