Mike's Musings: "Digital Jungles"

The expedition into fictional thinking begins now

If you gathered the impression that these musings were going to primarily discuss concepts and abstractions related to real life or my opinions there-within, I suppose

I should apologize for giving you that impression from the first musing. However, in my defense, the space between this and the first post should've been a substantial indication of my lack of planning for the very idea of Mike's Musings, as well as my motivation to write non-fiction. When I'm in a conversation, the real world is an interesting topic to discuss using real opinions, thoughts, and expressions. That interest goes out the window when it comes to writing with the same natural tendency, and it's very rare for me to bring it back inside. Frankly, I both love and hate the popularity of commentary: love to see a host of opinions and ideas flourishing in natural and creative ways, but I absolutely hate the insistence that only non-fiction is worth being popular in a vast amount of ways… yet, fiction is now the product one must parse through in a store. Don't get me wrong, there is certainly a place for it to be such, but an eagerness for imagination should be just as valuable to the liberty-tinged human condition as speaking one’s mind is and should be.

Anyway, I’m now bored with continuing this contrived way of having a one-sided conversation or argument. Perhaps I should ground this every now and then with a response post, but it'd have to be as interesting and entertaining as a Let's Play or live-stream a video game... For now, I will end this tedious subject to move onto something that will keep my pen scribbling ink onto the page. If there is one thing you shouldn't expect, though, it’s the preposterous expectation you may have when reading the words "digital jungles.” No, I didn't write a commentary about the internet and social media as it currently stands…

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Since I knew a substantial chunk of this post would include an explanation for the sudden rearing off the expected course, I figured it would be fun to explore a concept that is bound to offer the brevity needed, so as to not make this post longer than it needs to be. Whereas the concept of "the digital jungle" is rife with a metaphorical allusion to the internet and how it relates to current cultural blah blah-blah, the concept of "digital jungles,” especially regarding fiction, is one the that can be explored with creative simplicity, especially since the plural form of the phrase has the possible suggestion of variety attached to it. This isn't just an abstract jungle, this any kind of imagined jungle. Similarly, a creative complexity can be conjured when the word isn't taken as literally as a fictional jungle can be taken. Simplicity gives us brings us the jungles created through digital means like the jungles created in video games, Donkey Kong Country comes to mind, or a digital jungle created in a science-fiction medium (best example I can think of off the top of my head might be from the Megaman X series, though I might be alone in seeing digital synonymous with robotic). Complexity, however, gives us the example of The Matrix, Ghost In The Shell, and likely countless other sci-fi/ cyberpunk properties where the digital space or application into spaces is a metaphorical jungle that is, quite frankly, more entertaining than discussing the internet today or its past.

Certainly, I can't say how I'd go about creating digital jungles with creative simplicity. Metaphorical jungles, after all, are the go-to since they provide the urban reliability bent to it, as urban areas could be considered social/ materialistic / artificial jungles. It wouldn't be beyond the pale to have disillusioned urbanist authors write pieces that describe the suburbs as mental jungles. However true the particular brand of literary commentary can be, my opinion can range between "pot calling the kettle black” or these authors hove destroyed too many glass houses and are still wondering why their dream cottage is a pile of stones. All this to say that I have written metaphorical jungles have a few unfinished titles that can be seen as being set in metaphorical jungles, but now that I have committed to this narrative exercise, the thought of crafting a “literal" jungle, much less a “literal“ digital jungle, sounds like an intriguing venture. If you'll allow me to muse a bit longes, I’d like to briefly conjure a thought in how I’d execute writing a digital jungle.

Usually, as far as I can tell, sci-fi or weird super natural tales see simulated reality as a reveal, a hidden truth behind a curtain you didn’t know was a curtain in the first place. The show West World is very effective in doing this, despite its necessary main-premise reveal, with its first couple seasons, which is to say the method is very effective for metaphorical and crafted digit jungles. However, I wonder what would be the result of flipping this method on its head for a crafted digital jungle. Moreover, what kind of story becomes the result if the jungle goes from a normal jungle story to a sci-fi story? I’m sure many horror fans are salivating with perverted thoughts. Of course, I don't mean to slander nor demean horror fans, at least not entirely maliciously, but horror is not a genre I like partaking in regularly. If I ever decided to write such a tale, I would either go full weird with the concept, though more in a psychological way (trying my best not delve into perversion), or it’d be a cool sci-fi adventure that'd keep people arguing over the intent behind the jungle going digital. Can definitely confirm it is something I'm tempted to write as soon as I finish with this scribble of a musing. But, what are your ideas regarding the regarding the concept of a digital jungle?

Maybe the concept can't get any better than as a cyberpunk metaphor, but either way, I found this significantly more interesting to write about than describing, expressing my opinions and arguments relating to current day internet consumption. However, I will conclude with a bit of something I want to hope for your thinking mind: Don't be governed by your assumptions, even if those assumptions feel more empathetic towards your circle of fellowship, even it it seems like those assumptions defend your friends or values. A lot of what is the internet can make you assume a lot and make you decide on things too fast without actual thought and consideration behind it. This is why imaginary ideas are more important to me because I don't have any right to change your mind, I can only be forthright with my hopes in helping realize and actualize a better moral / ethical potential for you and your life. Even more so, the art of having fun is simply better, and that is something of middle ground nearly anyone can meet at to shake hands, maybe even laugh, before going our separate ways to see how whatever happens will happen.

Enjoy Your Life.

God Bless.

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