Mark Carver writes dark, edgy books that tackle tough spiritual issues. He is currently working on his ninth novel. Besides writing, Mark is passionate about art, tattoos, bluegrass music, and medieval architecture. After spending more than eight years in China, he now lives with his wife and three children in Atlanta, GA. You can find Mark online at MarkCarverBooks.com and at Markcarverbooks on Facebook.
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Live from the Lockdown

How would fictional characters fare in these uncertain times? Let’s check in on some of them.
Mark Carver, Mar 2020

Worth the Risk?

Someone would argue that the powder keg of emotion is worth the risk because it gives life a spark, even though it may turn into a raging fire.
Mark Carver, Mar 2020

Hard Time

As with any real life/entertainment contrast, the real world of incarceration doesn’t quite match up with what we see on screen when it comes to prisons and jails.
Mark Carver, Feb 2020

Pestilence and Plague

It’s impossible not to think about the fictionalized treatment of epidemics when we are bombarded by hourly news updates about the real thing.
Mark Carver, Feb 2020

Do You Believe?

what kind of miracle would it take for people these days to truly believe?
Mark Carver, Jan 2020

What Was God Thinking?

We humans, as rational beings, want everything to make sense. It’s frustrating that such “nonsense” winds up being true.
Mark Carver, Dec 2019

The Unwanted Passenger

No matter where people go in this universe, they bring along an unwanted passenger: their own sin natures.
Mark Carver, Nov 2019

Are We There Yet?

When does the future arrive?
Mark Carver, Nov 2019

What is Truly Scary?

At the root of all fear is the desperate unwillingness to lose something precious, the ultimate fear being the fear of losing one’s life or the lives of loved ones.
Mark Carver, Oct 2019

Brad and His Dad

Moral of the story: we are not alone in the universe, but we don’t have to look to the stars to find who else is out there.
Mark Carver, Oct 2019

Just Imagine…

There is one world which so far exists only on paper but is far from fiction: the new heavens and new earth that will endure for eternity after Jesus returns.
Mark Carver, Sep 2019

The Sky is Falling

As technology and planning improves, death and destruction is mitigated by degrees, but the fact remains that we are still at the mercy of the Earth in all aspects.
Mark Carver, Sep 2019

The Sound and the Fury

How has heavy metal music influenced my writing?
Mark Carver, Aug 2019

Are We Part of the Problem?

What is our responsibility as authors? Do we share any of the blame if our words put ideas into people’s heads or ignite the brittle underbrush that already exists in depraved minds and is just waiting for the spark?
Mark Carver, Aug 2019

From the Archives: How Dark is Too Dark?

How dark is too dark? Is it permissible to include horrific and explicit elements in a story intended for the Christian market?
Mark Carver, Jul 2019

Children Don’t Need Magic: A Response to Joshua Gibbs

Magic is fun in fiction, but children don’t actually need magic to experience the awe of the Creator.
Mark Carver, Jul 2019

The Way It Should Be

One lazy evening a while back, I was scrolling through the movies on Amazon Prime and came across an indie film called Coherence. A quick search on Google pulled up favorable reviews, so I gave it a shot. I’m glad […]
Mark Carver, Jun 2019

Those Meddling Kids

It takes just a quick glance at movies, TV shows, and books to realize that our entertainment is packed with attractive and unmarried characters, and a good portion of those that are married look and act like they aren’t married. […]
Mark Carver, Jun 2019

How Would the American Church Handle an EMP?

It’s obvious that the modern church, particularly in the USA, is very high-tech. Podcasts, streaming sermons, tithing kiosks, apps, etc., are everywhere. Whether this is good or bad is neither here nor there as far as this article is concerned. […]
Mark Carver, May 2019

The Power of Christ Compels Us

If you’ve ever walked into a grand cathedral, ask yourself: was your first thought “Wow, God is so wonderful!” or was it “Wow, these architects and craftsman were incredible!”
Mark Carver, May 2019

Bad Seed

Why are the origins of evil so fascinating? Why do we crave stories about corruption?
Mark Carver, May 2019

Building Legacies

Architecture is the language of empires, dynasties, and conquerors, in real life and in our stories.
Mark Carver, Apr 2019

Sharper than Any Double-Edged Sword

Do you get a thrill out of seeing images of darkness or sinful acts in a story? Where does this enjoyment come from?
Mark Carver, Mar 2019

Does This Avatar Make Me Look Fat?

