Christian Science Fiction

A plethora of tastes and other things

2008-07-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

The BLUE ZONE factor!

Stating the obvious: everyone has a different taste in what they like to read. Men and women's tastes are like this Venn diagram (I like visuals on my blog).

Table A= women

Table B= men

The literary tastes of the two sexes are clearly displayed in childhood. Boy's fight with pretend swords while girls bake cookies in the make believe castle.

Now, as the above diagram shows, there is a BLUE ZONE. Some of Table A meshes with Table B, and some of Table B meshes with Table A. Thus, there is no way one can pinpoint all men's/women's tastes. Most girls prefer a romantic movie over something like Braveheart or Gladiator--but not all! I've met a girl who claims Braveheart as her favorite movie.

The question was posed, "Can men ever like 'chick fantasy'?"

Well, I wouldn't label DragonLight chick fantasy, because that would take it completely out of the BLUE ZONE. What I do think is that DragonLight is more geared for women by its lighthearted nature, but there is still the BLUE ZONE, and some men will enjoy it.

In my last blog entry, I was honored to have Donita K. Paul leave me a comment. She had excellent examples of men who really enjoyed the book.

So to conclude this line of thought, I, Brandon, don't fall into the BLUE ZONE. So read the previous posts with that in mind.

The Positive in DragonLight

I also want to finish by saying, I regret that I didn't earlier give the postive side of what I read. I was definitely too focused on what I didn't like. The world of DragonLight, with Wulder representing God, and the relationship he has with the dwellers of that world, is a fascinating approach. A unique way to show how God interacts with his creation. This is a world with morals, and right and wrong, a thing too many books are lacking these days.

Also, Donita's prose and language were well crafted/ well chosen. She's clearly a good writer. The fact that I didn't like the lightness of the story and a few of the characters personalities is just my thing. I could give a list of books I've read that I really didn't like for one reason or another, yet some of them are considered classics, or have won Hugo/Nebula awards, or are New York Times bestsellers!

Conan and the Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is a light fantasy movie that I thouroughly enjoyed! However, I haven't read the book, and I've found that I'd much rather watch a funny, comic-fantasy movie than read a book about it. There like two different realms for me.

As far as my refrencing Conan for a heroic/epic fantasy, I indeed used it as an extreme. I find several things about the Conan stories in poor taste.
1) Treatment of females as sex objects
2) Racist undertones
3) Unnecessary gore
4) A main character who's often a scumbag

If Conan were written without issues 1-3, and then for issue 4, give Conan a moral compass, and a desire to do good, then you'd have one incredibly daring and fun adventure story.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this tour as much as I have.

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

DragonLight Day 2

2008-07-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd provide some cute dragons

I was going to discuss the topic of characterization and dialogue, but having read the other blogs, and those who commented to my first post, I realize the the overwhelming majority really loved DragonLight, and thus love the characterization and dialogue. So I find myself in a small minority and have decided to do a different topic. I think my being a male steeped in traditional epic/heroic fantasy created a chasm between my tastes and the tastes of so many others who enjoyed this book.

Keeping Tension

Recognizing DragonLight was a light, perhaps young adult fantasy best suited for females, I still feel the potential for high drama was repeatedly defeated by the continual imputation of the ordinary. But even more, when the action is on, the reader has to feel the main characters are in danger. If the author is clearly allowing them to jump over hurdles without stumbling and falling, then the reader will not feel the necessary fear that drives him to keep reading. It must appear as if the heroes might be defeated. They must work hard to stay alive.

Chapter 16 lends a perfect example:

In a scene where Kale and Bardon battle some rouges called bisonbecks one feels the entire time a confidence that the author will keep the husband and wife team safe and sound. Here's an extreme example when Reddig, an angry bisonbeck goes after Kale while her husband Bardon looks on.

Reddig turned and rushed toward Kale. She took one step back, and where she had been standing, a broad column shimmered. But the bisonbeck did not have time to stop. He ran into the barrier and stuck as if he had been a fly swatted onto a windowpane. His face pressed against the invisible surface, distorted his features. He struggled to get free but could not back up.

