Кэтрин Ранделл призывает детей читать мифы и предупреждает об опасности искусственного интеллекта в образовании

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The Neverfear, available Tuesday, is the third book in Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures series. The books take place in the Archipelago, where all the mythical creatures from human literature actually exist. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Rundell, 39, said her intention was to inspire further reading. She said she hopes young readers discover that the Karkadann and Ratatoskrs appear in other stories in Iranian and Norse writing, respectively. "The idea that the book might push young people towards looking at the texts that thousands of years of humanity have left out waiting for them, that is an idea that thrills me," Rundell said. In The Neverfear, heroes Christopher and Anya board a ship called The Neverfear to complete tasks to rescue their friend, Irian. Rundell is currently writing a fourth book and plans to conclude Christopher and Anya's story in a fifth. Impossible creatures of 'The Neverfear' The myths of Christopher and Anya's task come specifically from the Greek myth of Hercules. They are sent to recover whiskers of Cerberus, the Hades guard dog Hercules faced. "I wanted, in this book, to give some of the sense to the young people that they too can rise to Herculean tasks," she said. "I wanted, in The Neverfear, for Christopher and Anya to find themselves pushed to the very edge of their capability and having to look what lies beyond that." In their quest, Anya comes to recognize a power that has been stifled in even Archipelago society. Anya's rage was inspired by Hamlet, Rundell said. "We don't like girls who experience and express fury," she said. "But there is a great deal for young people, and perhaps particularly young women, to be angry about." Anya begins to relish an arena fight against the pirate, Vigo. Without spoiling, Rundell promised The Neverfear comes to a decisive place with Anya's anger. "I love a great clash, two forces of great power and will come together," Rundell said. "I loved writing it when those powers of force and will are a pirate who seems quite drunk and a 13-year-old girl." To research their trip, Christopher and Anya visit a magic library in which the books themselves have superpowers. This was one of Rundell's favorite scenes to write. "Something I talk about all the time here in England is the literal power of books," she said. Her powerful books include fire-breathing paperbacks. She does not mention hardcovers in The Neverfear. "I think hardcovers do breathe fire but in this particular library it's more the paperbacks," she said. Rules of 'Impossible Creatures' Where many fantasy writers invent their own mythology, Rundell decided Impossible Creatures would only draw from pre-existing ones. This was to give credit to the history of writers before her in all world cultures. "I would never invent a creature myself so that I could say to young people every single creature in this book was invented by us over the last 3000 years," Rundell said. Most of those myths had social agendas, Rundell said, such as "to talk about power, to talk about love, to imagine ecstasy and delight, to scare kids into being quiet and going to bed." Rundell's emphasis on history precludes any recent creatures from appearing in The Archipelago. Even J.R.R. Tolkien is too recent for Impossible Creatures, let alone creatures of hit movies. "There are no Minions to be coming," Rundell said. "The most recent creature that I have in the text would be, I think, probably from around 1900. That's roughly my cutoff." Pre-1900 literature could still include Dracula and Frankenstein, and Rundell noted that vampires existed long before Bram Stoker. Yet, Rundell focuses on more culturally prolific creatures. "Those feel to me like they are owned by specific authors and specific worlds," she said of Stoker and Mary Shelley. "I think one of the great things about something like dragons is, of course, they are global. Something like the Karkadann feels like it belongs to a moment, a place perhaps, but not one specific individual." Rundell does determine new rules for those creatures within The Archipelago. Christopher and Anya are accompanied by a Ratatoskr named Ratwan, who pluralizes everything. "Most of the people in the Archipelago speak several languages," Rundell said. "Ratatoskrs speak all of them but it means they don't speak any of them perfectly." Cautions about looming AI In addition to writing, Rundell holds a fellowship at Oxford University. She uses her platform as an educator and author to raise caution about the uses of AI she sees in schools. Her concern stems from what she sees as AI cutting out the process of learning. If students ask AI to find information or write for them, they end up with a paper but not the experience that writing teaches them. "I think we are often thinking about AI through the prism of efficiency," Rundell said. "But I think we need to think about AI through the prism of justice for all." Rundell is optimistic about the potential for AI in science to lead humans to new discoveries. However, she feels it has not been tested enough to expose it to children. "We risk being careless with children's futures," Rundell said. Furthermore, if children learn to depend on AI instead of thinking for themselves, Rundell said, "I think we have been the thieves of their potential and their joy. Fortunately, Rundell sees young students and readers rejecting the shortcuts offered by AI. "They are very angry because they feel that those who want to engage deeply with text and with ideas," she said. "They feel like the space to do that might be corroded by AI and they are very angry about that." When advising young writers, Rundell often hears from aspiring authors who claim they do not have an idea. Her solution is a human one. "Often the idea comes as you write," she said. "So I tell young people, 'Don't wait until you're absolutely sure of your story to start. Start and the story will become because to write is not just to transcribe what is in the mind. It is to transform what is in the mind.'" Rundell has known the ending for her fifth book in the series since she began. She has ideas of other scenes and stories, but still follows her own advice to a degree. For example, in The Neverfear, Christopher and Anya must find golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. Writing the scene, Rundell had some fun exploring what powers other magic apples might possess. "In general, I have a superstructure, but when I go to fill it in, that is when the process of discovery takes place," she said.