It’s easy for our imaginations to outpace reality. It’s a blessing and a curse of being human. Naturally, we imagine what we crave, but what if it’s far out of reach?
Mark Carver, Mar 2019

Would God Come Along Too?

What if we were to make a break for it and leave this rock for another? Would God be invited along for the ride?
Mark Carver, Feb 2019

Are All Fandoms Created Equal?

How are sports and fictional fandoms alike? How are they different?
Mark Carver, Feb 2019

Io: Pest Control

So how does speculative entertainment treat the problem of these supposed human pests? Get rid of ’em.
Mark Carver, Jan 2019

Bird Box: Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kid

Is the only way to survive life’s brutal realities to willfully blind oneself to the truth, as in “Bird Box”?
Mark Carver, Jan 2019

The Lesser of Two Evils?

Evil cannot defeat evil; it can only replace it.
Mark Carver, Nov 2018

The Nature of the Beast

How does the idea of monsters fit into the Christian walk?
Mark Carver, Nov 2018

One in a Million

What if parallel worlds do exist? Does that mean there is a world out there where Adam didn’t sin?
Mark Carver, Oct 2018

Who Says We Can’t Play In the Genetic Sandbox?

Who gets to say what the human race can and can’t do when it comes to tinkering with the planet?
Mark Carver, Oct 2018

Who Is In Control?

When someone (or something) has control, it doesn’t like to give it back.
Mark Carver, Sep 2018

Where Have All the Monsters Gone?

Why aren’t dinosaurs roaming the earth today or giant sharks eating fishing boats whole?
Mark Carver, Aug 2018

Imago Hominis

How sick would our society be when people actually prefer the company of soulless, factory-made machines to living, breathing people knit in the womb by God’s hands?
Mark Carver, Aug 2018

Keeping the Edge Sharp

The word “edgy” is not a friendly word. After all, what has edges? Knives, scalpels, axes. The sharper the edge, the better the cutting tool. Something “edgy” divides and separates into those who dig it and those who don’t. It’s challenging and often uncomfortable, rewarding for some and repulsive to others.
Mark Carver, Jul 2018

God’s Mistake?

Death is not a mistake. Death is not wrong or evil. For those who are saved, death is a gift.
Mark Carver, May 2018

“Better” Christian Entertainment

Does better artistic quality mean better Christian entertainment?
Mark Carver, May 2018

Dude, Where’s My Apocalypse?

Despite what preppers and conspiracy theorists and morons who drive vehicles with “Zombie Response Team” decals might imagine, there is nothing cool about a global nuclear apocalypse.
Mark Carver, May 2018

The Forest for the Trees

There is an eagerness in the human imagination to revere the “spirits of the forest.”
Mark Carver, Apr 2018

Sonrise

Numerous movies and TV shows have a “savior” character who clearly parallels Jesus Christ, but perhaps none more so than Neo from The Matrix Trilogy.
Mark Carver, Apr 2018

There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

Has technology lived up to its promise?
Mark Carver, Mar 2018

What’s a Body to Do?

Just how important is an intact body?
Mark Carver, Mar 2018

Greetings from the Other Side

The self-described Most Tattooed Christian Author who wrote those scary-looking books is now writing heartwarming stories about girls and boys and horses.
Mark Carver, Feb 2018

Robots and Religion

What if a robot decided to go to church?
Mark Carver, Jan 2018

In a Mirror Dimly

What would Christianity and a highly-digitized church look like in the future?
Mark Carver, Jan 2018

What Doth These Omens Portend?

What might next year look like for speculative entertainment?
Mark Carver, Dec 2017

The Cult of Personality

Now everything is out there like knickers on the clothesline, blowing in the wind and practically waving to the neighbors.
Mark Carver, Dec 2017

A Very Speculative Thanksgiving

Several science fiction, fantasy, and comic book characters are gathered around the table for Thanksgiving dinner…
Mark Carver, Nov 2017

No Other Gods

I didn’t catch Tom Cruise’s The Mummy in theaters, so I watched it on DVD when it came out last week. It wasn’t as awful as I was expecting, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the Brendan Fraser films […]
Mark Carver, Oct 2017

Guns. Lots of Guns.

