The Unbeliever

Finally, I’m back! Many thanks to Shannon for picking up the slack. Stealing  from Stuart’s title, I’ve gotta warning of my own. I have nothing deep and meaningful to say. There is enough intellectual blogging on Spec Faith to make up for me.

It just so happens that the week I’m able to return to Spec Faith is also my week at Favorite Pastimes. That means I’m not getting much of anything done in the way of preparing for the upcoming ACFW conference or writing my novel. While I’m writing this post, the family is watching Sleepy Hollow. Have you ever seen that? It creeps me out. (Do people still say that?)

Okay, on to something you’re interested in. Maybe. Someone posted a question on one of the many loops I browse that caught my attention. The question pertained to The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever—does anyone still read those? I’m not sure if it was worded exactly that way. Hey, was that you, Mir?

On my first and only post for Spec Faith, I mentioned an editor writing out a list of books for me to read of secular fantasy. One of the books, or I should say six of those books, was/were the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. From now on, I’ll refer to it as Covenant. I’m on book number five now, one to go. It’s really titled the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book Two, but it’s actually book five. Okay, starting from THIS point, I’ll refer to it as Covenant.

As a “newby” to the secular fantasy market there are things that I questioned from the beginning about these books. First, the editor told me that he waited until all six books were out, then he read them one after the other. Immediately that brings to mind the question of how did he know there would be six books. Does anyone know the history here? Did Stephen Donaldson sign a six-book contract with the publisher? Really, I want to know.

Second, I’m always one to look for spiritual meaning in EVERTHING and sometimes this may be a problem because perhaps the author never intended there to be any meaning whatsoever—especially one on a spiritual plane. Nevertheless, I look for meaning. Of course the title itself contains a wealth of meaning for one reading from a Christian worldview. The stories contain mention of the creator and how the despiser came to be in control of “the land.” Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Yet I’ve been told that Stephen Donaldson is NOT a Christian. His father was a missionary to India, a doctor caring for the lepers. I’m left to ponder the author’s intensions and abundant symbolism within his novels. This is a conundrum, to be sure, because my thinking is that a blog post should be informative, yet I’ve provided you with nothing but questions. Still, these are questions that I’d love to hear answered if anyone has a clue. And I’d love to discuss further your take on these novels.

Blessings!
Beth.