matrix_man

Not one question yet? Okay, I'll bite.

What was your first experience with psychedelics? What sorts of things would you recommend to make someone else's first time with psychedelics safe and as positive as possible?

Thank you for such a detailed and thorough answer! When you say "good music" in regards to having a positive trip, is that whatever type of music you find good? Or are there certain types of music that are just inherently better or worse for tripping regardless of personal preference?

Do you think it's possible to create political satire/commentary (rather through comedy, horror, or any other genre) that can maintain relevance over time? Or is any sort of political satire/commentary going to end up feeling dated eventually?

As a follow-up question: I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and I know a lot of people criticize him for his in-your-face, preachy political commentary (that's not a criticism with which I agree, but I digress). Do you think there's a point where the political message becomes bigger than the entertainment (in a negative way)? How subtle is too subtle, and how outspoken is too outspoken? How do you find that line, and do you ever worry about crossing it?

So do you think King gets these complaints lobbed against him more than other writers simply because he's more popular than other writers that do similar things in their writing? Or do you think it's because he's written so many books that the message starts feeling repetitive to some people? I always find it a ridiculous complaint personally, because writing (and indeed all forms of art) is inherently expressive to some degree. I can't imagine that those same critics would want a world where we didn't have an amazing book like To Kill a Mockingbird simply because it was too socially conscious and outspoken.

Thank you for your time and your responses! I always love talking with other writers!