Guns are fun to shoot in real life and fun to watch on-screen. But they are just a tool.
Mark Carver, Oct 2017

Down With the Sickness

The biggest threat to human existence rarely gets news coverage: it’s not North Korea, global warming, or white privilege; it’s disease.
Mark Carver, Sep 2017

Let It Shine

The power of light can turn a walking nightmare into a CGI curiosity.
Mark Carver, Sep 2017

Pain and Pleasure

Writing a book and getting tattooed are remarkably similar experiences.
Mark Carver, Aug 2017

Why I Quit Watching ‘Game Of Thrones’ and ‘The Walking Dead’

Let me tell you why I quit two of the most popular TV shows of the 21st century, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.
Mark Carver, Aug 2017

An Empty Shell

Man’s best efforts to perfect the body will ultimately burn away with the rest of the fallen world, and God will restore everything to greater glory and harmony than anything man could ever devise.
Mark Carver, Jul 2017

Powers and Principalities

Make no mistake: magic is very real, and none of it is good.
Mark Carver, Jul 2017

Moana: The Gods Must Be Crazy

This is all fun and games from our enlightened, high-tech perch where we can say, “Aw, that’s cute. The native is praying to his ‘fire god.’ Adorable.” Yet it’s important to remember that these “adorable natives” prayed with as much devotion, if not more so, to their gods, elders, and ancestors as we do to the God of the Bible.
Mark Carver, Jun 2017

Mediocre Times

“These are mediocre times…People are starting to lose hope. It’s hard for many to believe there are extraordinary things inside themselves as well as others.”
Mark Carver, Jun 2017

Mega City One

The innocent exist only until they inevitably become perpetrators…Guilt and innocence is a matter of timing.
Mark Carver, May 2017

A Dark Mind

If Giger’s work embodies dark or even demonic sci-fi art, what would Christian sci-fi art look like? Could such a thing even exist?
Mark Carver, May 2017

Great Expectations

Here is a post that I recently wrote for my blog. I’m sure many writers can empathize, and if you’re a reader, I hope it can give you a glimpse into the thought process behind the books.
Mark Carver, Apr 2017

Moral Relativism Doesn’t Wear A Cape

Who can deny the appeal of superheroes? The story of humanity is filled with them, real and mythical. Hercules, Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, Paul Bunyan, Malala…the list goes on. Every culture in the world has them in some form or another, and they all have the same effect on those who hear their stories. They inspire, they encourage, they motivate, they empower. Sometimes they conquer, sometimes they save. Some build mighty empires, some hear the cries of the weak and helpless.
Mark Carver, Apr 2017

You Rang?

The idea of man exerting some control over the spirit realm is very tantalizing and has long held a place in entertainment.
Mark Carver, Mar 2017

Earth Is Our Final Destination

I love to take hypothetical and speculative romps through the imagination but I consider myself to be a realist. I find the media and the public’s enthusiasm for the rather frequent discovery of “habitable” worlds to be silly groupthink excitement.
Mark Carver, Mar 2017

The Foolishness Of God

1 Corinthians 1:25: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (NIV).
Mark Carver, Feb 2017

Is God Out There?

I suspect that if a project like this was launched, its managers would make a concerted effort to screen out anyone with religious beliefs, for the purposes of conflict avoidance but more importantly for the simple fact that the human heart naturally shuns God.
Mark Carver, Jan 2017

Dun Dun Dun Dun Da-Dun Dun Da-Dun…

Hitler, and the whole Nazi Reich, were the perfect bad guys. Homogeneous (by their own efforts), sharply dressed in intimidating uniforms, a very eye-catching logo and distinct greeting gesture (quite the opposite of “Live Long and Prosper”), and a coldly mechanical and unstoppable war machine bent on global domination *evil laugh.* You can’t write a better fictitious villain or enemy if you tried.
Mark Carver, Jan 2017

The Nightmare Of Christmas

The idealized Western Christmas is a time of jingling bells, snow (unless you live in the South with Christmas temperatures regularly in the 50s and 60s), Christmas trees, lavishly decorated homes, presents spilling out into the hallway, and a seemingly endless barrage of Christmas parties. And of course, the stories. Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, The Night Before Christmas, The Tin Soldier, A Christmas Carol, and many more. However, in many other countries, Christmas tales take quite a sinister turn.
Mark Carver, Dec 2016

Well, When You Say It Like That…

“A technician’s job is to find glitches, so he sees glitches. Your job is to find the enemy, so you see the enemy. Locals believe in spirits, so they see spirits. Everyone’s biased.”
Mark Carver, Dec 2016

