Home

Explore the best Christian fantasy.

articles | news | library | reviews | podcast
Advertise Seek Review Questions?

Nomad
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Mar 5, 2021

Legend of the Storm Sneezer
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Mar 5, 2021

53. How Can Christian Fans React When Fantasy Creators Get Cancelled? Part 1
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Mar 2, 2021

My Novel ‘The Mermaid’s Sister’ Arose from True Depths of Mourning
Articles | Carrie Anne Noble on Mar 1, 2021

The Icarus Aftermath
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 26, 2021

My Screenwriter Mom Introduced Me to Fantastic Sci-Fi in the 1960s
Articles | Jason William Karpf on Feb 25, 2021

52. Do Christians Really Need Science Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 3
Podcast | Lorehaven on Feb 23, 2021

Join Our March 11 Livestream Exploring Christian Reactions to Fandom Cancel Culture
News | Lorehaven on Feb 22, 2021

The Hourglass and the Darkness
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 19, 2021

Venus is More Than Just a Love Goddess
Articles | Shannon Stewart on Feb 18, 2021

Introducing Fantasy Enthusiast and New Lorehaven Writer Shannon Stewart
News | Lorehaven on Feb 17, 2021

Stories with Bad Ideas Can Still Help Us Grow
Articles | L.G. McCary on Feb 15, 2021

Gretchen and the Bear
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 12, 2021

The Mandalorian is a Religious Fundamentalist, and Here’s Why That’s Awesome
Articles | Josiah DeGraaf on Feb 11, 2021

Introducing Fantasy Creator and New Lorehaven Writer Josiah DeGraaf
News | Lorehaven on Feb 10, 2021

51. Do Christians Really Need Fantasy? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 2
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Feb 9, 2021

The Death and Rebirth of Magic in Children’s Fantasy
Articles | R. J. Anderson on Feb 8, 2021

Torch
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 5, 2021

Fictional Magic Systems Can Go Beyond Rules and Reveal Deeper Characters
Articles | Elijah David on Feb 4, 2021

How God Uses Story Villains for Our Good
Articles | Zackary Russell on Feb 3, 2021

Introducing Sci-Fi Creator and New Lorehaven Writer Zackary Russell
News | Lorehaven on Feb 2, 2021

50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 1
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Feb 2, 2021

Frank E. Peretti to Give Keynote Address at Realm Makers Writers Conference This July
News | E. Stephen Burnett on Feb 1, 2021

Fugue for the Sacred Songbook: In Eb Minor
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Jan 29, 2021

How A Year Without Superhero Films Rebooted Our Universe
Articles | Jason Joyner on Jan 28, 2021

New Book ‘Reading Evangelicals’ Will Focus on Famous Christian Fiction
News | E. Stephen Burnett on Jan 27, 2021

Introducing Superhero Novelist and New Lorehaven Writer Jason C. Joyner
News | Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2021

49. How Can We ‘Terraform’ the Church to Enjoy Fantastic Fiction?
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Jan 26, 2021

Militant Secularism Could Force Christians to Create New Subcultures
Articles | Mike Duran on Jan 25, 2021

Flight of the Raven
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Jan 22, 2021

Library

Find fantastical Christian novels

fantasy | sci-fi | supernatural and beyond
All novels Search Add a novel
Explore all: Middle-grade books | Young-adult books | Adult books
The Mermaid's Sister, Carrie Anne Noble
Etania's Worth, M. H. Elrich
Cinderella Spell, Laurie Lee
When Desperate Measures Are All You Have Left, J. C. Morrows
Fractures, James C. Joyner
Torch, R. J. Anderson
The Terran Summit, Anna Zogg
The Xerxes Factor, Anna Zogg
The Paradise Protocol, Anna Zogg
The Awakened, Richard Spillman
The Ascension, Richard Spillman
Love's Sacrifice, Kelsey Norman
Unbroken Spirit, Kelsey Norman
Seed: Judgment, Joshua David
Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request review Share review

Nomad
“R. J. Anderson’s fantasy Nomad is a rollicking read with fascinating conflicts and plot twists.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 5, 2021

Legend of the Storm Sneezer
“Teen readers fond of lengthy, lighthearted ghost-and-zombie tales will enjoy Legend of the Storm Sneezer by Kristiana Sfirlea.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 5, 2021

The Icarus Aftermath
“Arielle M. Bailey’s The Icarus Aftermath spins a golden yarn of vivid characters and gripping emotion, set in a world ripe for exploration.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 26, 2021

The Hourglass and the Darkness
“Kyle L. Elliott’s novel The Hourglass and the Darkness posits a world before the great Flood, starting a promising series.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 19, 2021

Podcast

Get the Fantastical Truth podcast

Apple | Google | All subscribe links
Archives Feedback

53. How Can Christian Fans React When Fantasy Creators Get Cancelled? Part 1
Fantastical Truth, Mar 2, 2021

52. Do Christians Really Need Science Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 3
Fantastical Truth, Feb 23, 2021

51. Do Christians Really Need Fantasy? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 2
Fantastical Truth, Feb 9, 2021

50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 1
Fantastical Truth, Feb 2, 2021

Webzine

Browse back issues (2018–2020)

Order back issues online!
SpecFaith

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

site archives | statement of faith
New articles Questions? Pitch to us

The Fantastical Elements of Romantic Fiction, part 2
Parker J. Cole, Mar 4

Settling the Solar System in Science Fiction, part 3: the Moon
Travis Perry, Feb 24

The Fantastical Elements of Romantic Fiction, part 1
Parker J. Cole, Feb 17

Settling the Solar System in Science Fiction, part 2: Venus
Travis Perry, Feb 11

Beyond

Find more from Christian creators

Order the book! E. Stephen Burnett

Get exclusive shirts and beyond
in the Lorehaven store

Explore the book The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ

Does ‘Engaging Popular Culture’ Include Right-Wing Talk Radio?
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 9

Join My Livestream This Thursday: Seven Ways to Find Truth in Fantastic Stories
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 6

Home
Library
Reviews
Podcast
Webzine
SpecFaith
Store
Beyond Edit content
Lorehaven serves Christian fans by finding the best of Christian fantasy. Our free webzine, an online library, positive reviews, a thriving blog and community, and weekly podcast episodes help fans explore fantasy, science fiction, and other fantastical genres for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Subscribe free to Lorehaven
/ SpecFaith /

Use What You Know

Like so much else about fiction, immersion into a fantasy world is as much a result of the readers’ imagination as it is the writer’s execution.
Rebecca LuElla Miller on Apr 27, 2015 | 4 comments

cover_stormsirenSome discussion has swirled around recent speculative series such as The Hunger Games and Divergent as well as Christian speculative books such as Storm Siren by Mary Weber, concerning world-building. Some readers think the fantasy world is well defined and detailed. Others think the world-building is sketchy at best. So which is it?

I suggest it’s both. Like so much else about fiction, immersion into a fantasy world is as much a result of the reader’s imagination as it is the writer’s execution. Readers, therefore, who, for what ever reason, visualize a setting in detail, will declare that a story’s world-building is outstanding.

In truth, an objective reviewer who might compare, say, The Hunger Games to Harry Potter will show the number of ways the latter creates a more complete world than the former. Nevertheless, the reader caught up in the story will see the world she has imagined, filling in details from what she knows from her own experiences.

In my first critique group, an online group of people scattered around the U.S., I submitted a scene I wrote based on a place I’d visited in Colorado. But one of our members who lived near the Appalachian mountains said she could envision a place that was right near her home.

Trees2In short, I wrote what I knew, and she, as the reader, imagined what she knew. As a result, she felt the world was detailed and well-constructed.

One thing I’ve discovered when creating my fantasy world: a mash -up is often the way to make something new. So when I wrote about this place inspired by Colorado, I also threw in something very typically Californian since I am also familiar with the natural world where I live.

Here’s a part of that scene:

On they hiked, but now Jim worked extra hard to keep his eyes on the winding trail. At last, following the well-worn dirt path through high grass, they spilled into a flourishing glen. Soon the sedge gave way to a stand of flowering trees covered with magenta blossoms. Jim tipped his head back to take in the full effect. A sweet scent similar to lilac floated through the air, and he breathed deeply.

California? No, not really. Colorado? Not there either. The mash-up mixed with a bit of creative license, and the world becomes a new place—one that readers may imagine in a way that’s different from the one I saw as I wrote. But as long as the world immerses readers in the story, it has done its job.

[Of necessity this post is brief because of certain technological issues on my end.]

Rebecca LuElla Miller
Best known for her aspirations as an epic fantasy author, Becky is the sole remaining founding member of Speculative Faith. Besides contributing weekly articles here, she blogs Monday through Friday at A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She works as a freelance writer and editor and posts writing tips as well as information about her editing services at Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
Website |
  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • WhatsApp
  1. Katie Clark says:
    April 27, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    I agree with this 100%. While we do need smooth writing to get us where we’re going in a story, the reader has to be on board as well. My sister-in-law and I can read the same book (and often do), but have very different reactions to it. The difference is in how we each perceive the book based on our own life experiences and imaginations!

    Reply
    • Rebecca LuElla Miller says:
      April 29, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      And if that’s true of sisters, think how much more so for people who live in different states or countries, who have a different philosophical view on life, who were raised in a radically different environment. We writers may not like it, but readers do bring themselves as a filter to whatever they read.

      Becky

      Reply
  2. Fred Warren says:
    April 27, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    I like your description of the mountain trail. It’s easy to overlook the fact that stories are inherently interactive, and it’s the dance between the reader’s imagination and the writer’s skill that enables a story to reach its full potential and become something more wonderful and profound than words artfully arranged on a page. Too much detail can hobble the imagination as effectively as too little.

    “Of necessity this post is brief because of certain technological issues on my end.”

    That’s okay–our imaginations will fill in the rest. 🙂

    Reply
    • Rebecca LuElla Miller says:
      April 29, 2015 at 4:33 pm

      “Inherently interactive.” Love that turn of phrase, Fred! Your entire comment is so artful! Might you be a writer? 😉

      Thanks for your input.

      Becky

      Reply

What do you think? Cancel reply

  • Voting And Speculative FictionVoting And Speculative Fiction
  • Speculative Fiction And Contemporary CultureSpeculative Fiction And Contemporary Culture
  • Imagination And TruthImagination And Truth
  • If You Could Read Anything You Wanted To ReadIf You Could Read Anything You Wanted To Read
Lorehaven magazine, winter 2020

Wear the wonder:
Get exclusive shirts and beyond

Listen to Lorehaven’s podcast

Authors: Reach new fans with Lorehaven