The two remaining bisonbecks growled low in their throats, and they circled Kale. Bardon leaned against a tree and crossed his arms.

"Bad idea, fellas," he said as he examined his fingernails.

The above scene reads like a Mel Brooke's film, but this book isn't a slap-stick comedy. We have no fear for the hero and heroine. It's clear from how the action is told that we don't need to take the threats seriously. The husband leans against a tree, inspects his fingernails and says, "Bad Idea, fellas." From here on out, the message is clear that the reader need not be in suspense when something dangerous is looming.

Picture the first Matrix movie and its sequel. When Neo is learning his ability to fight the computer, its an incredible challenge and we fear for his safety the entire time, but then there is the scene in the second movie when thousands of agents attack him, and he defeats them with out breaking a sweat (he almost looks bored). At that point, you loose your audience. Either that is the end of the story, or you've just down-played every possible action scene that follows it.

Again, this is just my opinion. I know what you all are thinking...Brandon, why don't you go read your dumb Conan books and stop being so nit-picky! Well fine--by Crom--I'll do just that.

Please! Stop by tomorrow for a discussion on Male/Female tastes in literature!

And for today, check out the rest of the CSFF blogging crew!!

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

Donita K. Paul's DragonLight

2008-07-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

DragonLight, by Donita K. Paul is the last book in her DragonKeeper series.

Picking up the last book is always hard without reading any of the prior books. So my review should be taken with a grain of salt. However, as one who has enjoyed fantasy fiction all his life, I found DragonLight quite unsatisfying.

Epic Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy (part 1)

What do Lord of the Rings, Anne McAffery's Pern series, Conan the Barbarian, have (in my opinion) that DragonLight doesn't. In my opinion, DragonLight didn't have an epic/heroic feel.

-Grand Ambiance
Though there were great stakes and an evil cult that were threatening to wreak havoc in the land, the chapter by chapter telling of the story was what I would describe as anti-epic. Too much focus on hiccuping dragons, picking dress styles to wear to the ball, and a whiny wife (Kale). The first 70 pages were unbearable. As the plot begins to solidify, and the stakes rise, these type of petty details fade slightly, but not nearly enough.
A fantasy story needs a heroine the opposite of Kale. Heroes and heroine don't whine and giggle, nit-pick and manipulate there husbands, they are supposed to be supermen and superwomen. Sure they need to have a flaw, but the flaw should not be an annoying personality. It was this focus on the cute and petty that really turned of the epic/heroic potential of the story.

Perhaps I haven't read enough modern fantasy, and this type of cutesy fantasy has become popular. Give me heroes that are tough, brave, and don't gripe and fret about every little thing. Give me heroes that focus on the grand scale, not on the little details that we have in our own world. If I want to read about that, I'll go to a different isle in the books store!

--Return tomorrow for my blog on characterization and dialogue in epic fantasy, and an short analysis of these two in regards to DragonLight.

And do check out these other bloggers writing about DragonLight, often what one person dislikes, another loves. We all have different tastes.

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

CSFF Blog Tour: Vanished

2008-06-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Mackel's Vanished is a supernatural suspense thriller with multiple POV characters.

Story Teaser (from authors website):
After a bomb explodes in a working-class neighborhood of Barcester, Massachusetts, Police sergeant Jason Logan fights to keep order and assist the injured while desperately waiting for aid to arrive. Is the mist from the bomb preventing ambulances and fire trucks from coming in? Or has something far more dire occurred?

As the hours tick by, Logan tracks the terrorist mastermind—whom he learns is not done wreaking havoc. Cut off from modern medical resources, nurse-practitioner Kaya de los Santos treats the injured and soothes the fearful, unaware that her teenaged son Ben is on the run from both the cops and the terrorist.

The vanished begin a battle for survival against enemies they’ve always known—and forces they’ve never even imagined.

Multiple POV:

Multiple Point of view stories are a challenge to write, but lots of fun to read if done well. They allow several story lines to enlarge the readers understanding of "the dilemma". And there's the wonderful possibility to have several engaging characters, each struggling to solve/survive some aspect of "the dilemma".