We Were In The Neighborhood…

What would I do if aliens showed up? How would I react? Would it shake me to the core of my faith, like it did for the hapless puritan in Paul? Would it revive my faith, like it did for Mel Gibson in Signs? Would it encourage me to pull out my old Simon game and use the flashing lights and cool synthesized notes to try and communicate ala Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
Mark Carver, Nov 2016

Liturgy and Lunacy

Since Christianity is such an integral part of the Western society we inhabit, it’s only natural that it will have a prominent place in our stories. It shows up in all genres but we often see Christianity or its derivatives in fantasy, horror, and surprisingly, science fiction.
Mark Carver, Nov 2016

We’re All Mad Here

The latest movie from Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, just came out on DVD. I haven’t seen it yet, but I did see, and moderately enjoyed, the Tim Burton-directed first installment, Alice in Wonderland. Of course, nothing will ever […]
Mark Carver, Oct 2016

Who Vs. What

There is undoubtedly a cyclical and symbiotic relationship between character and plot. Who the character is determines what will happen in the story, and the events of the story shape who the character is, etc. They are both cogs that turn each other. From a writing craft perspective, this can be a very existential and convoluted discussion, so let’s take it to street level.
Mark Carver, Oct 2016

Everything’s A Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy…

I like having no idea what’s coming next, but with retellings, I know that this or that villain is going to make an appearance, though they will undoubtedly be different than how Disney imagined, and if it’s a fictional biography, I know that this or that key event will take place in their life, because I already know some of the story.
Mark Carver, Sep 2016

Some Jokes Are Not Funny

The way I see it, the Joker is a very good allegory for the human soul and psyche stripped of God’s grace. Man’s fallen nature doesn’t just wallow in sin; it runs headlong into sin’s arms
Mark Carver, Sep 2016

It’s Good To Be Bad

The story world has always spun tales of lovable rogues. Robin Hood and his merry men. Riddick. Han and Chewy. Jack Sparrow. The Misfits. Motley Crue…wait, nevermind. Anyway, we love stories about surly tough guys who just want to look out for number one and end up doing good along the way.
Mark Carver, Aug 2016

Shut De Door, Keep Out De Devil…

Back in the day, the demon hordes would be banished by a holy relic or a vague verse from the Bible. Now it seems that the power holding evil at bay is increasingly being named for what it truly is: the power of Jesus Christ.
Mark Carver, Jul 2016

Heavy Metal

After the recent shooting in Orlando, the media’s attention once again turned to gun control, the meaning of the Second Amendment, and the nation’s obsessions with firearms. Everything that could possibly be said on both sides of the issue has been said, but there is one truth on which I believe everyone can agree: entertainment without weapons would be pretty boring.
Mark Carver, Jun 2016

Body Count Vs. Human Cost

Unless violence and death happen to the main characters in a story, we rarely see and feel the human cost of those deaths, of the families left behind, of the children now orphaned, of the villages and kingdoms without their leaders, of the friends and lovers whose hearts ache for those they can never embrace again.
Mark Carver, Jun 2016

The Pox? How Delightful, The Pox!

The apocalyptic horror that the Black Death unleashed upon the world is incomprehensible in our super-sanitized modern times, even though our entertainment is rife with zombies and bioterrorism and innocuous viruses that end up wiping out most of the population.
Mark Carver, Jun 2016

The Power Of Ink

Tattoos have historically been associated with strength, aggression, power, status, rebellion, and tribal identity.
Mark Carver, May 2016

A Deal With The Devil

No one ever congratulates themselves on making a deal with the devil. They always regret it in the end.
Mark Carver, May 2016

No Rest For The Weary

Nothing offers us the sanctuary we thought it would when we first laid eyes on it. But we keep looking, and we know that we cannot stop or we will perish.
Mark Carver, Apr 2016

Do You Even Goth, Bro?

You can’t simply inject a graveyard or crumbling cathedral into a novel and declare it to be Gothic. The idea of Gothic isn’t paint-by-numbers or a recipe for the macabre.
Mark Carver, Apr 2016

Check Your Scalp For Mysterious Numbers

What do you do if you are destined to become a villain?
Mark Carver, Mar 2016

The Terror Of Light

When I watch “Sunshine,” I get an inkling of how terrifying God’s righteousness would be to our frail eyes and souls.
Mark Carver, Feb 2016

Who Ya Gonna Call?

