HOW TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC IN THE FACE OF CRISIS? ASK THE KIDS FIGHTING SLUG-LIKE ALIENS | ALEXANDER HURST

In a recent Guardian piece titled "How to feel optimistic in the face of crisis? Ask the kids fighting slug‑like aliens," author Alexander Hurst argues that the optimism taught by the *Animorphs* series can help people cope with today’s existential threats. Writing from his home in Cleveland, Ohio, Hurst reflects on the series’ influence during his childhood and how it might inspire a more hopeful outlook now.

Hurst cites that 54 *Animorphs* titles were published between 1996 and 2001, with 35 million copies sold worldwide. He recalls a conversation with childhood friend Clifton, who said the book series helped him secure a job as a vegan food cart operator after college, answering the interviewer’s last question with his preferred animal morph. Hurst also notes a bizarre anecdote involving former health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitting to having a worm in his brain, which he links to the imagined slug‑like aliens that “crawl through people’s ears.” The article uses these references to underscore a need for resilient, imaginative thinking in climate and societal crises.

The Guardian has published other cultural pieces—on AI and psychological horror, on poetry’s surge amid violence, and on India’s green growth strategy—highlighting the publication’s broader engagement with contemporary challenges. Hurst’s article fits within that trend by invoking a nostalgic, science‑fiction reference point to frame current anxieties.

• Hurst’s Guardian article uses the *Animorphs* series to argue for optimism amid climate crisis.
• He cites 54 books published (1996‑2001) and 35 million copies sold worldwide.
• A childhood anecdote: Clifton used the series to land a vegan food cart job after college.
• Hurst references Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim of a worm in his brain, linking it to imagined alien slugs.
• The piece appears amid other Guardian culture coverage on AI, poetry, and green growth.

Read the original source for full detail available at Climate crisis | The Guardian src