Books that come to mind our Dune, Watership Down, Lord of the Rings, (any good Michael Crichton book), Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, even the Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury does this.

Multiple POV stories often carry the downfall of being trite and formulaic if not done well. So many grocery store thrillers and mysteries can fall into this, but from the reviews "Vanished" has received, its looking like Mackel has done a hard days work in writing this story. Like the books I mentioned above, Multiple POV has the power to create a sweeping epic that can show you the big picture through several larger than life characters.

for more on Kathryn Mackel's Vanished, check out these other blog tour sites:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Terri Main
Margaret
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Chawna Schroeder
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Linda Wichman
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Mind Flights Magazine: a defender of the Christian short story

2008-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

I want to start with two marvelously speculative ideas.

Idea 1:
Many Christian speculative fiction authors have passed through the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog tour. And there are many other quality Christian spec authors published by top Christian publishers. Why not send them a friendly email alerting them to a new anthology being put together. Take the magazine Mind Flights for instance: they are a reputable magazine (having a long established history as both DKA and TSR) and they could garner the enthusiasm. Speculative fiction authors tend to love short stories, why not get these established authors to put together an anthology. Afterall, someone, sometime, needs to put out a big antho of Christian spec fiction that can match the secular quality. The talent is out there, now someone needs to take that first step (or "giant leap")

Idea 2:
What if magazines such as Mind Flights, Residential aliens, Ray Gun Revival, The Christian Sci-fi Journal, Wayfarers Journal, and Third Order got together and put out an anthology of their best works? Sounds interesting to me.

The dillemma...

Sadly, if one walks into their local Christian bookstore, or even secular mega store like Barnes and Noble, and searches for Christian short story collections, one will find very little if anything in that category. Why? Where are the short story collections by Christian authors? Or where are the short story anthologies with themes like "Faith and Science Fiction," or "Deeper Magic". My friends, they are coming...

Mind Flights is a Christian Magazine of fantasy and science fiction. They alongside other Christian fiction magazines, are paving new roads for Christ-reflected short fiction. Not preachy, but still a reflection of the truth and light.

Examples of this are of course in the writings of Lewis and Tolkien, but there are others, Walter M. Miller and Cordwainer Smith (Paul Lineberger) come to mind. These authors published short stories. However, modern day examples of popular Christian authors writing short stories are scarce. I know of none.

Mind Flights Magazine, and other Christian fiction magazines are tenaciously changing the landscape. An underground revolution is being stirred to life. Already there are anthologies that are popping up. Lyn Perry's "Residential Aliens ezine" put out a silly fantasy anthology titled "Strange Worlds of Lunacy". And Relief Journal put out a fun weird fiction anthology as well.

As this underground movement builds, these magazines will be able to afford to pay their authors higher and higher rates, allowing the talent pool to expand. As Christian fiction magazines grow, so will the quality of their stories. But the momentum needs to continue. It's time to get innovative and join forces.

Please check out Mind Flights, our featured magazine this month.

And please check out other CSFF blog tour sites

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Kameron M. Franklin
Beth Goddard
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Terri Main
Margaret
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Rachelle Sperling
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Linda Wichman
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: The Begotten

2008-04-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

List T. Bergren's, The Begotten, is book one in a trilogy called The Gifted Series.

Bergren's novel received a starred review from Booklist. Reviewer John Mort said this of The Begotten:

"Bergren's thriller is set in Italy during the paranoid days of the Inquisition, when Christianity teeters on the edge of oblivion. A long-lost letter from St. Paul surfaces, predicting the rise of a group called the Gifted. Father Piero, a Dominican priest, finds the first of these, a proto-feminist with healing powers, Lady Daria D'Angelo. A knight whom she heals, Gianni de Capezzan, and a mute ex-slave, Hasani, round out the core members, who rapidly gain followers even as they flee the Sorcerer, the fearsome, magical emissary of Satan. Suspenseful and exquisitely detailed, Bergren's first entry in a trilogy will not only thrill evangelical readers but also engage anyone loving adventure and an unnerving battle between good and evil."

