[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fbgfyt4lLknh7uDnCtDFfraDYTMkuRdW3pdVNXG-8MuI":3,"$fa1RI1-7Uik8JpWufHn8I7uwT74plEHTAoJ5LAHi2yyI":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},190219,"Jeffrey Thomas","J",9,null,"jeffrey-thomas",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":109},[14,22,29,41,52,63,74,85,97],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3123725,"The ending of my story should be spoiled for you in one respect; since I’m narrating in the first person, it will be fairly obvious that I don’t die at the end. However, consider me a survivor of a race car crash, who lost a few psychic limbs in the inferno.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":28},3123717,"He wanted to express his gratitude to the dead thing. But how does one say a prayer over the corpse of a god?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis poignant quote is attributed to Jeffrey Thomas, an American author known for his dark fantasy and horror fiction. The era in which Thomas wrote this passage is marked by a sense of disillusionment with traditional values and a growing awareness of the impermanence of things, which is reflected in the quote's exploration of the relationship between mortality and the divine.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a profound tension between the desire to honor and express gratitude to something that has passed away, and the difficulty of finding language to do so in a way that is meaningful and authentic. This paradox highlights the human experience of loss and the struggle to find ways to express our emotions in the face of the unknown.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider the ways in which you might express gratitude or pay tribute to something or someone that has been lost or has passed its prime, such as a failed project, a lost opportunity, or a relationship that has ended. By acknowledging the impermanence of things and finding ways to honor their memory, you can cultivate a sense of resilience and creativity in the face of change and uncertainty.",{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},2614204,"A screenplay adaptation of my 'Punktown' novel 'Health Agent' has been making the rounds. The screenplay was written by my friend, singer/songwriter Walter Egan of 'Magnet & Steel' fame!",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[36],{"id":37,"tag":38},5592435,{"id":39,"tag_name":40},5017,"adaptation",{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},2614187,"A short story can be packed with meaning and impact, with the concentrated density of a collapsed star, but should preferably also have a kind of elegant simplicity.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[47],{"id":48,"tag":49},5592419,{"id":50,"tag_name":51},170288,"collapsed",{"id":53,"quote_text":54,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":55,"source":56,"quote_tag":57,"commentary":9},2614176,"I've never actually participated in role-playing games myself, except on one occasion when a coworker of mine came to my house and introduced my two brothers and me to a single game of 'Dungeons & Dragons.'",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[58],{"id":59,"tag":60},5592409,{"id":61,"tag_name":62},8933,"brothers",{"id":64,"quote_text":65,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":66,"source":67,"quote_tag":68,"commentary":9},2614164,"I've polished up stories for their reprinted appearances. I guess there's always something to be changed or improved, but one could get carried away and work on one story indefinitely. I'm too restless for that, too eager to begin the next one.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[69],{"id":70,"tag":71},5592397,{"id":72,"tag_name":73},171285,"carried",{"id":75,"quote_text":76,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":77,"source":78,"quote_tag":79,"commentary":9},2614149,"Endings are the toughest, harder than beginnings. They must satisfy the expectations you have hopefully generated in your reader - not frustrate them, leave the reader grasping at elusive strings.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[80],{"id":81,"tag":82},5592382,{"id":83,"tag_name":84},31265,"elusive",{"id":86,"quote_text":87,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":88,"source":89,"quote_tag":90,"commentary":96},2614125,"I first conceived of my far-future setting 'Punktown' in 1980, and though it contains 'punk' in its name, the term 'cyberpunk' hadn't been coined yet. I took my inspiration strictly from punk music.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[91],{"id":92,"tag":93},5592358,{"id":94,"tag_name":95},49229,"conceived","**The Backstory**\nIn 1980, Jeffrey Thomas was likely in his early twenties, a formative period for any artist or writer. Punk music was a burgeoning scene, characterized by its raw energy, anti-establishment ethos, and DIY aesthetic. Thomas's conception of \"Punktown\" reflects this cultural context, where the boundaries between music, art, and literature were blurring.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat's striking about this quote is the tension between the punk movement's emphasis on rebellion and nonconformity, and the eventual adoption of the term \"cyberpunk,\" which would come to represent a futuristic, high-tech aesthetic. Thomas's quote reveals that his creative vision was not driven by a desire to conform to existing genre conventions, but rather by a genuine passion for the raw, unbridled energy of punk music.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset to your own creative work, try embracing the raw, unpolished aspects of your inspiration, rather than trying to fit them into predetermined genre or aesthetic boxes. By doing so, you may unlock new sources of innovation and authenticity in your art.",{"id":98,"quote_text":99,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":100,"source":101,"quote_tag":102,"commentary":108},2614108,"Only when my 'Punktown'-based stories began seeing print did I demonstrate my proclivity for blurring the borders between horror, science fiction, and other genres.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[103],{"id":104,"tag":105},5592339,{"id":106,"tag_name":107},57081,"began","**The Backstory**\nJeffrey Thomas, the author of the quote, was a prolific writer of horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres. This quote likely originated from an interview or a foreword to one of his collections, perhaps around the early 2000s when his \"Punktown\" series was gaining popularity. At that time, Thomas was likely reflecting on his early days as a writer, struggling to find his unique voice amidst the conventions of various genres.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a paradoxical relationship between creativity and conformity. Thomas's success in blurring genre boundaries was not a deliberate attempt to defy conventions, but rather a natural outcome of his early struggles to fit into a specific category. This suggests that innovation often arises from a willingness to experiment and challenge one's own expectations, rather than adhering to established norms.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider embracing your own \"Punktown\" – a space where you can experiment with unconventional combinations of ideas, styles, or genres. By embracing the uncertainty and ambiguity that comes with pushing boundaries, you may discover new forms of creative expression that set you apart from the crowd.",{"currentPage":110,"totalPages":110,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":111},1,10]