Writers and Theme: The Secret State

I don't know about other writers but it really took me a while to discover the theme that underlies most of my writings. Both the Lambeth Croak series and the other two series I'm writing, one of which is set near the end of the 19th century, contain elements of what, for want of a better term, might be called the secret state.

We are all given to understand that the state, i.e., the government, the police, and the secret services, are all working for our interests, and while that might be true for a good number, these institutions also have their downside. It is this downside that I am interested in and the ways in which it intersects and sometimes destroys ordinary lives, which leads to a general sense of distrust among the people. This may seem like fantasy, but as fairly recent revelations into the behaviour of undercover officers among green activists shows, these things do happen

The Importance of Theme in Fiction

Theme as I've already stated, is I believe, something that is of central concern to the writer, and which intersects with people's ordinary lives. While too much emphasis on the secret state smacks of Orwell's 1984, it is also true that it can affect us in ways that we are totally unaware of. While Death Gangland Style, is the process of what, at first, seems to be a straightforward investigation into someone's background, it is linked to both corruption in the police force, and the secret state.

The idea that the shadowy figures that form a part of government and the police are not, necessarily, looking out for the public interest, bothers me. I suppose theme is the thing that bothers, or concerns, a writer, whether that is love, jealousy, or the secret state. Theme is the thing that underlies their fiction, and possibly the reason, if not at first recognised, one of the main reasons they write.

Fiction ; A Safe Place

Fiction, I believe, is a safe place for us to examine both our own fears and those fears that might be a concern for others. So there you have it, my take on theme. Feel free to argue against me in the comments, I enjoy a good debate.