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Why We Need Fantasy

I’m opening up about my own journey—from a kid who didn't read much and struggled with the weight of the world, to finding a lifeline in dragons, magic, and ancient myths.

David Warner

6/22/20263 min read

My Dearest Dreamers,

Come with me on a journey for a moment.

Picture yourself stalking through a mist-shrouded swamp, carefully placing each step to avoid making even the slightest sound. Or perhaps you are sitting erect upon your steed, the weight of solid steel armor heavy upon your shoulders, riding at a mile-eating canter toward the mighty fortress of your forebears. Perhaps still, you are shuffling down a dusty corridor, robes whipping around your legs as you clutch an ancient, forbidden tome to your chest.

Wherever your journey begins, you must admit that these scenarios draw you in. Who are you? Where are you going? What is your quest?

More importantly: while you were imagining all of that, you weren’t thinking about your bills, your boss, or that strange noise your car is making that you just can't afford to fix right now.

There are a thousand things happening in our daily lives and across the globe that threaten to overwhelm us. We push through every single day, doing what is necessary just to keep moving forward. But the truth is, that constant grind isn't sustainable. If you spend every minute of every day alert and braced for the next catastrophe, your mind eventually burns out.

That is where fantasy and mythology come in. When reality gets heavy, we need these stories more than ever.

I’ve been hustling my whole life. No matter how hard I try to avoid the spotlight, people always seem to rely on me to figure things out and make the impossible happen. Combine that daily pressure with the chaotic state of the world right now, and it becomes a lot to carry. Yet, I know my weight is nothing compared to the challenges many of you have faced or are facing right now. We all have our own mountains to climb.

When I was younger, that weight would overwhelm me, and I would act out. I’m not proud of how I behaved back then, but it’s part of my history, and I strive every day to be better. The thing that turned it all around for me was a fantasy book I happened to pick up. At the time, I wasn’t much of a reader, but the cover looked interesting enough, so I figured, why not? Then I read another. And another. It snowballed from there. The dragons, the magic, the ancient mysteries—even those delightful tropes that some call cliché—I fell in love with all of it. Before long, I was hunting down games, movies, and anything else in the fantasy vein I could absorb.

But something fascinating happened along the way. Amidst the action and adventure that initially drew me in, I started absorbing the deeper lessons these stories had to teach.

I watched a fictional king teach his son about loyalty and decency. I listened to a wizard explain the importance of discipline and experimentation to his apprentice. I sat with a blacksmith telling a young boy why it is vital to do a job correctly, even if it's a hidden weld that no one will ever see. Without even realizing it, I let those stories shape me into a better person.

To be completely honest, some of this is hitting me just now as I write this to you. I started this letter wanting to talk about how important fantasy is for helping us escape our reality—but it is so much more than that.

Fantasy doesn’t just help us escape the world; it helps us endure it.

It teaches us lessons we might be too stubborn or defensive to accept from the people in our actual lives. By stepping away from our immediate distractions, these myths allow us to look at human struggles in a clearer, more honest light. Fantasy becomes exactly what we need, right when we need it most.

So, my dearest dreamers, I invite you to let a little more magic into your life. Take a well-deserved break from reality, and you might just find that you understand the real world a little better because of it. If we all allow ourselves to dream a little more, we might just find ourselves living in a kinder, more decent world. At least for a little while.

With my deepest regards,

David