There is a noticeable contrast in Van Helsing’s methods and beliefs compared to more recent hunters.
Mark Carver, Feb 2016

Eat Right and Exorcise

What if a Christian author took that bold step and blended the obscene with the holy (and wrote an awesome story too)? What would be people’s reactions?
Mark Carver, Jan 2016

A Hopeful Future

Understanding God’s creation can be a profound act of worship, and creating in order to engage our imaginations and benefit humanity is something to be celebrated. Science is not a threat to the Christian worldview, since God is the author of all truth. Anything that is discovered will lead to Him, and anything invented reflects the creativity inherent in all humans being made in His image.
Mark Carver, Dec 2015

The Heavens Declare

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Ps. 19:1
Mark Carver, Dec 2015

Horror Has A Face

Personally, I have found that horror I can relate to is often far more terrifying than anything my imagination can cook up.
Mark Carver, Dec 2015

‘Human Beings Are A Disease’

Science fiction is packed with stories of leaders/aliens/robots/whatever trying to subdue humanity’s baser urges and make them docile, compliant, and soulless. Sometimes I wonder if that might not be a better option; drones don’t kill each other in the streets.
Mark Carver, Nov 2015

â€To Go Against The Church Is To Go Against God’

In Hollywood, the church is the ultimate “no-fun zone.” Cold, calculating, powerful, vigilant, a wet blanket on anything pleasurable. An institution to be rebelled against.
Mark Carver, Nov 2015

Christians and The Can-Do Apocalypse

God is still God even if society goes down the toilet, and He doesn’t stop loving us or providing for us.
Mark Carver, Oct 2015

A Whole New World

One of the most common pieces of writing advice is “Write what you know.” I took a big risk and wrote about something I didn’t know, and my eyes and mind were opened.
Mark Carver, Oct 2015

Behold His Mighty Sword Of Wrath and Vengeance!

It is quite a terrifying idea to be chosen by God as His avenging angel on Earth, and it’s even more terrifying to be chosen by God for annihilation.
Mark Carver, Sep 2015

Here There Be Monsters…

Human nature wants to worship something big. King Kong was worshiped by the island natives, volcanoes and mountains have become gods, and dragons rule the realms of fantasy. The gods that are worshiped by the various religions of the world are massive and powerful.
Mark Carver, Sep 2015

Throwing In The Towel

Despite what we see and read, a zombie apocalypse would not be fun. At all.
Mark Carver, Aug 2015

It’s Alive!

Why do our creations always seem to turn on us? Don’t they know we just want to love them and make them do our chores?
Mark Carver, Aug 2015

The Crossover Alliance Is Open For Business

The Crossover Alliance debuts as the world’s first publisher dedicated to edgy Christian speculative fiction.
Mark Carver, Jul 2015

Biblical Cosplay

Cosplay is just makeup and costumes, but the Bible speaks of one ensemble that we should wear at all times.
Mark Carver, Jul 2015

The Colors Of The Universe

Is science fiction as diverse as it should be? How diverse is “diverse enough” and who gets to say what the standard is? Should this even matter to readers?
Mark Carver, Jul 2015

One Word: Aliens

Would proof of intelligent alien life end the world’s religions?
Mark Carver, Jun 2015

Giving The Devil His Due

If we or our stories venture into dark places, we must always remember to keep the Light close.
Mark Carver, May 2015

Start Your Engines: The End Is Nigh!

“Mad Max: Fury Road” is the latest in a long journey of post-apocalyptic stories that go straight back to the Bible.
Mark Carver, May 2015

Introducing Edgy Christian Speculative Fiction From The Crossover Alliance

Debut publisher The Crossover Alliance will offer novels without limits on swear words and other content, if the story ultimately endorses biblical truth and not sin.
Mark Carver, Apr 2015

Does Scripture Let Mankind Go Interstellar?

How does space travel factor into the Christian worldview?
Mark Carver, Nov 2014

Indie Novelist Mark Carver: How Dark Is Too Dark?

Are there limits as to how dark Christian fiction can be? Where is the line between reveling in the darkness and using it as a tool to turn readers towards the light?
Mark Carver, Aug 2014

Lorehaven epilogue sponsors

Stars weep and ash falls as the tides of battle propel the Fireborn queen, the Sea-Demon prince, and the Dawnrider priest toward a meteoric clash in this thunderous series finale.

Dawn of Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams
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Dawn of Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams