‘The Next C. S. Lewis’?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Dec 14, 2011
There’s only one C.S. Lewis. So let’s stop comparing all debut or contemporary writers, especially ourselves, to him.
Guest Post: Goodbye, Old Friend
Jeremy McNabb, Dec 14, 2011
Folks, the sad truth of today is that traditional science fiction—the space opera—is dying. For over 200 years, the imaginations of men like H.G. Wells, Frank Herbert, George Lucas, and Gene Roddenberry have been supplying us with hopes of alien […]
Speculative Christmas, Episode III: A New Joy
Fred Warren, Dec 13, 2011
Hmm. I wonder why they’re so happy?
The Making Of A Myth, Part 5 – The Use Of Primary Colors
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Dec 12, 2011
I wonder what J. R. R. Tolkien would think about Harry Potter. Or Twilight. Or dystopian fantasies like Veronica Roth’s Divergent. Would the author of “On Fairy-Stories” be a fan of the darker forms fantasy has taken in the last decade or so?
Why I Wrote ‘The Harry Potter Bible Study’
Jared Moore, Dec 9, 2011
Pastor Jared Moore: “I wrote ‘The Harry Potter Bible Study’ because I’m trying to encourage Christians to approach their cultures with the same method of interpretation they use when reading Scripture. I believe Christians should be consistent. Please allow me to explain.”
Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 5
E. Stephen Burnett, Dec 8, 2011
In the New Earth, as here in the Old, we won’t worship things, but worship Christ *with* things. Those may include our speculative stories, maybe even resurrected from this world. Four more reasons why this speculation is based on Scriptural promises about the After-world.
The “Alien Work” Of God Part III
John Otte, Dec 7, 2011
I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but recently, NASA revealed that the orbiting Kepler Telescope has found even more extra-solar planets, several of which are close in size to Earth. And, as always, the moment we get […]
Speculative Christmas, Episode II: A New Love
Fred Warren, Dec 6, 2011
…a story of scope and majesty surpassing any tale of science fiction or fantasy the human mind could conceive.
The Making Of A Myth, Part 4
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Dec 5, 2011
Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for, nor obscure the perception of, scientific verity. On the contrary. The keener and the clearer is the reason, the better fantasy will it make.
Magic Realism, Part 2
C.L. Dyck, Dec 2, 2011
Stories with “magical realism” may show us that not only are there monsters in the mind, there are hopes and dreams. They also remind us that we cannot practice a form of divination upon our unexplainable moments — claiming that this must always mean exactly that.
Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 4
E. Stephen Burnett, Dec 1, 2011
Based on Scripture, we can know that God loves stories, we can worship Him now through stories, and we’re destined to worship Him for eternity in many of the same ways. Of course, we can’t take any thing with us after death. Yet our God is a God of resurrection.
Dark Is The Stain: Suspense.
Kaci Hill, Nov 30, 2011
Sunday morning Fred posted a lovely series of Advent readings and Scriptures, and yesterday he posted on Hope ( I swear, we didn’t plan this). Now, I gotta say, just as over the last decade I’ve grown incredibly fond of […]
Speculative Christmas, Episode I: A New Hope
Fred Warren, Nov 29, 2011
Even an imperfect story can help begin a conversation about the Real Story.
The Making Of A Myth, Part 3
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nov 28, 2011
In many ways Tolkien separated himself from Christian parents today because he stated bluntly that children aren’t to be protected from reality though they can and should retain the guileless wonder of childhood: Children are meant to grow up, and not to become Peter Pans.
Dreaming At The Crossroads
Shannon McDermott, Nov 25, 2011
The first glory of speculative fiction is to imagine things that do not exist. The second is to ponder things that do. The endless possibilities are captivating — Elves and aliens, distant planets and hidden realms, the power of unbounded technology and the inscrutable laws of faerieland. At the center of these foreign things is everything human and divine.
Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 3
E. Stephen Burnett, Nov 24, 2011
This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for God’s Word — His perfect written revelation that He has promised will last forever, even into the New Earth. What would it be like to read the Bible then? How can that eternal perspective help us enjoy His Story now?
The “Alien Work” Of God Part II
John Otte, Nov 23, 2011
Two weeks ago, I stirred up a little bit of debate by asking all of you, our humble readers, what you thought about aliens. Is it possible that God has created life on some alien world? Possibly even sentient alien […]
Lightning In A Bottle
Fred Warren, Nov 22, 2011
I’m going to keep this simple today. What makes a bestseller? What makes you want to pick up a book, keep reading it, and then recommend it to your friends after you’ve finished it?
The Making Of A Myth, Part 2
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nov 21, 2011
Fairy stories are for children. Or are they? J. R. R. Tolkien in his essay “On Fairy Stories” built an argument that challenged the usual assumptions. First, he believed that fairy stories had significance beyond entertainment.
Retelling Biblical Stories For A Modern Audience, Part 2
Brian Godawa, Nov 18, 2011
The ancient Jews loved to retell their Bible stories with embellishments. And they did so, not with a disdain for “the facts of history,” but rather with deep respect for the original message as they understood it.
Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 2
E. Stephen Burnett, Nov 17, 2011
Christians have three main views about the afterlife, all within Gospel faith. But should we even bother with studying and anticipating Heaven? What do we and don’t we know about Heaven from the Bible? Should we speculate about that world?
Shut Up Juice
Fred Warren, Nov 15, 2011
It’s a beautiful, sunny day in East Hickory, Georgia. At the Pig and Whistle Down Home BBQ, Earl Bodine tugs on his John Deere cap and gives the sparkling counter its third polish of the morning with a damp dishrag.
The Making Of A Myth, Part 1
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nov 14, 2011
Tolkien is specific. Fairy stories are certain things and definitely not others. First they are stories about Faerie, “the realm or state in which fairies have their being,” though this realm contains much more than elves or fairies
Retelling Biblical Stories For A Modern Audience, Part 1
Brian Godawa, Nov 11, 2011
The Bible doesn’t fear pagan imagination. Rather, it subverts and redeems it, using its motifs and baptizing them with altered subversive definitions that support Yahweh the true God against the false god Baal and other pagan deities in the ancient Near East.
Will Fiction Last Forever? Part 1
E. Stephen Burnett, Nov 10, 2011
“Your job and your hobbies have no eternal value.” Why do many Christians suspect that belief is true?
The “Alien Work” Of God Part I
John Otte, Nov 9, 2011
No, I’m not talking about this kind of alien work of God. Instead, I want to talk about how it seems that I’ve always had aliens on the brain. I mentioned two weeks ago that my earliest forays into writing […]
The Power Of Controversy
Fred Warren, Nov 8, 2011
I noticed something interesting in the comments to my article last week. Several of the earlier ones paraphrased to, “Well, I really can’t argue with this.” Stephen chimed in soon afterward, trying to stimulate conversation, I suppose, with, “Who disagrees? […]
Taking Every Thought Captive
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nov 7, 2011
Speculative stories are the brunt of criticism from those who believe fantastical elements don’t belong. At the same time, however, the hammer comes down, claiming theology has no place, that it’s too restrictive, too confining, too box-like.
Magic Realism, Part 1
C.L. Dyck, Nov 4, 2011
One speculative fiction genre points us to what truly matters, by refusing to draw a solid line between the everyday and the fantastical. Welcome to the world of magic realism.
Beyond Story Battles 2: Anticipating The After-world
E. Stephen Burnett, Nov 3, 2011
Great stories do more than help us fight shallowness and false “safety” in the Church and society. They point us to reflections of God’s truth and beauty, on this old Earth, and even more on the coming New Heavens and New Earth.
