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Reviewing Speculative Faith Reviews

Writing more blog entries lamenting the lack of good Christian sci-fi and fantasy novels doesn’t correct this problem. Instead, read Christian SF novels and write reviews. Not just for The Cause, but to help others worship God. · E. Stephen Burnett

Shallow Reasons To Support ‘Narnia’ 1

Flawed, over-“spiritual” defenses of the “Narnia” series are not only annoying, but ignore the stories’s central beauties and childlike wonder. Even worse, such approaches ultimately make readers worship God less. · E. Stephen Burnett

‘Why Did(n’t) You Like That Story?’

What films, series, and novels do you enjoy that others despise, and which stories do you dislike that others near-unanimously praise? What possible factors lead to such differences? · E. Stephen Burnett

Beyond Inklings Imitations 1: Exploring The Source

Readers have so “cultified” the Inklings that authors and publishers assume the only novels we want to read are imitations of Lewis or Tolkien. · A. T. Ross

The Appeal Of Fantasy For Young Adults

Of all the unexpected things in contemporary literature, this is among the oddest: that kids have an inordinate appetite for very long, very tricky, very strange books about places that don’t exist, fights that never happened, all set against the sort of medieval background that Mark Twain thought he had discredited with “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” (excerpt from “The Dragon’s Egg”) · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Speculative Faith Reading Group 9: From Defeat, Final Victory

Even among the greatest stories, the finale of LWW is unique. Here are echoes of Resurrection, eternal joy, and the truth that Christ’s people will reign physically over the New Heavens and New Earth. · E. Stephen Burnett

News And Your Views

A smattering of this and that today. An update on our First Ever Spec Faith Writing Challenge, then news for For fantasy lovers. Finally, your views, in two parts. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Ancient Realms Of Imagination

The stories that I read while growing up inspired me to be a better person–to better follow God and to deal more rightly with other people. A good story isn’t just penned or typed; it grows out of the heart. · Scott Appleton

Speculative Faith Reading Group 8: The Stone Table

In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” how has Aslan’s death affected you, and how does it affect you now? How do other stories’ heroes’ deaths remind you of Christ’s ultimate death? · E. Stephen Burnett

The Spiritual Villain

Bane vs. The Joker: in stories, the scariest villains are not the ones who kill the most, leer the most, or have the worst weapons. Instead the scariest villains have spiritual impact on the main characters, or we as readers and viewers. · E. Stephen Burnett

When Bad Things Happen To Good Characters

It looks like a significant majority of our readers prefer posts that are educational, help them make informed choices about their reading/viewing material, and/or provoke discussion. Tough cookies. You’re getting a story today. · Fred Warren

Speculative Faith Reading Group 7: Aslan Springs Forth

In these two chapters, watch for this contrast: of the wrong sort of “seriousness” — the manipulative, duty-driven dominance of the Witch — versus the joyful, holy, righteous seriousness that Aslan brings. · E. Stephen Burnett

Shining Light In ‘The Dark Knight’

“You’ll hunt me; you’ll condemn me,” Batman says at the end of The Dark Knight. “That’s what needs to happen.” Some Christians cried: “No it’s not! Heroes don’t lie!” They miss the point. · E. Stephen Burnett

The Sword Endures

With all the different kinds of speculative stories, with fantastic weapons and wars, why is the symbol and themes of the sword so transcendent? · Rebecca P. Minor

Speculative Faith Reading Group 6: Greed and Gifts

In these two chapters of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” we see good and evil even more clearly — along with God-exalting, reality-reflecting truths of what really causes evil, and the seriousness of fighting it. · E. Stephen Burnett

Challenging The Indie Imagination

For this epic-story reader, it’s hard to keep track of all the new independent Christian-speculative publishers. Wouldn’t it better to combine some of them, at least for marketing? Several indie press-runners have already joined this conversation. · E. Stephen Burnett

Why Christians Can Love Speculative Stories

“Popologetics” author Ted Turnau: Speculative stories give more space to explore reality, imaginative worlds that enchant, and reflections of our true home. · Ted Turnau

Sex, Violence and Dark Events

I understand that some readers are made very uncomfortable reading “graphic horror and implied sexual abuse,” but does that mean neither can ever be acceptable elements in Christian fiction, regardless of the purpose they might serve in that fiction? Should Christian authors of speculative fiction – or any fiction – refrain from putting “dark and violent things” into their novels as a matter of principle? · Karen Hancock

Speculative Faith Reading Group 5: Enter The Lion

Who is Aslan? Is he the same as Jesus Christ? An “allegory” for Him? Or something else entirely? Who would we ask? Also, what about that strange “Lilith” explanation for the White Witch, from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”? · E. Stephen Burnett

The Legend Of Intaglio, Part 6

It all made sense now. He had betrayed the Fairy’s trust, and this was his punishment. · Fred Warren
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