Complex Mechanisms

I was thinking about all the things that I enjoy, because they seem so unrelated. I like words and sentences, mathematics (especially manipulation of numbers), chemical reactions, physics, social constructs. I probably did so well in school because most of the subjects have interesting parts to them.

But as I listed off all these subjects, I realized that they did have something in common. All of them are complex mechanisms. They have many parts to them, all of which can move in concert, and all of which are affected by everything else that is at play in the system.

What I enjoy is understanding such systems, first by learning about each part, then learning about how they interact, and eventually seeing how the entire systems works as a whole. There is a beautiful serenity in seeing everything work together, all as they should.

These are the stories I also find most appealing. I don't want merely protagonist vs. antagonist, or good vs. evil. I want a complex mechanism. I want several fronts of people, each with different desires and motivations, all having to interact with each other, and having unexpected things occur because of the sheer complexity of it all.