It’s time for another Spec Faith Writing Challenge.

By way of reminder, here’s the way this particular challenge works:

I’ll give a first line, and those who wish to accept the challenge will write what comes next–in 100 to 200 words, putting those in the comments section of this post.

Readers will give thumbs up to the ones they like the most, and, if they wish, they may give a reply to the various entries, telling what particularly grabbed their attention.

After the designated time, I’ll re-post the top three (based on the number of thumbs up they receive) and visitors will have a chance to vote on which they believe is the best.

I’ll again sweeten the pot and offer a $25 gift card (from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble) to the entry that receives the most votes (as opposed to the most thumbs up). In the event of a tie, a drawing will be held between the top vote getters to determine the winner.

And now, the first line:

Afraid? Bri couldn’t say she was exactly afraid.

Finally, those silly little details we all need to know:

• Your word count does not include this first line.

• You will have between now and midnight (Pacific time) next Tuesday to post your challenge entries in the comments section.

• You may reply to entries, giving thumbs up, this week and next. To have your thumb-up counted to determine the top three entries, it must be checked before Tuesday, August 27.

• Voting begins in two weeks.

Feel free to invite any of your friends to participate, either as writers or readers. The more entries and the more feedback, the better the challenge.

Today marks the beginning of a series I want to run–not necessarily consecutively–featuring the Christian speculative fiction I’m excited about. Anyone paying attention to the Clive Staples Award realizes that the number of titles available has increased significantly, but I believe the quality has improved as well.

I’m starting with Captives by Jill Williamson in part because the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) Blog Tour is featuring that book this week. I also believe in Williamson as a writer. She won two Christy Awards with her first two published novels and has only improved in her craft. In fact, in my opinion, Captives is her best book so far.

It is the first of The Safe Lands series, published by Zondervan and now part of their young adult imprint, Blink, launched last April.

Captives is also a dystopian fantasy, a genre Christian publishers have only recently embraced. I realize that dystopian fiction in the general market is winding down, but the movies made from those books–starting with the Hunger Game movies–are just beginning, so I suspect the interest in the genre will continue for some time. In that respect, The Safe Lands is a timely series.

There’s also the Christian aspect of Williamson’s series. How does Christianity fit in with a dystopian world? The Left Behind books gave one answer. In some respects that series by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye might be considered the forerunner or the catalyst for the recent apocalyptic and dystopian novels, showing one interpretation of the Biblical record of the events leading up to the return of Christ and the end of the world as we know it.

Another series which is a post-apocalyptic dystopian, though it reads much like a medieval story, is the Cheveis Trilogy by Bryan Litfin (The Sword, The Gift, The Kingdom). Litfin’s handling of Christianity is distinctly different from Left Behind, and Captives is distinctly different from the Cheveis Trilogy.

It’s also different from, though with some similarities to, Swipe (Thomas Nelson), the middle grade series by the mysterious Evan Angler (Swipe, Sneak, Storm). And Swipe has similarities, with greater differences, to Left Behind.

In other words, how Christianity fits into a dystopian fantasy is anything but pat. There is no one “right way,” no standard treatment, no prescribed formula.

Williamson has chosen to show Christianity primarily by way of contrast. It’s an intriguing and effective method, I think, which also renders anything that could be construed as preachiness, unnecessary. At the same time, I don’t think Christians will complain that the “faith element” is missing or obscure (but I’ll have a better idea about that after I’ve visited some of the other blogs participating in the CSFF tour).

One thing readers should be aware of is that Captives is perhaps a grittier novel than many from Christian publishers. Besides making the story feel more real and relevant, however, the non-gratuitous grit served as the contrast that underwrote the theme. In other words, it was necessary and effective and in no way exploitive.

Readers should also be aware that Captives is the first part of a continuing story. I don’t know how many books are in the Safe Lands series, but it’s apparent that the story problem is resolved only in part at the end of this first installment. I thought it was a satisfying conclusion, though, not one of those contrived cliffhangers that seem to be somewhat in vogue these days.

In short, I’m excited about Captives. It is well written, Christian in an organic sense, filled with unexpected twists and lots of action, and peopled with interesting characters in a clearly drawn, futuristic world.

E. Stephen Burnett at Realm Makers 2013.

What if … at a gathering like this, no one ever mentioned the name of C.S. Lewis?

