Protesters in Iran facing down the terrifying and brutal Revolutionary Guard are putting on Guy Fawkes masks. One more sign of how writing – and stories – infect minds, change them and through that change the world.
When Alan Moore wrote V For Vendetta and used the Guy Fawkes mask as a symbol of resistance to oppression, he had no concept of it beyond his story. But now it’s been used all over the world by brave people trying to overthrow tyrants.
The three-fingered salute as a similar symbol has been used by separatist groups for a while, but it gained traction as a symbol of resistance after The Hunger Games. Since then it’s been used in Hong Kong, Myanmar, the Philipines, Cambodia, Thailand and the US.
Stories have power. They change the world.