Gathering perspectives from several reviewers, I've gotten a clear sense that this novel is not your typical thriller, but a supernatural adventure in a world that is akin to our own, but not wholly ours. Publisher's weekly said to, "Disregard Da Vinci Code comparisons and think Lord of the Rings, but without Hobbits and the allegorical trappings."

Lord of the Rings + Historical Supernatural Thriller = ???

I really, really don't know what the above equation equals, but it sure does pique my interest!!

After reading the book from cover to cover in one night, here's what the editor of FocusOnFiction.net, Kelli Standish said of The Begotten:

"Begren's skill as a writer has SKYROCKETED since she took a break from writing in 2002...In movie form, The Begotten is a cross between The DaVinci Code, Luther, The Fantastic Four, and Lord of the Rings. In book form, it combines the historical detail and noble characters of a Linda Chaikin novel, the darkness and suspense of Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo, the spiritual warfare of Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness, and the miracles of the book of Acts."

In conclusion, today Monday, April 21st, after work, I'm going to pick up a copy of Bergren's book. I guess I finally figured out what that above equation equals out to...

Lord of the Rings + Historical Supernatural Thriller = my buying this book!

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Karina Fabian
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Michael Heald
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: Andrew Peterson

2008-03-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Andrew Peterson's YA fantasy novel, "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness," hit the bookstores this month.

After checking out all the buzz on this book, I'm really beginning to regret not requesting an advanced copy!

After perusing the authors website, and reading several book reviews, I've gotten a sense that Andrew Peterson has a fun, rambunctious sense of humor. Just take some of these names of creatures in the book:

Cave blats, fangs, horned hounds, quill diggles, thwaps, and the unforgettable...toothy cows...

I think Monty Python could use some of those characters.

But besides the humor, reviewers are raving about the authors writing skill, and excellent plotting. And the praise isn't limited to those within the Christian circle, check out Fantasy Book Critic.

Andrew Peterson's website is another great place to look around

And be sure to check out these other CSFF blog tour member sites for lots more on this book!

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Green
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

My first novel...a delay

2008-02-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

My first novel, "When the Sky Fell," co-written with Mike Lynch was scheduled to be released this month by Silver Leaf Books, but is being pushed back a year to February 2009.

To wait another year is hard, but God is in control, and I'm joyful despite the delay.

Mike Lynch and I haven't been idle, we've got a sequel to "When the Sky Fell," already finished, and a third novel with the working title, "Midnight Over Midian."

Our fourth novel, is in the pre-planning stages.

And besides novels, Mike and I have some short stories in the works.

That's the update! Thanks for stopping by.

CSFF Blog Tour: Chris Walley's The Shadow and Night

2008-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Though I haven't read Chris Walley's book yet, I'd really like to, and here's why:

Chris Walley's The Shadow and Night was praised by reviewer Patricia Cummings, who said of the story:

"...it’s "Star Wars" the way it should have been written..."

The story is set in the year 13851 in a world that has never experienced evil. So let's break that information down.... We have a scientific, technologically based Garden of Eden society. There is no sin, and the inhabitants have a spiritual relationship with God.

So maybe you're saying to yourself. That's a pretty rad concept but...how's that make for an interesting story? Where's the conflict?

Conflict enter stage left: A horde of evil ape-like creatures and giant bugs threaten to destroy their paradisical planet! And even worse, they're not only battling evil apes and cockroaches, they're fighting against a spreading evil that threatens to corrupt their very minds. The dark side makes a full frontal assault, no rules, no mercy.

Christian Star Wars anyone?

Yes, please!

Check out Chris Walley's website or his web blog.

And check out more CSFF Blog tour sites!

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Rebecca Grabill
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: Auralia’s Colors

2008-01-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

If you like rich fantasy with lavish well-crafted descriptions, then Auralia's Colors, by Jeffrey Overstreet is a book you'll definitely want to pick up.

If I've piqued your interest, hop over to the author's website. He has the first chapter available in PDF format. I read it, and I found myself immediately drawn in to the world of Auralia's Colors, and wanting more.