I do believe the world would be “overturned and perish in fire and water.”

After all, if fans of Christian fantasy, sci-fi, and other speculative stories had a patron saint, it would be C.S. Lewis. And this year would be significant for us. That’s because 50 years ago, Lewis himself passed into the real next world, or what he called “Aslan’s Country.”

Since then, most readers who love Christian fantasy and science fiction have heard about Lewis. You’ve likely read The Chronicles of Narnia. And many authors are compared to him.

Why is Lewis so successful?

Why do we always name-check him?

Why name the Clive Staples award after the C.S. in his name?

At least three of God’s gifts motivated Lewis’s success: truth, beauty, and unity.

1. Truth

Many remember that Lewis said he didn’t want to preach about Christianity in Narnia.

Instead he had images he decided to use for stories. Images like a faun, a wood, a winter.

Based on that, some say, “See, C.S. Lewis wasn’t trying to preach, and neither should we.”

“When they tried to look at Aslan’s face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn’t look at him and went all trembly.”

Ah, but Lewis was clear that first “Aslan came bounding in.” Only after Aslan the Great Lion arrived — not only the character, but His inspiration — was the world of Narnia born.

A scholar of mythology and literature, Lewis was famous long before Narnia because of his nonfiction explorations of doctrinal truth in Mere Christianity and other books. Christ had converted this former atheist. He believed in truth. He believed in mystery, but that Jesus Christ can be known personally, according to what He has decided to tell us in His Story.

Lewis wrote according to God’s Truth, as best he could. And he never apologized for that.

I might add, he also didn’t spend a lot of time insisting he “wasn’t preachy.” He just did it.

2. Beauty

Yet there are many different ways to explore Truth in writing.

Lewis didn’t stick with writing truth in nonfiction. His early straight fantasy fiction was The Ransom Trilogy (or Space Trilogy or Cosmic Trilogy). Yet sometimes we forget that Lewis moved on from nonfiction to fantasy, which included his later-year Narnia stories.

Narnia and Lewis’s other works are beloved because they explore truth and beauty.

Lewis turns a phrase. He experiments with words. With words as quills, he draws pictures. He delights in nature, adventure, senses, and the fantastical. The best kind of “edginess.”

He wasn’t the first. God was. Reading the Bible, we find truth and beauty in many forms.

God didn’t inspire only a textbook, a sermon, a systematic theology, a short-story collection, poems, parables, law codes, or histories. Instead He included all of these to share His Story.

Sometimes we Christians forget that.

If we get tired of hearing only of Biblical Doctrine Facts, we may think only stories matter.

If we get tired of hearing only stories, we may think only Biblical Doctrine Facts matter.

But stories without truth are at best shallow. And stories without beauty bring less joy.

“Beauty” without joyful truth is ugly. “Truth” without joyful beauty is deceptive.

God enjoys both. Lewis enjoyed both.

So should we. In enjoying both beauty and truth, we honor and worship God.

3. Unity

Lewis unifies Christians. Everyone wants a piece of him.

A friend told me someone argued Lewis would have taken X view on one issue. Speaking in “internet,” I said, “Oh noes! If C.S. Lewis ‘would have’ favored or disfavored a thing, I guess it’s over for Christians who say otherwise! Debate over and done! Everybody go home!”

Sometimes our Lewis-mania gets silly. But there is a reason we all want a piece of Lewis.

He brought Christians together. Not around himself, but around creativity and stories.

Stories that point to truth and beauty. To our Author and Hero.

As lovers of Christian fantasy and science fiction, we need to keep doing the same.

That means growing. Sharing the stories we love (and the stories we write and publish). Writing reviews and recommending books. Having conferences like this one.

And it means promoting unity during our 365.25-ish-days-a-year conference: the internet.

I’ve noticed something (starting with the time I did this). Christian SF readers often do this:

1. “Hey, why isn’t there more Christian sci-fi and fantasy around?”
2. “I just found this one rare Christian SF book. It’s great! I’ll find the author online.”
3. “I’m a fan of this author. I’ll buy all his/her books! But there are so few of us.”
4. “Wow, this genre is so weird! But it’s fun being weird, counter-cultural, niche. Might be fun to keep it that way. Besides, I’m settled with this author and his/her stories. My pioneer days, of trying to find new and excellent Christian SF stories, are over.”

