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The Sound and the Fury

How has heavy metal music influenced my writing? · Mark Carver

The Power Of Ink

Tattoos have historically been associated with strength, aggression, power, status, rebellion, and tribal identity. · Mark Carver

Have You Visited Your “Inmost Cave” Lately?

The following blog post was written by my brother (and co-author) Allan today while I’ve been on the road. Enjoy! ——————- I love exploring. Whenever I can, I like to take my family out on hikes to explore nature. I […] · Christopher Miller

Magic In The Story: Written In The Stars

Today we continue our series on Magic in the Story with a form of so-called “magic” I believe many are confused about. This post, entitled “Written in the Stars” is an exploration of the difference between Astrology and Biblical Star-Reading […] · Christopher Miller

Magic In The Story: The Two Faces Of Magic

This week we delve deeper into the mysteries of ‘Magic in the Story’ and find ourselves confronted by the fact that there are two faces of magic in Narnia. · Christopher Miller

Shallow Reasons To Support ‘Narnia’ 2

Why do some force shallow, over-“spiritual” allegories on the “Narnia” stories — to the extent of claiming Aslan’s tent equals the Tabernacle, the Professor’s house equals the church, or the wardrobe equals the Bible? · 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

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

Rearranging Icons 7: Coming Full-Circle

The harder we try to make this icon metaphor fit into the practical business of writing and understanding literature, the squishier and messier it becomes. · Fred Warren

Rearranging Icons 5: In The Eye Of The Beholder

I’m more interested in the idea that readers can have a richer reading experience and writers can tell richer, deeper stories if they understand how this works. · Fred Warren

Rearranging Icons 4: Characters Becoming Icons

For every Christian, icons are inevitable. But they must show a process of redemption. Christ the “Icon” of the Father underwent suffering. So should we, as we image Him, and so should art and story characters, which image us. · E. Stephen Burnett

Rearranging Icons 3: Give and Take

As our e-mail conversation about icons continued, we moved into more of a give-and-take format, so you’ll see lots of quoting and commenting on things we posted last week. · Fred Warren

Rearranging Icons 2: Defining The Debates

What are icons? How have Christians viewed them in Church history, speculative stories, and evangelical art? If you think you or your denomination doesn’t deal with icons, in fiction or in faith practice, think again — and join our conversation. · E. Stephen Burnett

Rearranging Icons: An Introduction

A few months ago, Stephen and I wandered into a conversation about the meaning of icons in literature and their connection to Christian faith, and we agreed it was a topic worth examining in more detail in a feature here at Speculative Faith. · Fred Warren

Dark Is The Stain: Hallow’s Eve

I began this series because I wanted to explore the dark themes of Christian fiction. I don’t want to just discuss it; I want to touch it. I want light so bright that anything dark distracts, and darkness so black […] · Kaci Hill

Speculating About The Known

Last Friday, on my own blog I discussed truth in fiction. In part I looked at an article by Travis Prinzi at the Rabbit Room (where Andrew Peterson, Pete Peterson, Jonathan Rogers, and others interested in speculative fiction also hang […] · Rebecca LuElla Miller

When Speculation Is … Confusing

Let me preface this by saying that I don’t like telling writers what they “can” or “can’t” do. But I’d be interested in your opinions about what they DO do. This week I’ve had the pleasure of reading two recent […] · Rachel Starr Thomson

Refuting Universalism Slanders Of C.S. Lewis, Part 2

In C.S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle,” the character Emeth did not at first believe in Aslan, yet still somehow crossed over into paradise. Christians get confused about this. Some use it to reject Lewis as a universalist. Is that a right reading? · E. Stephen Burnett

Fear, Festering and Faith: The Artist’s Contract With Honesty

Apologies for tardiness. I confess to being deathly ill, but that doesn’t usually stop me. This week, I was trying to find something honest to say, and nothing wanted to come out. The notion of faith and fictional speculation didn’t […] · C.L. Dyck

Part Three: How To Bring Myths & Fairy Tales Back From The Dead & Into The Light

Do not throw stones at ravens. I said last week: “Ravens? What have ravens to do with anything?” Well, in myths and fairy tales—and symbolically—quite a bit. Odin had two, Hunnin and Munnin, thought and memory by meaning, and they […] · Mirtika Schultz