Below is a quote from the author:

I write fantasy because it draws me into an elemental world of nature—forests, mountains, rivers, fire, secret tunnels, and amazing creatures. I’ve grown up in the big city, and I longed for those rare vacations to the Oregon Coast where I could see nature with all of its raw power and awe-inspiring beauty. I believe that creation “declares the glory of God,” and that the natural world “pours forth speech” (to borrow some words from the Psalmist). I feel closest to God, and open to learning about him, when I’m close to nature. Fantasy takes me there.
-Jeffrey Overstreet, in an interview at Zyphe

For those of us readers who've found themselves drawn, with unquenchable appetites into worlds of fantasy, Jeffrey Overstreet strikes at the core of our desire. Wonder, beauty, a sense of amazement, a hunger for the majestic, a longing to transcend modern life, with its man-made beauty which is indeed the most ugliest blot of all. How ridiculous--how atrocious--our modern buildings look, even compared to a barren tundra. Are you the type of person who looks out your bedroom window, at all the houses and buildings, and imagine what it would be like if they would all disappear. (I'm speaking aesthetically, we wouldn't want to erase precious souls whom God loves of course! Whom he wants to make beautiful, in Christ!)

As Jeffrey said above, "Creation 'declares the glory of God."

Consider this verse:
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."
Romans 8: 19-22

When Christ returns, we have much to look forward to...I can hardly wait!

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: Wayfarer's Journal

2007-12-17T13:24:00.001-08:00

The Wayfarer's Journal is one of many webzines/magazines that publish science fiction and fantasy by Christians.

"by Christians?"

A rather odd statement, but it reveals the topic I want to explore. The substance of a Christian's story will intrinsically be different than that of a secular writer's.

What's the difference? The difference is wrapped up in the word "hope".

Where the secular writer nearly always puts their hope in man (man's goodness, man's overcoming, man's love, man's conquering evil, etc.), the Christian writer can, and should, place the focus beyond simply man's achievement, but go to the true source--the root--of any human virtue , and that is God.

A Christian's hope is in God, and from the wellspring of their spirit, which is now inhabited by the Holy Spirit, flows different thoughts, different drives, and that reflects in their writing.

The world rejects hope in the Christian God. So do worldly fiction magazines. The message of Christianity is offensive to them unless it is sufficiently watered down or disguised in allegory.

Now, I love a good allegorical Christian story, such as C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, or his Space trilogy. Allegory can be extremely powerful, but the secular magazines will continually reject a straight forward Christian story, no matter the genre.

Our world has become increasingly hostile to the message of hope Christianity puts forth. They reject that their is one savior and one way to Heaven.

That is why I am thankful for magazines such as Wayfarer's who have made it their mission to find good fiction that brings glory to God.

God is true, how can we not proclaim it in our stories!

Check out these other CSFF bloggers highlights of this great webzine:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: Scarlet

2007-11-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

Scarlet is the second book in Stephen Lawhead's Dominion Trilogy.

This series intrigues me. It is the story of Robin Hood (Will Scarlet), the famed myth made famous by Hollywood. Lawhead has built the story around Celtic Mythology, which gives an immediate romantic ambiance, as well as a rich historic setting to draw from. Sound like a good medieval fantasy to you? It does to me.

Mythological characters make for great stories. Besides the obvious King Arthur tales which have been done many times over, there is an enormous amount of other legends to be re-told...rediscovered.

Hollywood has taken advantage of many of these for obvious reasons. The stories are fascinating, and the historical contexts rich. Yet, Hollywood rarely takes its viewers into these characters with any real depth, and that my friends is where the world of books comes in. Robin Hood has been exhausted in the movies, but in books, he has hardly been explored at all. I feel there is no comparison to the experience of the two mediums: novel and movie. Books take us farther, teach us more, and dig deeper into the emotions than most movies are able to achieve. And that's why I'm excited about this series.

