/ SpecFaith results for horror

When Science Fiction Meets Fairy Tale

At first glance, science fiction and fairy tales appear to have little in common. They’re like water and oil. What could tales about nasty step-mothers and magic share with stories of high-tech gadgets and trips to other worlds? For starters, both address themes of human experience through the fantastic, and both bear the imprint of the culture of their time. · Jeff Chapman

Fiction Christians From Another Planet! IV: Terror Of The Megachurchians

If we only ever meet in Christian novels pagan characters overcome by platitudes like “Really? There’s a God who loves — me?”, the author has gone beyond corny. Worse, our Hero and the Gospel look ridiculous. · E. Stephen Burnett

Screwtape on Redefining ‘Realism’

“Your patient, properly handled, will have no difficulty in regarding his emotion at the sight of human entrails as a revelation of Reality and his emotion at the sight of happy children or fair weather as mere sentiment.” · E. Stephen Burnett

Preference V. Weakness

Reader differences go far beyond genre or gender. Each person brings his or her own preferences, prejudices, expectations, beliefs, experiences, and assumptions to the story. · Keanan Brand

The Fine Line Between Reality and Fantasy

When I started writing my recently released young adult novel, Fathom, I knew there would be otherworldly creatures involved and that they would play a big part in the story. However, I always felt that at its heart, Fathom was a contemporary story · Merrie Destefano

Holy Terror

Today, I’d like to toss a recent article from Christianity Today onto the table for discussion. It deals with horror, a speculative genre we don’t frequently chat about here… · Fred Warren

Christian Versus Secular Novels

Never Ceese author Sue Dent: When I started out in publishing I’d never once heard the market divided up into the two very specific categories of Christian and Secular. Genres, yes, but not Christian or Secular. · Sue Dent

Monsters And Their Meaning

Some writers take monsters and re-envision them. Thus, vampires become love interests instead of deadly beings from which to flee (the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyers). Dragons are good instead of evil, protected from dragon hunters by an act of God (Dragons In Our Midst series by Bryan Davis). Elves are noble and wise rather than mischievous or selfish (Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings). · Rebecca LuElla Miller

The Fairy Tale Phenomenon

Is our perception of fairy tales changing? As Dean said in his post Friday, some guys feel as if their “man card” is at risk if they admit to reading fairy tales. Tolkien has wars and a civilization-saving quest, outsmarting a dragon and evading goblins, but fairy tales are about saving a damsel in distress. The damsels, of course, very much want those stories told. But do guys want to read them? · 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

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

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

Good News For Readers

In this new world of e-publishing, self-publishing, and the like, there is exciting news for readers: greater access to new and favorite authors. · Lyndon Perry

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 Point And Purpose Of Reading Fiction

We frequently discuss whether or not we should expose ourselves to “gritty” stories about the garbage dump of life. Must we wallow in the mud, or can we choose instead to read stories that evoke truth and beauty? A tangential issue that might help with that question is this: are truthful stories beautiful (artistic) simply because of their truth? · Rebecca LuElla Miller

The Ultimate Action / Disaster / Superhero / Suspense Film

What dreams do you have about your favorite fantastic novels and films? Do you wake up, as I did last Saturday, at first thinking “that was incredible!” and taking excessive personal credit for the plot? · E. Stephen Burnett

No Such Thing As Miracles

Author Athol Dickson: “Magical realism presents the supernatural as a matter of fact, almost as an everyday event, much as science fiction does. But like pure fantasy, magical realism refuses to explain itself.” · Athol Dickson

Please Quit Calling It ‘Weird’

I’m not picking on those who call Christian speculative stories “weird.” But Christianity doesn’t succeed because it’s Weird, but because it’s true. Our speculative stories should have a similar mission. · E. Stephen Burnett

Fred’s 2012 Speculations

I’m certainly not a prophet, and I have no desire to add to the predictive glut of the season, but this blog isn’t called Speculative Faith for nothing. So, today I’m offering a list of speculations for the coming year. · Fred Warren
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