Minight Mass Anthology

Fan fiction is a very peculiar genre. Any time an artist of any kind produces anything no matter what the original intent is the interpretation and meaning will always be in the hands of the beholder. While there are numerous websites dedicated to fan fiction, it is not a genre I've  gravitated towards. 

However, what drew me to the Midnight Mass Anthology  is that the Netflix show impacted me on a very deep level.  Exploring the way that it impacted other people's imagination is a way of re-entering this world. This entire anthology is free to read online. (Here is a link to the website.)

However, these days reading feels more like a luxury when I read a physical book. So I purchased the physical copy. It was worth it to me because the artwork is a beautiful tribute to the show.

Midnight Mass appealed to me someone who would have to check the "it's complicated" box when it comes to religious beliefs. This anthology dipped into this variety. "Hauntology as the Disguise of Vampirism or Religion" and "After Communion I Question God" portrays cynicism about Christianity. The poems "Sunrise" and "The Cure to Mortality" read as meditations on the sacrament of Holy Communion. 

Everything this anthology was beautiful. It had a wonderful array of artwork, stories, poems and essays. The poetry was my favorite section, mostly on account of craving  poetry when I read the anthology. The risk in a collection of work like this is that it could easily read as sophomoric attempt at ekphrasis or a homily. However all the pieces showed a high level of artistic integrity.

 My one criticism of this anthology is that it did not offer any material on an Islamic perspective.  I personally do not subscribe to any religious beliefs whatsoever. However, was significant to the show to have Sheriff Hassan's faithfulness to the Muslim perspective in spite of how this made him an outsider. This again makes Islam the outside perspective.

But for diving into the world of Midnight Mass,  this anthology keeps me satiated. (I really want Flanagan to write a novelization of his script!) Fans of Midnight Mass who love short stories and poetry will definitely want to check this anthology out!