My mother fed my love of demons, science fiction, and paranormal.

In the mystical realms of childhood, where the imagination runs wild and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, there exists a unique kind of inheritance—the inheritance of wonder, curiosity, and the desire to explore the unknown. Sherrilyn Kenyon, in reflecting on her upbringing, shares a story that echoes this deep-rooted tradition: "My mother fed my love of demons, science fiction, and paranormal. She was a devout horror movie fan who kept me up until the wee hours to watch 'Outer Limits,' 'Night Gallery,' 'Twilight Zone,' and 'Star Trek.' We lived to watch those reruns." These words speak not just to a personal history, but to the larger cultural phenomenon that shaped an entire generation—a generation that learned to look beyond the known, to question the mysteries of the universe, and to embrace the strange and the unexplained.

In the ancient world, the stories of the gods and monsters were as much a part of everyday life as the stars above. Greek mythology, for instance, was rich with tales of demons, gods, and creatures that defied human understanding. Perseus, Hercules, and the Minotaur—each figure represented more than just myth; they were embodiments of the struggles between humanity and the unknown. The ancient Greeks believed that the divine and the monstrous existed in harmony, each telling stories of bravery, fear, and the eternal battle between order and chaos. Just as Kenyon's mother introduced her to the world of demons and the paranormal, the ancients passed down these tales not only to entertain but to instill a deeper understanding of human nature, of the mysteries that lay beyond human comprehension.

In this way, Kenyon’s experience mirrors that of countless storytellers throughout history—her mother was a guardian of the imagination, nurturing her fascination with things that defy the boundaries of the everyday world. The love of science fiction and horror is not simply about entertainment; it is a reflection of a desire to explore what lies beyond our earthly understanding. "The Twilight Zone", with its strange and sometimes unsettling tales, acted as a portal into realms where the rules of the natural world did not apply. The creativity and mystery found in these programs pushed the limits of what was possible, much as the ancients sought to understand the gods and the heavens by imagining worlds beyond their own.

Consider the ancient Sumerians, who recorded in their epic tales the adventures of Gilgamesh, a king who sought immortality by crossing into realms of mystery and the supernatural. Gilgamesh's quest to find the secret of eternal life was not only a physical journey but a metaphysical one, where he faced demons, gods, and impossible trials. Similarly, Kenyon's love of the paranormal and horror stories taps into an ancient human desire to explore what lies beyond the tangible world, to understand the unknown, the mysterious, and the sometimes frightening forces that shape our existence. Just as Gilgamesh sought answers to life’s biggest questions, so too do the characters in science fiction and horror search for truths in places where reality and fantasy meet.

The idea of being drawn to nightly rituals of watching "Outer Limits," "Night Gallery," and "Star Trek" speaks to the power of storytelling and its ability to shape our perception of the world. Just as the bards of ancient times would gather the tribes around the fire to hear tales of gods, heroes, and monsters, Kenyon’s experience of watching reruns with her mother became a form of modern ritual—a shared experience of exploration and imagination. These shows, filled with alien life forms, time travel, and supernatural occurrences, carried with them an emotional truth—the desire to break free from the mundane and engage with the mysteries of the universe, to push the boundaries of human knowledge and experience.

In this, we find a lesson for our own time. Just as Kenyon was guided by the stories her mother nurtured within her, so too must we cultivate in the next generations a passion for exploration, for curiosity, and for seeking the unknown. We live in an era where the mysteries of the universe—space exploration, genetic science, and the potential for AI—continue to unfold before us. Yet, as the ancients knew, the stories we tell shape our understanding of the world. The love for the paranormal and science fiction is not merely an escape from reality but a means of facing the unknown with courage and imagination.

Let us then take a page from Kenyon’s own story. Let us feed our children, our communities, and ourselves with the wonder of the unknown, with stories of heroes who confront the inexplicable and monsters who lurk in the shadows of the mind. Let us create spaces where the imagination is allowed to wander freely, to explore new ideas, and to dream of worlds beyond our own. Just as the ancients used mythology to explain their world, so too can we use the lens of science fiction and horror to explore the limits of human knowledge and the depths of our own fears and desires. The world, after all, is filled with both the known and the unknown, and it is through stories that we bridge the gap between the two.