Villains: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Where do villains come from? What causes a person or a being to go down that dark path? And do they realize what they’ve become?
— Morgan Busse in April 2015 —

Epic Fantasy: Lighting The Path

The best epic fantasy novels take us on a voyage of the heart toward a treasure trove of self-discovery.
— Janalyn Voigt in April 2015 —

A Mommy/Youth Pastoring/Writer’s Way To Go About Creating and Populating Fantasy Worlds

Mary Weber is the author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, a young adult fantasy published by Thomas Nelson. Her debut novel Storm Siren released last August and the second in the series, Siren’s Fury, is due out in June.
— Mary Weber in April 2015 —

Melding Music and Magic

Have you read a novel where music and magic became one? Why is music often portrayed as powerful?
— Gillian Bronte Adams in March 2015 —

Wizards, Witches, and The Bible

Can fantasy magic be of God?
— R. L. Copple in March 2015 —

The Image Of Man

We are not, in any deep sense, “represented” in our stories by specific types of people, but simply by people.
— Shannon McDermott in February 2015 —

How To Train Your Church Story Group

Would fantastical-story groups work in your local church? Here’s how they worked at mine.
— E. Stephen Burnett in February 2015 —

Once Upon A Critique

Once Upon A Time needs to be stiffened up with some good, hard logic, but it still has its merits.
— Shannon McDermott in January 2015 —

Review – The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

My first thought at the end of the movie was, How sad that there will be no more stories set in Middle Earth.
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2014 —

Exploring ‘The Hobbit’ Chapter 19: The Last Stage

Don’t be a story Scrooge. See the final “The Hobbit” film(s) and explore the book’s final chapter.
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2014 —

I Believe In Father Christmas

I, an adult male in my thirties, believe in Santa Claus because I met him in Kuwait.
— Timothy Stone in December 2014 —

Exploring ‘The Hobbit’ Chapter 18: The Return Journey

Tolkien’s term “eucatastrophe” describes despair’s turn to joy, but The Hobbit’s ending is only partly joyful.
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2014 —

The Christian Problem With Magic, Part 2

We must be careful not to have a superficial understanding of what the Bible means by “magic”.
— Shannon McDermott in December 2014 —

Not All Fantasy Is Equal

Which of these types of fantasy do you prefer? Below is a poll to show us what the Spec Faith readership likes best.
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2014 —

Theology and Heroes-Shaping Our Stories By What We Believe

To add to our enjoyment of a good story, we have the excitement of holding it up transparently before the Story of God and finding its parallels and tangents.
— Jill Richardson in December 2014 —

Exploring ‘The Hobbit’ Chapter 17: The Clouds Burst

Smaug is dead in the water. But the dragon is back and he brings war.
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2014 —

Exploring ‘The Hobbit’ Chapter 16: A Thief In The Night

What’s a good Hobbit to do when the returned king becomes a new dragon?
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2014 —

How To Deal With Sensitive Subjects (in Christian Spec Fiction)

Contemporary fantasy is swamped by material that runs completely adverse to traditional family values. This is a huge concern for parents and teachers. Young readers, especially, are impressionable to strange philosophies because they have not learned discernment.
— Scott Appleton in November 2014 —

The Christian Problem With Magic, Part 1

Where, exactly, does this leeriness in the Christian community toward magic and fantasy come from? From the Bible.
— Shannon McDermott in November 2014 —

Why Read Fantasy? The Power Of World Building

Every believer who reads fantasy has heard objections. Some of them have been ably handled by others on this blog. Yet you know something deep stirs in you when you read about dragons and fairies and other worlds where battles are fought and wrongs are righted. Maybe, though you’re not sure how to explain your reading choices when presented with these statements.
— Jill Richardson in November 2014 —
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Cathy McCrumb handles heavy subjects with a light touch, keeping the novel from grimness. Recorder is a creative and engaging novel that will appeal to a broad audience.

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