One other comparison comes to mind: the legend of Beowulf. Though done again and again in Hollywood recently, the movies haven't compared to the richness of the novels I've read on both Beowulf, and of the monster, Grendel. Michael Crichtons, Eaters of the Dead tells the Beowulf legend through the eyes of an Arabic royal. And in Grendel, written by John Gardner, we have a chance to view the world through the monsters eyes. Anyone who reads this vivid, tragic tale of a creature who longs to be human, can't help but be moved with both compassion. These are examples of how a "legendary" character can come to life in the imagination.

Robin Hood's story, as portrayed by so many movies, (black and white, and more recent ones) have only taken us so far. Stephen Lawhead wants to take us further...

Check out these other blog tour member sites for more on Scarlet

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Karen McSpadden
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

CSFF Blog Tour: Bark of the Bog Owl

2007-10-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

The Christian Science Fiction Blog tour's november feature is Jonathan Rogers, Bark of the Bog Owl, book one of The Wilderking Trilogy (B&H Publishers)

Bark of the Bog Owl is young adult fiction, but there are two elements combined in this story that really interesting me.

1) The genre is fantasy

2) It's a retelling of the story of King David

I love what fantasy can do! It can transport us out of the ordinary world, and set us on new, fresh ground. That's what's so magical about fantasy fiction. Often we become so familiar with the things around us, and we begin to "possess" them, as C.S. Lewis once said. The danger in mentally possessing something is that we no longer feel the awe and amazement that once accompanied that thing. A marriage perhaps, or a new home. Once we've "possessed" them a while, we loose that excitement. It's a common problem we human beings have.

Tragically, we do this to the Bible as well. The stories, the parables, the miracles, we've heard them frequently, and they often grow old in our minds, and thus they lose their power. And it's our own faults, because those things still have the power, we just fail to feel it anymore.

But that's where Fantasy fiction comes in. Fantasy fiction can retell a story, giving it a new setting, new names, and can refresh our senses, reminding us of the true power of the story. Think of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis...or the sci-fi short story "Scanners Live in Vain," by Cordwainer Smith.

Bark of the Bog Owl has taken the story of David and retold it in a fantasy world. Christian writers have a wealth of resources to use in the old and new testements, and these "biblical" retellings are so powerful because of the good vs. evil scope that the Bible has established. We are in a battle in this world, but sometimes its hard to remember that. There are spiritual forces battling around us for our thoughts...for our souls. Fantasy can remind us of that. There are still such things as Dragons.

For a good review of Jonathan Rodgers book "Bark of the Bog Owl," check out Mike Lynch's Blog

And be sure to heck out these other CSFF blog tour member sites

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Karen
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Donna Swanson
Daniel I. Weaver
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Micro fiction at Resident Aliens

2007-09-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Lyn Perry the editor at Residential Aliens hosted a micro fiction contest and I'm excited to announce that my two entry's both placed.
"Hero" was a top ten winner, and "Life-line" was a honorable mention.

Pretty cool.

"Return," book three of the Mars Hill Classified Trilogy

2007-09-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

The CSFF blog tours September feature is Austin Boyd's third book in the Mar's Hill Classified Trilogy, "Return"

Six years after completing a manned mission to the Red Planet, Admiral John Wells is set to make another journey to Mars. But this time his crew is not alone, as John's team encounters a secret colony comprised of individuals pursuing John Raines' strange religion, the "Father Race."
While John begins to uncover a web of lies on Mars, his wife and daughter are struggling for survival on earth. Now John must survive his dangerous mission and find a way back home, even as a shocking plan begins to unfold millions of miles away on earth.
Austin Boyd is back with his third thrilling novel in the Mars Hill Classified series, full of high-tech intrigue, memorable characters, and adventure that transports readers to another world.

Check out Mr. Boyd's website

For Christian Science Fiction Fantasy Blog Tour highlights on Austin Boyd's novel, check out the following sites:

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

When the Sky Fell--my first published novel!

2007-09-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am a getting really excited as February 2008 approaches, because that's when Silver Leaf Books will be releasing my first novel. I can still vividly remember that sunny December day in 2006, the day I found out...I was inside a Borders bookstore (what a perfect setting) when I got the call from my co-author Mike Lynch: "Brandon...they like our story...they're going to publish our book! I can't believe this is actually happening..."