And then it happens all over again. Some other readers come along and says, “Hey, why isn’t there more Christian sci-fi and fantasy?” and tries to reinvent their own fantastic fire.

Meanwhile, you and a hundred others sit around the older fire,  which could be fading.

I say “fire” because it’s a Christian conference. At these things, speakers must encourage people to get On Fire for something. But I encourage no such spontaneous combustion.

Instead, just enjoy the stories you read. The stories you write. In this, worship our Author.

And let’s remember: the more worship, the merrier. The more God’s truth and beauty can spread. The more our Creator can be glorified. And the more fantastic stories we’ll find.

About the Award

How might we find and promote such stories? One way is with an award like the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction.

A little backstory. Every fantastical tradition needs that.

1. Fantasy writer and freelance editor Rebecca LuElla Miller, a co-founder and regular columnist at Speculative Faith, initiated this award in 2008. In 2009 the inaugural winner was Donita Paul. The following year, Bryan Davis took home the honor. Now after a two-year hiatus, we’ve revived the award.
2. This year’s sponsors are SpeculativeFaith.com and Realm Makers. (We welcome additional sponsors!)
3. In early April we opened readers’ nominations at SpeculativeFaith.com, for any Christian speculative novel published by a royalty-paying publisher in the year 2012.
4. A week later we began exploring the possibility of teaming with Rebecca P. Minor and Realm Makers.
5. Then on July 8 at SpeculativeFaith.com, we gathered all the nominations and held the first round of reader votes. To be an eligible participant we asked: Have you read at least two of these titles?
6. On July 15 author Robert Treskillard undertook the task of designing the CSA seal. On July 19 we announced the five finalists, in alphabetical order by author, and began the final round of voting.
7. Tonight I’ll read excerpts from each of those nominees, in alphabetical order. Then we’ll announce the runners-up in reverse order of their finish, and finally the winner. Each nominee will receive a printed certificate. The winner will receive the grand prize.

Liberator — Bryan Davis

Jason [‘Jay-son] steadied himself on the stone-movers’ raft and scanned the sky from horizon to horizon. Still within the confines of the Southlands, he dipped his steering pole into the river as quietly as possible. Elyssa [Eh-‘lih-suh] had said dragons lurked in the area, and her Diviner’s gift of detecting a presence in the air or hidden in the shadows seemed as sharp as ever. At least one fire-breather was out there . . . somewhere.

As he, Elyssa, and Koren [‘Ko-rehn] floated northward on the river’s slow current, clouds hovered low to the east over the Zodiac’s spires, drifting closer on a freshening breeze. The western view revealed a forest beyond the river-bank — peaceful and quiet. Now late in the day, Solarus [Sohl-‘air-ruhs] had already settled near the treetops. They would have to make camp soon, but definitely not until the dragons’ village lay well behind them. Although no scaly-winged beasts sailed or shuffled anywhere in sight, sleep would come more easily if they could put some distance between the dragons’ abode and their intended camping spot.

Jason allowed his gaze to settle on the forest once more. Somewhere in that area Randall [‘Ran-dahll] and Tibalt [‘Tih-bahlt] marched in search of Wallace and the cattle-camp children, meaning the lack of a dragon patrol was good news. Maybe they would find the refugees in time to warn them about the deadly disease spreading through Starlight, a hard-enough task even without dragon interference. Since the disease was so contagious, and since Randall and Tibalt had both been exposed, providing a warning while staying at a safe distance would require more than a little ingenuity.

A Throne of Bones — Vox Day

“Who are you?”

Ahenobarbus [Ah-‘hee-no-‘bar-buhs] stared at the faded painting in the gilded frame mounted on the wall in front of him. The flickering candles cast an eerie glow upon the scene: Six armed men stood over the fallen body of a seventh man, from whose face Ahenobarbus, or as others reverently called him, His Sanctified Holiness Charity IV, couldn’t take his eyes. The victim was nude, and though there were six assassins in the painting, the body bore seven wounds. Someone had struck twice.

“Why did they kill you?”

The painting was entitled Decessus Inmortuus [Deh-‘chehss-us Ih-‘mor-too-us], “The Death of the Undying.” It had once been considered a masterpiece. But now it was here, deep underground in the storage vaults. Quintus stood in an insignificant room occasionally used for receptions by minor functionaries deep in the bowels of the sanctal palace. The painting had recently been moved here from the storage areas, but this wasn’t exactly an honored location.

