1. Pam Halter says:

    Oh, Jennette! Yes, yes, YES! I said AMEN all the through your post. I am so thankful more and more people and Christians are seeing the value in fantasy. I’ve loved the speculative genre ever since I can remember, but sometimes didn’t want to tell anyone for fear of judgment. Even today, when people ask what I write, I say, well, inspirational fantasy, in an apologetic tone. I’m working not to do that anymore.

    The fantasy story that made a change in my heart was Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard (an allegory). Going on the journey with Much Afraid and hearing her say to the Shepherd, “If you can, you may deceive me, but don’t let me leave you.” WOW. Am I brave enough? Do I trust God enough to say that?

    The first fantasy epic that caught my attention was, of course, The Hobbit and TLOTR. The first fantasy novel that made me want to write it was The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks.

    Thank you, Jennette! I so needed to read this today.

    • Jennette says:

      You’re welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed the post. Hinds’ Feet on High Places is definitely a favorite of mine. A bit mind bending at times, but beautiful. I love allegory. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

  2. I’m so blessed by this post. I just finished reading Mullin’s Bid the Gods Arise, and couldn’t help but be thankful for the book. The book deals with two cousins who share a brotherly bond but are taken from everything they’ve known and cast into a world they never knew existed. I told the author his book helped me to escape from my emotional turmoil (my grandfather passed away, family issues, etc) and led me right back to the Lord of all, who can handle any situation. It was a fantastic read.

    I read Bullard’s Gemworld before publication and that book showed me that God is not only the God of what is but also the God of what could be, which, in my eyes shows His sovereignty.

    In Johnson Chadesh Chronicles, Books 1 and 2, I was thrown into a world where God gives us all a second chance. I won’t tell the premise of the story (it’s too controversial) but it shows how our actions affect more than ourselves but the world around us. That we are important in the grand scheme of things.

    There’s more I could choose of course, but I totally am on board with what you are saying.

    Great post!

    • Jennette says:

      Hi Parker! So glad you enjoyed the post! I love Mullin’s Bid the Gods Arise. It makes me happy when I see more and more people discovering it. I love how it helped you through those difficult times. Thank you for sharing!

  3. sheesania says:

    I love the enthusiasm in your post! It’s catching. 🙂

    It’s funny, though, that none of the great things you point out are actually specific to speculative fiction. Perhaps fantasy tends more towards those elements, but there’s nothing intrinsically in the definition of fantasy that makes it particularly inspiring or challenging or insightful about God. Any genre can do those things when written and read in the right way. So what particularly about fantasy makes it suited towards these things?

    For me, fantasy can be insightful about God in a way that other genres can’t, because it can highlight how God’s truth can be manifest in many different cultures. Seeing God in the light of a different worldview can be incredibly eye-opening. Even in secular fantasy, it’s neat to look at different peoples and cultures and try to think, “How would they see God and the gospel of Christ? What elements of Christianity would be attractive and resonate with them? What elements would be difficult?” And I love the metaphorical potentials in magic systems. God is much bigger than my 21st-century Western viewpoint, and fantasy can reflect that beautifully.

    • Jennette says:

      Thank you sheesania! You make a good point. These things aren’t necessarily limited to speculative fiction. And for sure what I was saying is not in the definition of fantasy. Nor any generic definition of any of the genres. It has more to do with how we process what we read through our worldview, our experiences, and such.

      Christy by Catherine Marshall is not fantasy by any means, but it was one of the most influential fiction novels in my life. It turned me, a seeking, hopeless youth to God. So yes, I believe that other genres are capable of illustrating what I’ve listed above. God can use anything to reach us or teach us.

      I think fantasy is best suited toward these things because it is not bound to our rules, our world. God operates outside of those things (and within!) Or maybe it’s just how I am wired or the season I’m in.

      I think you summed it up best in your last sentence:

      “God is much bigger than my 21st Western viewpoint, and fantasy can reflect that beautifully.”

      THAT is so true. We read and interpret the Bible within our bubble, but God is the God of universe, not just our bubble. And I think fantasy can help us with that.

      Thank you for adding to the discussion!

  4. Audie says:

    Maybe this is me reading too much into things, or me kicking a little against “Everyone should do this, read that, watch this movie” types of ideas. Even if something is good, like BBQ, I have a hard time saying “Everyone should eat BBQ!”

    Speculative fiction is fine, I read a lot of it, and almost all of my fiction writing has some kind of spec element to it. But other people aren’t into it, and I can’t say that they are wrong or somehow deficient in their tastes. And while some spec fiction stories might be among the best fiction I’ve read, there are also non-spec works in there, too.

    Maybe it’s unfair to compare most spec fiction to classic works like “Little Dorrit”, “Cry, The Beloved Country”, or “Les Miserables”, few works of any genre get up to those levels. Maybe another comparison would work better.

    Comics and manga are usually not considered high literature, with good reasons. Recently, I’ve been reading a manga series called “A Silent Voice”, about a boy who first torments and bullies a deaf girl then years later tries to make up to her for the bad ways he treated her. There are no spec elements in the story, but I’ve read few stories, Christian or secular, speculative or non, that have more forcefully shown the difficulties of repentance and forgiveness, the difficulties of dealing with someone with a handicap and also the difficulties the handicapped person has in dealing with others, and how people will either go to great lengths to not take responsibility for their actions or let themselves be crushed by guilt.

    Fantasy, and spec fiction in general, is fine, like I said before. Guess I just get a bit stubborn when it seems like someone says I have to read it. It seems like the important thing is not so much genre, but good storytelling and good messages, which can happen in almost any genre (not counting the ones that are plainly perverse and obscene in themselves).

    • Jennette says:

      Hi Audie Thacker,

      Maybe you’re right. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said “should”. No one likes to be told what to do. I get that. The article was meant to be a light-hearted look at the possible benefits of reading fantasy. I understand it isn’t everyone’s thing. Classics and contemporary romance aren’t my thing. We all have our preferences, but I believe we benefit from reading beyond our normal tastes. Writers are encouraged to do so more to aid in developing our craft.

      I agree about good storytelling and messages. There is an abundance of novels that do not fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction that contain great messages and storytelling. Still, I feel there is something more to fantasy. Have you read Brent King’s post: Fantasy: An Indispensable way to Understanding Ourselves?http://www.speculativefaith.lorehaven.com/fantasy-an-indispensable-way-to-understand-ourselves/

      He concluded with:

      “The truth is that we need every tool at our disposal to even weakly grasp a meaningful understanding of ourselves and our world. And metaphor—indeed fantasy—is at the top of that list of tools.”

      Of course, I love fantasy, so naturally I would think this. Other people’s experience will vary. Perhaps we lovers of speculative fiction are wired differently, and thus we see the world differently?

      Thanks for joining the discussion!

What do you think?