All the doubts about my writing being any good...the hard labor and passion of hours and hours at my desk...it was appreciated.

All the glory and praise go to God. So many things seemed to fall into place without ceasing. Mike and I were able to find an excellent agent to represent us, Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency. What a blessing.

Next we found Glenn Kim from Pixar and he gave us this exciting cover that captures the high adventure of the novel. The novel falls into the category of
space opera, but it also falls under the "labels" of military sci-fi, and Christian allegory.

And another amazing thing to fall into place our some of the blurbs we've acquired from amazing authors. Check it out for yourself...

"An engaging sci-fi blend of military and politics."
--Mike Resnick, Hugo and Nebula award winning author

"Fast-paced novel for fans of military science fiction."
--Mike Resnick, Hugo and Nebula award winning author

"What a promising first novel from Lynch and Barr--exciting space battles, convincing characters we can care about, sense of wonder and real heart. If only the space opera I grew up with had been this human."
--Bruce McAllister, 2007 Hugo award nominee and author of "Dream Baby"

"In war, things can go wrong, and people will react well, or badly. Such is the case in this action-filled, page-turning, epic space battle for the survival of planet Earth. Hang on to your seats!"
--James C. Glass, author of the Shanji trilogy

"Exuberant space opera in the style of the golden age of sci fi."
--Michael Z. Williamson, author of Freehold

Writing is such an adventure! Mountains and valleys, joy and pain. Now that I have a book being published, the next inevitable question is...is anyone going to buy the book?

Ultimately, its no matter. God made us in his image and that means he has imputed his creative passions in us (in so many various forms). For those imbued with the desire to write, if we publish or not, if we sell a single copy or ten million, succeed or fail, let us not forget we are still able to create entire worlds using the same method God used...words.

What a delight it is to be His creation.

The Legend of the Firefish

2007-08-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm am delighted to feature George Bryan Polivka's book, The Legend of the Firefish!

I read it and I loved it. It is an exciting fantasy tale full of deadly pirates, sea monsters, and one man's faith in God streched to the limit.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this read. Besides the excellent storytelling, I actually found my faith strengthened as I followed hero, Packer Throme, as he was forced to rely completely on God's strength, time and time again. Polivka managed to do this so convincingly--without coming off as preachy or trite--by creating a genuine character. There were no cheap, quick fixes. He played his character's faith out on hard reality over and over.

If you haven't read this story, you must. I would rank Polivka's novel with the elite in Christian fantasy and sci-fi. His is unique, but I enjoyed it just as much as C.S. Lewis' Narnia, and just as much as Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Now...
I am very excited to offer everyone an interview with Mr. Polivka...

Brandon Barr: How long have you fancied yourself a writer?

Bryan Polivka: I started writing when I was very young, about the time I started reading. I loved the idea of books. Being a writer is probably less about how I view myself than about what I have to admit about myself. I must write. Therefore, I must be a writer.

Brandon Barr: Is Firefish your first published novel? If not, how many unpublished novel's proceeded Firefish? What kept you writing?

Bryan Polivka: I had written more than a dozen book-length manuscripts before Firefish was published, all but two of them novels. Firefish was about number nine or so. I'm not sure what keeps me writing, but it's been a constant throughout my adult life. If I'm not working on a project, I've got dozens of ideas circling around just begging to be brought into reality (so to speak). The busier I get, the more driven I am to carve out time to write. It's really a little crazy. In fact, the last few years before Harvest House agreed to publish Firefish, it started to feel a little crazy. I quit mentioning my writing to anyone. "Oh, I've written a dozen books and never gotten any of them published, and I'm working on the next one!" Someone needs to take a person like that aside. "Look, I love you, man, but maybe, just maybe you really aren't any good!" But I didn't ever think that about myself. I felt I just wasn't any good at getting published. So I left that side of it in God's hands, and he got me published in His timing. Which is, as always, perfect. And I see it clearly now.