The bright colors and the flat, unnatural perspective were typical of the artist: Mariattus [Mar-ee-‘ah-toos], the great Nardine. Only the face of the stabbed man was facing toward the viewer. The six assassins were all in profile. It was almost as if Mariattus had intended to draw particular attention to the face.

Ahenobarbus reached out an arthritic finger and lightly traced the outline of the fallen man’s jaw. “And how can it be that you are not dead?”

Mortal — Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Roland Akara, Prince of the Nomads and second only to Rom Sebastian among all Mortals, sat unflinching upon his mount, scanning the valley below with the eyes of one who’d seen far too much to be either easily disturbed or easily satisfied. He was a warrior, loved desperately by all who followed him, a leader descended from generations of rulers, a man given to purpose without an ounce of compromise.

And that purpose had never been clearer: to usher in the reign of Jonathan at any cost in utter defiance of death.

On the dark stallion next to his own sat his sister Michael, twenty-seven—younger than Roland by three years. A composite bow was slung across her back in the same manner as his. The long drape of her coat covered the curved sword that rode her hip. They were two Mortals, clad in black, overlooking their kingdom.

But this was not their kingdom. This was a valley of death. It spread out to the west and east, a vast waste only intermittently broken by a patch of twisting scrub. Whatever had once flowed through this dry riverbed had all but poisoned it. Even now, hundreds of years after the wars that had ruined massive stretches of countryside—including the vineyards that had once characterized this region—only the staunchest new growth survived.

Michael spoke in a low voice, jaw tight. “He’s there.”

Prophet — R. J. Larson

Tarnished snow sifted through the air, clinging to Ela Roeh [‘El-lah ‘Row-eh]’s skin the instant she stepped outside. Warm snow. Impossible.

She rubbed at the flakes on her bare forearm and watched them smear across her brown flesh like menacing shadows. Ashes. What was burning?

Unnerved, Ela scanned the plain mud-plastered stone houses honeycombed around the wide public square. Houses built one atop another within a vast, irregular, protective curtain wall, sheltering the city of Parne [‘Parn-ay]. Mud and stone wouldn’t burn, but the timbered interiors could. She’d seen it happen before, the thick dark smoke suffocating its helpless victims.

No, none of the houses were smoldering. Nor was Parne’s crown, he temple. Good. A blessing.

A gust of wind brushed her face with more ashes. Ela tasted the harsh metallic bitterness and frowned. If none of Parne’s homes were burning, then the ashes were puzzling indeed, because they must have come from a great distance. Parne, Ela remained convinced, was the most isolated city-state in existence. “Infinite . . .”

She stopped. Why pray about ashes without first learning their source? But perhaps she shouldn’t wait, especially when those ashes were interfering with little things, like her ability to see and breathe. Really, she needed to cover herself. The ashes were clinging to her like living creatures, scuttling bugs determined to cause misery. Ela shuddered, imagining insects scurrying over her skin. Why hadn’t she grabbed her mantle before deciding to take a walk?

Ela stepped back inside her family’s home, a stark uneven box of a residence, exactly like every other home in Parne. Useful. Basic. Never changing from one generation to the next. Just like Parne’s citizens. She snatched her thin brown mantle and called to her mother, “I’m going up to the wall! It’s snowing ashes.”

Starflower — Anne Elisabeth Stengl

The trees drew back from the girl as she fled. They dared not interfere while she walked that Path, no matter how they might wish to. She took no notice of them. how long has she fled now? Had it been one night, or days and weeks of this nightmare? And always the howls pounded her memory.

Suddenly, the howls vanished. A new voice spoke from the gloom.

Come to me, pretty maid.

The girl stopped, swaying where she stood, on the verge of collapsing. Slowly, as though she dared not hope to find what she sought, she turned her head to the left. Between the trees a river sparkled like a ribbon of pure light and sweetness.

Her thirst was overwhelming. Even the snarls faded from her mind, replaced by the river’s voice, babbling, gurgling, inviting. Come to me, pretty maid, it said, though she heard only the voice of water.

Her feet left bloodstains on the moss and rocks as she hastened down to the river’s edge. A glint of gold shimmered in the tail of her eye, shining even in the Wood’s oppressive shadows. She ignored it. Falling to her knees on the bank of the water, she plunged both hands in. The water stung her wrists where the harsh cords had bitten into her skin.

Drink deeply. Drink.

The water flowed about her arms, fresh and alive, and the sounds of its flowing filled her ears. She cupped her hands and lifted the cooling liquid to her lips. She drank.

Nominees and Winner

5. Mortal — Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

4. Prophet — R. J. Larson

3. A Throne of Bones — Vox Day

2. Liberator — Bryan Davis

1. Starflower — Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Morgan Busse (at right) with Firebird series author Kathy Tyers and Marcher Lord Press founder Jeff Gerke. (Photo by Kathrese Coleman McKee, Friday, Aug. 2)

If you didn’t hear about Realm Makers, the first-ever Christian speculative conference that was held last week,¹ I would personally check for memory tampering. I won’t go into detail since E. Stephen Burnett already did a recap of it on Tuesday (and is planning a fuller review next week).

I only have one comment: I cannot believe time and space did not explode that first morning!

There were some great classes ranging from worldviews and their influence in a writer’s work, to staged fights, to a panel on writing horror. Artists could be found wandering the halls: from comics, to writing, to radio. This wasn’t solely a writing conference, even though a couple classes were geared toward that profession.

However, I believe Realm Makers now stands at a crossroad. Where will it go next? Will it become another writing conference, or to morph into a true speculative conference?

Just speculating: “Realm Takers” 2014?

In my own opinion, there are many venues that teach writing. But there are hardly (if any) venues where those who simply love speculative can attend. Yes, there are cons (Comic Con, Gen Con, Dragon con), but not one specifically geared toward the Christian view. Until now.

That is my personal hope for the future of Realm Makers: a place where Christian speculative fans can gather and enjoy both sci-fi/fantasy and God.

So now I’m asking you, readers, viewers, and lovers of the speculative, what would you want to see at a con like this?

What kind of panels would you want to attend?

What special guests would you want to meet?

What kinds of classes would you want to take?

What topics would you want to learn about more?

Suggest away. The box is open.

Advance publicity photo of Peter Capaldi in costume as the Twelfth Doctor. (Not really.)(From DigitalSpy.com.)

This is one of the maddest things I have ever seen: Media elites and pundits are upset, truly anguished and heartbroken, that Doctor Who failed to throw away its wild success by stunt-re-casting its 50-year-old titular male hero, the time-traveling alien Doctor, as a woman.¹

One example:

Jennifer Finney Boylan, an English professor and self-described “transgender woman,” […] is unhappy that none of the actors who’ve played Doctor Who have been actresses: “Imagine if we were cheering for Helen Mirren instead, or for the comedian Miranda Hart, or for Emma Watson.”^{2 3}

But it’s not fans who moan that Peter Capaldi is “just another white man.” Go to the fan and news sites and you will instead see many comments like this, half of them from female fans:

As a female fan, I can say I am happy that Capaldi has been cast as a male doctor, it is rubbish to suggest that the only fans who didn’t want a female lead are youngies with a crush on [current Doctor Who lead] Matt Smith. I am in my 30s and am quite frankly sick of being told that we have to be so PC about everything. Why don’t we just have a black disabled female doctor and shut the whole lot of the PC brigade up in one go?⁴

It isn’t sexist to not cast a woman as [T]he [D]octor. In fact, if the only reason you cast a woman is for the sake of casting a woman, the point has been missed. The actor who will best portray [T]he [D]octor’s character should be chosen. The whole character’s dynamics and role would change. I am a woman and I will stop watching if the [D]octor becomes a female. ⁵

That’s a first reason for not stunt-casting The Doctor as a woman: you can’t flip a fanbase like that. Demographic and marketing figures are used to justify tired tropes and ceaseless sequels, but they are still based on truth: if certain people like a story about a man, there is no reason to recast that hero as a woman, and vice-versa, unless you want to kill the story.

Current Doctor Who lead Matt Smith, with married man Rory Williams and married woman Amy Williams (née Pond).

Reason no. 2: male fans need The Doctor and his unique wit-and-brains-first heroism.

A woman Doctor would be more than a disappointment to the show’s legion of fans — it would betray a British tradition.

The character has been a role model for three generations of boys.

[…]

The essence of the character — as an archetypal hero, not heroine — would be lost.

The Doctor’s strength is that he always wins through by thinking rather than fighting — an antidote to mainstream comic book and action movie heroes Batman, Spiderman, Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, Rambo and Wolverine.⁶

A third reason: it’s healthful to have strong male leads whom a story’s male and female fans will want to follow. If you change that, you mess with the — I know this is may be very unpopular — very fabric of natural and fun male/female dynamics of any story and its fans.

Whether from evil sexism or plain humanity, the fact remains: women like stories with men as main heroes — as long as strong women also feature — more often than men like stories with women as main heroes. Both sexes follow strong men. Both sexes enjoy being fans of these stories. And both sexes will also follow gladly after stories that feature strong male and strong female characters. Like The Lord of the Rings. Like the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Even a little like the Avengers superhero films.

The Tenth Doctor and series 4’s non-crushing companion Donna Noble.

And like Doctor Who. Since the program’s revival its stories have featured strong male and female heroes, and weak examples of both sexes (often with redemption journeys, as with Mickey Smith in the first and second series). Now I enjoy the show almost as much for the side characters — men and women — as for the adventures of the Doctor himself.

The PC critic says: “Yeah, and half of those companions only ever crush on the Doctor.”⁷

Rory and Amy Williams: fans of the Doctor, yet in love with each other.

Nonsense. That was over with Martha Jones in series 3. Former showrunner Russell T. Davis himself subverted the crush-on-The-Doctor trope in series 4 with my favorite Who companion, funny-bossy-mom/fanlady Donna Noble. Then current runner Steven Moffat finished off the trope in series 5, when Amy Pond threw herself at the Doctor; he refused her, then whisked her off to old Venice with her fiancée. That series and 1.5 more explored their marriage, and the couple’s surprisingly delightful times together with the Doctor.

So that’s reason 4: complaints about the show’s continuing sexism are absurd anyway.

The End(?)

Why then do PC critics insist that “Doctor Who” keeping the Time Lord a man is at best sinful?

That’s a very apt word, I think: sinful. Only in a special mode of thinking are actions sinful:

Religion.

And per the unwritten holy writ of this religion, stories can’t have strong female characters unless they replace male characters. No recognition of strong women unless strong men are first vanquished. No honor given to the feminine without emasculation of the masculine.

It’s completely backwards to take a strong, well-established male character and turn him into a woman just for the sake of feminism or diversity in casting. Instead of changing that strong male into a female, we should just be creating more female and PoC characters who are strong from the get-go (like Clara). ⁸

That false religion pits sex against sex, and effectively demands an atoning sacrifice for the real or perceived sins of our ancestors. It’s this false religion that we must utterly reject.

And I’m glad Who’s creators have also rejected it — at least for the time being.

Back in the early ‘80s, following an encounter with sizzling deep-fry oil, I paid a visit to the emergency room with burns to the face and eyes. (Yeah, I know; fried foods’ll kill ya.) A nurse told me it was the second such case she’d seen that day. In the earlier incident, a toddler had reached for a bowl of hot bacon grease on the kitchen counter while her mother was making breakfast, spilling molten fat it all over her hand and face.

I was a young mother myself at the time, and the mental image of that scene as I envisioned it haunted me for long afterward. How that mother must have wished she could go back in time!

I suppose we’ve all wished that at one time or another. The old adage Hindsight is better than foresight is oft repeated because it’s all too true. The problem is, no one’s been able to figure out how to acquire hindsight until it’s too late to use it.

We humans have probably always found the concept of time travel intriguing. I’m not all that familiar with ancient literature, but I’ve read that some of the most world’s most venerable classics suggested the idea long before H. G. Wells published The Time Machine in 1895.

The yearning for a do-over is probably one reason for our fascination with time manipulation. Another might be the desire to conquer a powerful force that holds us in its grip.

We’ve made great strides in travel across land, sea, and air; we can communicate instantly with people on the other side of the planet; we’ve even been to the moon. Yet we’re more at the mercy of time than the pre-wheel-era ancients were daunted by distance. They, at least, could travel the land on foot; we can only let time take us where it will at its own inexorable pace.

Is there a wheel of time waiting to be invented? Some would have us believe it already exists.

I recently stumbled on a snippet of a Charlie Chaplain film in which one of the extras in the background appears to be talking on a cell phone. Perhaps you’ve seen the clip. Discussion on the subject abounds, with comments, both serious and snide. If you’re bored, on online search of “time travel proof” can keep you entertained for quite some time.

It’s not hard to dismiss the idea that the woman in the Chaplain film was on a cell phone. Today when we see someone in such a pose, “she’s on the phone” is the first thing that comes to mind. But there are other reasons for a person to put a hand to the side of her head like that. Using a compact ear trumpet makes the most sense to me (perhaps to hear the director’s instructions). But the gesture could have a number of possible interpretations.

In any event, time is an intriguing thing. Though we know it moves at the same rate consistently, sometimes it weighs heavy on our hands and on other occasions it zips past before we can grab hold of it. The scriptures tell us God has control over time just as he has authority over all his creation. But for some reason, he doesn’t allow do-overs. If he did, wouldn’t he have sent Adam and Eve back to the starting line instead of paying the penalty for their (and our) sin?

The Bible is full of stories of repentant people being forgiven by a merciful God. But, eternally forgiven or not, their sins’ earthly consequences always remain. Examples abound: Adam and Eve, as mentioned above; David, in 2 Samuel 11 and 12; and King Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 (along with 2 Kings 23:26-27).

We can speculate all we want about going back in time to correct errors. But it would seem that in reality, our actions and the events those deeds cause remain on the books forever.

I suppose, then, if we’re to benefit from hindsight in a practical way, it must be by learning from the experiences of those who have gone before. More importantly, we might give serious heed to the testimony of the one who is himself the beginning and the ending (Revelation 1:8) and who tells us the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

Oh yes, I’m assembling my thoughts after the first Realm Makers conference, which fellow Spec-Faith editor Rebecca LuElla Miller and I have already covered here:

• Celebrating the First Ever Realm Makers Conference — Friday, Aug. 2
• Live from Realm Makers: Day One — Friday, Aug. 2
• The 2013 Clive Staples Award Winner — Saturday, Aug. 3
• Live from Realm Makers: Day Two — Saturday, Aug. 3
• The Heart of Speculative Fiction Is Not Weird — Monday, Aug. 5

More upcoming explorations:

• Realm Makers 2013 Review — Thursday, Aug. 8 (my own review of the conference)
• Realm Makers: What Could Come Next? — Friday, Aug. 9, by fantasy novelist Morgan Busse

Meanwhile, over at Christ and Pop Culture, I’ve also been exploring two bestselling franchises that Christians might assume aren’t at all alike. Yet they both include magic/miracles, secret societies, Satanic enemies, and supernatural battles between good and evil.

Once upon a time, specifically the late 1990s, these franchises fought. One was set in a world of good wizards, a dark lord, non-magical citizens, and a global battle between light and darkness. It won over bestseller lists. This surprised readers, because this series was by a Christian thriller novelist and a Christian prophecy teacher: the Left Behind series.

At that time arose another series about a boy wizard by British author J.K. Rowling.¹

Unable to attend Realm Makers, the first ever Christian speculative fiction conference, I’ve been following with a great deal of interest online. Thanks to our webmaster and weekly contributor, Stephen Burnett, we could follow live Twitter feeds. He also posted an array of conference pictures that spoke volumes about the goings on in St. Louis.

Other conference attendees, such as Morgan Busse, have also begun to report their experiences and to share pictures. From someone on the outside looking in, I’d say the event was a huge success, with all the potential of becoming bigger and better moving forward. I am so happy about that and look forward to the day I’ll be a part of it.

But something has been niggling in the back of my brain–something I’m not comfortable with. I don’t know if it’s a perception I fear or an actual inaccurate belief I want to contradict, but at the heart of my discomfort is the idea that speculative fiction, and Christian speculative more so, is weird. These stories, some believe and others may assume, are for the few, the proud, the niche, and not for everyone.

First, I don’t find that perspective to be true to experience–otherwise speculative fiction, whether in print or on film or via television, would not be so successful in the general market. In addition, I don’t find it to be true philosophically. Let me explain what I’m thinking here.

Both fantasy and horror, or supernatural suspense, if you prefer, are built upon the struggle between good and evil. Science fiction doesn’t stray far from that premise either. I’ve heard mystery writers say the same thing, but not romance writers or historical or contemporary. In other words, speculative fiction centers upon a Biblical truth–a spiritual war exists between God and those rebelling against Him.

This battle is not something assigned to a small group of religious fanatics. The struggle at the heart of speculative fiction is common to humankind. This fact came out for all the world to see last week in a 60 Minutes spot by Lesley Stahl in which she reported the findings of a Yale study involving babies as young as three months old.

The study concluded that humans are born with an innate sense of right and wrong and of justice. At the same time we have a built-in propensity to hate. We’re wired, as one of the researchers said, for selfishness and bias.

Something good in people. And something evil.

Surprise, surprise! Lesley Stahl certainly found these results to be revolutionary. The whole “blank slate” concept is completely, scientifically proven to be false.

Of course the findings are absolutely consistent with what the Bible has said about human beings all along. We are created in God’s image, part of what He looked upon and found “very good.” But we are fallen. We have the implant of Adam’s rebellion against God wired into our being.

Good. And evil.

And this is the human condition. It’s why society creates great art and music, builds hospitals and schools, reaches out to help the needy and the suffering while at the same time establishing prisons and police forces, armies and governments, courts and judges.

All of humankind deals with the conflict at the heart of speculative fiction. Why would we ever think our stories are for a niche? Why would we label them as weird or separate ourselves from other readers and other writers?

We are among those who see the world and us humans in it, with clarity. We understand what’s really happening, what we’re all up against. As Christians, we not only see the facts, as the Yale researchers now do, we also understand the cause. In other words, we have the truth–not a truth or a theory or a religious idea.

Truth is universal. It is not for a niche. It is not weird. Consequently, stories that show truth ought not to be considered weird or for a specialty audience. Truth is for everyone. Hence speculative fiction is for everyone.

The sooner we unlock the closet in which we voluntarily reside, the sooner our stories will have the impact Truth should have on our culture.

In the closest vote in the short history of the Clive Staples Award, in which we needed to consider the second and third place votes as well as those cast for first, we have our 2013 winner.

Here are our finalists in the order of their finish.

Number 5 Mortal by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Number 4 Prophet by R. J. Larson

Number 3 The Throne of Bones by Vox Day

Number 2 Liberator by Bryan Davis

Publisher – Zondervan
Series – Dragons of Starlight, Book 4
Genre – young adult fantasy

Introduction.

For years, tales of dragons from another world kidnapping and enslaving humans have been circulating in Jason Masters’ world, while for a slave girl named Koren, the stories of a human world seem pure myth. Together, these two teens will need to bridge two planets in order to overthrow the draconic threat and bring the lost slaves home. The time has come as the long-awaited invasion of human forces looms. Jason, Koren, and Elyssa struggle to alert the soldiers to an unforeseen menace on the planet of Starlight—a deadly illness that already has Koren in its grip.

Starlighter Cassabrie harbors a secret she believes can counter the dragon king Taushin’s latest maneuverings, but she can disclose little of her risky plan. As Cassabrie fights to save her people, the dragon Magnar works to move the Starlight prophecy in his favor. His actions could make the plight of humans even more perilous. Wishing only to free the slaves and bring peace, a few young warriors are poised to face three armies as they battle for control of two worlds. Can love, faith, and courage be enough? Will Cassabrie be humanity’s last hope?

Review excerpts.

* This book captivates your attention from the beginning. I could not put it down! It is filled with action, love, sacrifice, and excitement at every turn.

* There are spiritual truths sprinkled throughout this fantasy story about heroes and villains, hope and despair, sacrifice and risk.

Number 1, the 2013 Clive Staples Award Winner

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Publisher – Bethany House Publishers
Series – Tales of Goldstone Wood, Book 4
Genre – fairytale fantasy

Introduction.

The Black Dogs Are on the Hunt, But Who Is Their Prey?

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps fairest Lady Gleamdren, the Bard Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission…and a race against his rival for Gleamdren’s favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren’s rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?

Review excerpts.

* “Fans of Tolkien and the darker talers of Faerie will be drawn into Stengl’s effusive prose and wonderfully scary worlds… a series to stretch your imagination over several long winter nights.” – USA Today

* The imagery is amazing, the setting so detailed, and the characters are a hilarious. I could barely put this book down for wanting to know what would happen next.

Congratulations to Anne Elisabeth Stengl!

Reposted from CSA