About
articles • book quests • news • library
reviews • podcast • gifts • archives
Crew manifest Faith statement FAQs
All author resources Lorehaven Guild Subscribe for free

119. Will Congress Disclose the UFOs Our Favorite Alien Stories Ask Us to Believe In? | with Colin Samul
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Jul 5, 2022

The Governess of Greenmere
Reviews, Jul 1, 2022

Phantastes
Book Quests, Jul 1, 2022

Library

Find fantastical Christian novels

fantasy · sci-fi · and beyond
middle grade · young adult · grown-ups
All novels Search Add a novel
Shadow of Honor, Ronie Kendig
Lost Bits, Kerry Nietz
Rats of Dweltford, Matt Barron
Vivid, Ashley Bustamante
My Soul to Take, Bryan Davis
Into Shadow's Fire, Mark Castleberry
Deceived, Madisyn Carlin
Arena (2022 edition), Karen Hancock
Kurt Nickle-Dickle of Whiskers, N. J. McLagan
"In a city where debts are paid in blood, one young man will learn that everyone needs help sometimes if they want to survive." New in the Lorehaven library: A Matter of Blood, Lauren H Salisbury
Son of the Shield, Mary Schlegel
Maxine Justice, Galactic Attorney, Daniel Schwabauer
Mordizan, Alyssa Roat
Prentice Ash, Matt Barron
Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request review

The Governess of Greenmere
“Obscure Arthurian and Celtic references blend with biblical imagery and high heroism in this brief yet old-souled story.”
—Lorehaven on Jul 1, 2022

Tilly
“Written in 1986, Frank E. Peretti’s novelette Tilly may feel melodramatic to today’s readers, but remains a tearful tale of brokenness and redemption.”
—Lorehaven on Jun 24, 2022

The Wonderland Trials
“Although indebted to a classic, The Wonderland Trials is inventive and colorful in its own right, abundantly able to charm and to intrigue.”
—Lorehaven on Jun 24, 2022

Rise of the Earthborn
“Societal intrigue plus steampunk flair and a dash of romance help make Emma Buenen’s Rise of the Earthborn a solid extra-biblical adventure.”
—Lorehaven on Jun 17, 2022

Book Quests

Join quests in our digital book club

All book quests
Lorehaven Guild Faith statement FAQs

Phantastes
Book Quests, July 2022

Lost Bits
Book Quests, June 2022

Maxine Justice: Galactic Attorney
Book Quests, May 2022

The Green Ember
Book Quests, April 2022

Podcast

Get the Fantastical Truth podcast

Podcast sponsors | Subscribe links
Archives Feedback

119. Will Congress Disclose the UFOs Our Favorite Alien Stories Ask Us to Believe In? | with Colin Samul
Fantastical Truth, Jul 5, 2022

118. Which Fantastical Stories Help Us Celebrate Human Life?
Fantastical Truth, Jun 28, 2022

117. Why Should You Build a Fantastical Lending Library? | with L.G. McCary
Fantastical Truth, Jun 21, 2022

116. Why Do Homeschooled Students Love Fantastical Fiction? | with Ethan Nunn
Fantastical Truth, Jun 14, 2022

Gifts

Find new gifts for Christian fans

Browse back issues (2018–2020)

Order back issues online!

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

site archives | statement of faith
Articles Questions? Writers

Yes, Speculative Faith Is Closed, At Least For Now
E. Stephen Burnett, Dec 30

Last Stands, Custer, General Gordon, and Being a Christian Warrior
Travis Perry, Jul 2

How Christian Must Christian Fiction Be?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, May 24

Gender In Fiction: The Implication Of Failure
Rebecca LuElla Miller, May 10

Making a Story Visual UPDATE: Behind the Scenes of the Animal Eye Comic
Travis Perry, May 9

What Does “Woke” Culture Have To Do With Christian Fiction?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Apr 26

About
Library
Reviews
Podcast
Gifts
Guild
Archives
SpecFaith
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.
Subscribe free to Lorehaven
/ SpecFaith /

The Wonder of It All

Human beings are hardwired for wonder, and speculative fiction taps into that desire.
Kyle Robert Shultz on Jul 24, 2018
2 comments

Why is speculative fiction such an ancient and enduring genre?

It can be argued that the modern concepts of science fiction and fantasy didn’t actually come to exist until a couple of centuries ago. But if we expand the definition of speculative fiction to include myths, legends, and fairy tales, we’re left with a body of work that stretches far into the past. Throughout time, there have always been people who enjoyed creating and hearing stories about things beyond the ordinary realm–heroes, monsters, mystical realms, and so on. This is because all people are designed to desire and seek out wonder.

At a very basic level, we want there to be something more to this universe; something that makes us draw in our breath and feel a rush of exhilaration.

Within the context of the Christian worldview, of course, this makes perfect sense.

This week we feature Kyle Robert Shultz and his novel The Beast of Talesend in Lorehaven Book Clubs. Stop by the flagship book club on Facebook to learn more about this story.

Subscribe to Lorehaven Magazine for free to download our new summer 2018 issue.

In his sermon entitled “The Weight of Glory,” C.S. Lewis used the German term Sehnsucht to label this impulse, and described it as a “desire for our own far-off country…the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence.”

Even confirmed atheist Richard Dawkins once conceded during a debate that “when you consider the beauty of the world…you are naturally overwhelmed with a feeling of awe…of admiration, and you almost feel a desire to worship something.”

Our Creator intended for us to be drawn to Him. And out of all the tales of wonder that have accumulated over the centuries, the Bible stands apart as a book that reveals the true, ultimate source of wonder.

Because we live in a fallen world, however, this natural desire can be either deadened or subverted. Both hardship and greed can stifle the seeds that God has planted in our hearts, as Jesus said in Mark 4:19.

Sometimes, a dismissal of all things that transcend the physical world can manifest in a dislike for such elements in a fictional context. I’m not saying that everyone has to like speculative fiction, but I have noticed that people who utterly despise all forms of it often lead unhappy lives. Also, even if it is not snuffed out, the longing for wonder can be misdirected toward darker, harmful things. Stories that delve too deeply into the shadows without any flicker of light can be unhealthy to the reader’s soul.

The Beast of Talesend, Kyle Robert Shultz

“Kyle Robert Shultz creates an enchanting story world grounded in familiarity yet saturated with fairy-tale qualities. Add a distinctly British ambience and this story is primed to delight.” — Lorehaven Magazine

Nick Beasley, the main character of my novel The Beast of Talesend and its sequels, is someone who has given up on wonder because of the pain and abandonment he experienced in his childhood. Though he lives in world where fairy tales are true history and magic is hidden in plain sight, he chooses to find rationalistic explanations for everything. Lord Whitlock, the story’s villain, is obsessed with harnessing dark forces to increase his own power. Each of them embodies a way in which the desire for wonder can be derailed.

Nick’s journey toward believing in fairy tales (meant to mirror a path to salvation), and his victory over a darkness that threatens to take everything from him, is of deep personal significance to me. Writing the book was an act of reclaiming wonder and hope in my life after tragedy nearly crushed it. Not long after I developed the basic story concept that would one day become The Beast of Talesend, my uncle Don suddenly passed away in a car accident. We were very close, and the loss was devastating. I never actually turned away from my Christian faith during this time, but for a year after the tragedy, I couldn’t bring myself to write anything.

However, with God’s help, I eventually reached the point where I could create stories again—and Don had a profound influence on the book I chose to write. Nick is the kind of person my uncle always sought to reach with the Gospel. He had a heart for those who had distanced themselves from God but sorely needed Him. Don kept wonder alive in my life in so many ways while he was here. Writing fantastical, uplifting stories is one of the ways in which I try to honor his legacy.

Tales of wonder make us happy, and not just because they’re “escapism.” The best of these stories bring us closer to the One who placed Sehnsucht in our hearts—even, ironically, in some cases when they’re written by people who don’t believe in God. One of the most “Christian” quotes I know of in the speculative genre comes from Doctor Who’s River Song, as penned by atheist Steven Moffat:

“Goodness is not goodness that seeks advantage. Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest pit, without hope, without witness, without reward. Virtue is only virtue in extremis.”

As Christian fans of the speculative genre, we have a unique opportunity to guide the way from the signposts of fictional wonder to the truth of the One whose name is Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). Fairy tales may not be real—not in this world, at least—but He is. And thanks to Him, our story never has to end.





Subscribe to Lorehaven

“Kyle Robert Shultz creates an enchanting story world grounded in familiarity yet saturated with fairy-tale qualities. Add a distinctly British ambience and this story is primed to delight.”
— Lorehaven Magazine

Explore Kyle Robert Shultz’s novel The Beast of Talesend in the Lorehaven Library.

Read our full review exclusively from the spring 2018 issue of Lorehaven Magazine!

Kyle Robert Shultz
Kyle Robert Shultz began writing in his early teens after being bitten by a radioactive book. Currently, he is the Supreme Overlord of a sprawling fictional realm called the Afterverse—where fairy tales and classic stories are history, and magic and monsters are real. As a Christian, he strives to write fiction that is entertaining and wholesome, but devoid of overt “messages” or agendas. He lives in the wilds of southern Idaho, removed far enough from civilization to keep humanity safe should any of his rough drafts break through the electric fence. Find out more about his works at KyleRobertShultz.com. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Wattpad.
Website · Facebook · Twitter
  1. AristaeH says:
    July 26, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    Kyle, this is so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and the story behind your stories. Very thought provoking and inspiring.

    Reply
    • Kyle Robert Shultz says:
      July 27, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply

What do you think? Cancel reply

  • Last Stands, Custer, General Gordon, and Being a Christian WarriorLast Stands, Custer, General Gordon, and Being a Christian Warrior
  • What Do We Do About God?What Do We Do About God?
  • Great Stories Can Help You Find A Greater SaviorGreat Stories Can Help You Find A Greater Savior
  • Fighting Man-Centered Monsters In Christian FantasyFighting Man-Centered Monsters In Christian Fantasy
Lorehaven magazine, spring 2020

Wear the wonder:
Get exclusive shirts and beyond

Listen to Lorehaven’s podcast

Authors and publishers:
Reach new fans with Lorehaven


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.