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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
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The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
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The Wayward, Tabitha Caplinger
Fortified, V. Romas Burton
Canaan Sleeps, Daniel Camomile
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
Fantastical Truth, Feb 7, 2023

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
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144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 10, 2023

143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 6, 2023

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Into the Darkness
“Charles Hack’s Into the Darkness summons a close-range science fiction story, focusing on the personal challenges of space warfare among alien cultures with a steady pace and serious tone.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 3, 2023

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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SpecFaith Library: Q and A

The SpecFaith Library is a comprehensive guide to every published Christian fantastical novel. Here’s how it works.
E. Stephen Burnett on Mar 12, 2015
4 comments

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The SpecFaith Library is a comprehensive guide to every published Christian fantastical novel. Anyone can submit a novel to the SpecFaith Library using the submission form.

Since SpecFaith’s initial 2015 site upgrade went live on March 1, we have added more than a dozen new titles to the Library. Most of those titles are thanks to our readers who use the submission form to add their favorites. Some titles are added by authors who want to share their stories. Some are added by fans who happen to know of a novel we haven’t yet found.

The SpecFaith Library may list any novel that is:

  • Based on a biblical Christian worldview;
  • Fantastical in nature and theme;
  • Complete and published (includes self-published titles).

Yet questions about the Library remain. This article will address some of those, starting with possible questions that I (Stephen) make up and then answer. In the comments we can have further discussion about the Library, including non-made-up reader questions.

Then this Q and A page can be available as evergreen content to answer Library queries.

Let’s begin now:

Q. What do you mean by ‘based on a biblical Christian worldview’?

A. Articles and whole books can be written — and some SpecFaith writers have done so! —about “a biblical Christian worldview” or exploring the definition(s) of “a Christian story.”

For the SpecFaith Library, readers or authors who submit a novel are themselves declaring that the novel is based on a biblical Christian worldview. But SpecFaith’s volunteers do not usually have the time to “vet” the book’s content (to say nothing of the near-spiritually-impossible task of investigating whether an author’s faith counts as biblical Christianity).

Occasionally someone will submit a novel that is clearly written to advocate beliefs that do not qualify as even minimal, quasi-biblical Christianity. One Library submission was turned down because cursory research showed the novel advocated anti-biblical “spirituality.”

Q. I read a novel from the Library and it didn’t seem very Christian!

A. This is a side effect of following the honor system — and it’s a good opportunity for you to be a discerning reader, who can nonetheless glorify God in contrast to the novel’s view.

Post a comment about the story. Or write a 300-word-plus review for a wider audience.

Q. What do you mean by ‘fantastical in nature and theme’?

A. Other sites list novels across all genres. But SpecFaith exists to explore fantastical stories for God’s glory. Thus, the Library lists only novels with stories, characters, and places not normally found in reality. Fantastical genres include, but are not limited to: fantasy, fairy tales, science fiction, space fantasy/opera, alternate history, paranormal suspense, magical realism, and superhero/urban fantasy (and stories that combine any of these genres).

Occasionally someone will submit a novel that includes only minimal fantastic elements. For example, a contemporary or historical novel could have a character who pursues dreams or visions from God, or other subtle miraculous elements. But it’s not fantastical.

Q. What do you mean by ‘complete and published’?

A. Once a literary agency proposed an unpublished novel series to the SpecFaith Library. (The project was later picked up by an independent Christian fantastical-fiction publisher.)

But the SpecFaith Library is not a manuscript vetting service or a publishing company. Our goal is to help readers find novels that are already published and available to read. Thus, we include old books, new books, physical books, e-books, and books from any publisher.

Q. What if I found an error in a Library listing?

A. Please let us know using the suggestion box. Also be aware that occasionally a book will change publishers, covers or even titles — changes not immediately shown in the Library.

Q. What if a book says it’s “self-published,” but it’s not a self-publisher?

A. As of March 2015, the SpecFaith Library includes nearly 140 publishing names. Given the growth of print-on-demand publishing, that number is always increasing! Moreover, it’s not always clear from novel submissions if the publisher is the author’s or is an independent company. If after initial research we have still made the wrong call and classified the publisher as a self-publisher, let us know using the submission box.

Q. Why does the page look weird for some titles?

A. The upgraded site displays Library novel covers differently. We’re cleaning it up.

Q. Can you review my novel?

A. We can’t necessarily promise a review (even in exchange for free novels, as tempting as that is!). But you can start by submitting your novel for possible inclusion in the SpecFaith Library. Good stories rise to the top, and we have seen popular novels listed in the Library spark thriving conversations and many reviews.1

What’s your SpecFaith Library question?

  1. Future site additions will provide extra publicity for relevant Library titles at the end of SpecFaith feature articles. ↩
E. Stephen Burnett
E. Stephen Burnett creates sci-fi and fantasy novels as well as nonfiction, exploring fantastical stories for God’s glory as publisher of Lorehaven.com and cohost of the Fantastical Truth podcast. As the oldest of six, he enjoys connecting with his homeschool roots by speaking at conferences for Christian families and creators. Stephen is coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ from New Growth Press (2020, with Ted Turnau and Dr. Jared Moore). Stephen and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area, where they help with foster parenting and serve as members of Southern Hills Baptist Church.
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  1. Sparksofember says:
    March 12, 2015 at 10:00 am

    I’ve been wondering about the “fantastical in nature” part so thanks for clearing that up!

    Reply
  2. dmdutcher says:
    March 12, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    What’s the position on end-times books? They considered fantastical or no?

    Reply
    • E. Stephen Burnett says:
      March 12, 2015 at 3:40 pm

      Oh, plenty of those are in there.

      Usually these novels also include other fantastical bits like science-fiction technology, mind control, dystopias, angels and demons and Satan and things.

      Reply
  3. this link says:
    May 7, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    There are nimerous ddependable electyricians in Pittsburgh, and
    lots of oof them cost a reasonable price.

    Reply

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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