Canvas

Imagine for a moment, Earth, approximately our Earth to be precise. A big blue and green sphere, populated by at least four people, possibly even more. Probably more. Almost definitely more. I think.   An uncertain Earth. Where one cannot reasonably trust the veracity of one's perceptions. A land in which the faint shimmers at the corner of the eye could reasonably be chalked up to being just floaters and dust. But, you know, if you squint hard enough, and it's in the right light, those little dancing lights just might be something more.   An Earth in which science has plumbed the depths of the sea, and has sent its tendrils far out into the grand expanse of the cosmos. Where humanity has found tools, and principles, and methods of conceptualization to make sense of the world around them. Where people can be reasonably confident that what they see is what /is/, and what /can be/.   Still sounds like our Earth, doesn't it?   That's because this is our Earth. Transposed onto a page. A fictional account of a mostly real world. A sanctuary of normalcy against the narrative background noise of Science Fiction and Fantasy. A familiar enough Setting, right?   What if the sanctity of a Setting was breached.   What if the normalcy of this familiar Setting was to be tainted by forces beyond its narrative scope. What if an Outside of Context Problem was more of an Outside of Content Problem.   What if the seductive power of fantastical escapism held hundreds under its sway, all the while leaking the impossible, unknowable, and unthinkable into our reality with every turn of a page.   Wouldn't that be neat?