Brandon Barr: Your characters were not predictable, and yet, they stayed within the character you gave to them. Did you have the characters actions plotted out in the beginning, or did they surprise chapter by chapter as you wrote?

Bryan Polivka: Both. I tend to see the finale pretty clearly, the final conflict that resolves everything. But I don't always know what the resolution will be. To use a sports metaphor, I usually know what the final play of the fourth quarter is going to look like, but I don't always know if it's a touchdown or an interception. So there are a lot of surprises for me along the way.

Brandon Barr: On the same note, are you the type of writer who knows exactly where everything is going chapter by chapter, or does the story unveil itself before your eyes?

Bryan Polivka: For me, the "unveiling" is one of the more exciting parts of writing a long, involved tale. I get to points where I have to say, "Wow, I didn't expect that. Now what?" I didn't expect it, but there it is and it's the only logical thing that can happen. It's a bit of a dance, really, between what I control and what the characters must do because of who they are. I can control circumstances, but there's only so far I'll go, or can go, to make a character do or say something. They have to want to do it, or be motivated some other very real way. I figure it's a reflection of the theological tension between the omnipotence of God and the free will of man. He doesn't force us to do good, we have to want it or it isn't real. Yet, He created the world and everything in it, and can do with us as He pleases.

Brandon Barr: One of the most fascinating characters in your story was the deadly piratess, Talon. She is truly a no-holds barred villain. Was it exciting writing her scenes? Did you find the Packer Throme's scenes more difficult?

Bryan Polivka: I don't find many scenes difficult, once I know the characters. Villains tend to be easy, because their motivations are dead simple. Heroes are more complex, because they all have a villain in them to which they have, for one reason or another, not succumbed. So, in that regard I like writing heroes better. They're just more complex. Talon, however, is human, and therefore her evil is a corruption of the image of God, and the result of her choices in reaction to her environment. All the good in her is buried very, very deep, and she is actively, ruthlessly working to excise what little she has left. But her very hatred of all that smacks of the "Vast religion" points to a fundamental understanding of its power, and she is, in an inverse way, drawn to it.

Brandon Barr: In Firefish, the faith of Packer Throme is one of the major conflicts. Do you have any advice for fellow Christian writers that would help them create such characters while not coming off as preachy.

Bryan Polivka: Preachiness is death to fiction. I hope I have managed to avoid it in all three books. The problem, of course, is that as people of faith we feel strongly about spiritual things and want to share. The advice I would give is, explore your own real motivations. Get under the surface, face your demons. I have Packer Throme in me, but I also have Talon and Scat Wilkins. Good guys are good, truly good, only as a result of God's cleansing, for which He paid a terrible price. And they are then good only to the extent that God continually cleanses. So, where are your hero's doubts? Where are his or her failures, and sins? Are they obvious and real? Get real with those, and then the faith which springs out of them and counters them has a chance to be real, too.

Brandon Barr: What do you hope readers of the Trophy Chase trilogy come away with from the story?

Bryan Polivka: I really hope they can see another path to power. I would like to think that Packer presents an example of the meek inheriting the earth, and that will get them thinking about what such a thing really means. But I don't want to get preachy here!

Brandon Barr: What writers, fiction and non-fiction, have had the greatest impact on you?

Bryan Polivka: J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis first and foremost. They showed me light when I was in darkness, and both of them played a role in drawing me to the Light. As for pure writers, I have an eclectic list of favorites... Shakespeare (the comedies), Poe, Dickens, Larry McMurtree ("Lonesome Dove"), Jack London, David McCullough... I love McCullough's histories. They get inside the times, and into people's heads. He really helped me with grounding my work in a sense of reality. "1776" is a fascinating study of people and events, and the hand of God at work to craft a nation (though he certainly doesn't put it in those terms).

Brandon Barr: I personally found "The Legend of the Firefish" gripping, both as an adventure story and as a story of faith in action. I wish you the best of luck on all your future writing endeavors.

Bryan Polivka: Thank you, Brandon. Best to you as well.

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Merrie Destefano
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Janey DeMeo
Robin Parrish
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver