So I took up Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind on Katherine Coble‘s recommendation. Several things initially worked against my decision. For one, I’m a slow reader. So the book’s 700-plus page count didn’t rev me up. Secondly, was my waning interest in epic fantasy. A bit of background: I like epic fantasy. At [...]
Today I am posting at The New Authors’ Fellowship (NAF) in a piece entitled Outside the Echo Chamber where I proffer a theory about why the Christian writing community is more like a cloister than a training center. The NAF is a lively community of aspiring authors with some great voices. Anyway, thanks to Kat [...]
As part of my ongoing series on indie presses, I’m excited to visit with speculative fiction novelist and publisher Grace Bridges. Grace is the author of two science fiction novels and the owner of Splashdown Books, an independent publisher of inspirational sci-fi and fantasy. In addition to chatting about the publishing industry, Grace is offering a [...]
The debate about Harry Potter, and its depiction of magic and sorcery, is a prime example of a philosophical divide among Christians. How much, if any, occult symbols, practices and references, should Christians tolerate in their tales? Especially as those elements are attached to protagonists? Yesterday’s post How Harry Potter Made Me a Believer produced [...]
My daughter is caught up in the Harry Potter craze. And I couldn’t be happier. After attending last Thursday’s midnight showing, she gushed about the film. I teasingly said she was no better than a Twilight fan, to which she bristled. Then, to my utter surprise, she said, “Do you know what Stephen King said [...]
Commenter Joy Tamsin David recently posted her Top Ten Authors I’d Love to Meet. It’s part of a meme that made the rounds this week and it got me thinking about writers I’d love to chat with / debate / steal ideas from. The following folks intrigue me for various reasons, most because of their [...]
The term “Inspirational Fiction” has become synonymous with much of what is labeled Christian fiction. Hopeful Uplifting Positive Wholesome These are words commonly associated with the genre. But does “Inspiration” rightly portray the essence of the Christian Gospel? At the outset of our current recession, one columnist noted that Christian fiction thrives during economic crisis: [...]
When choosing your next read, how often have you dismissed something on the grounds that you were not in the mood? Not in the mood for comedy. Not in the mood for horror. Not in the mood for romance. Not in the mood for fantasy. So what puts you in the mood for something? Better [...]
Doubt is becoming a franchise for some Christians. Books like O Me of Little Faith, Know Doubt, The Myth of Certainty, and Faith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters all capitalize on postmodern believers’ perpetual “crises of faith.” As if uncertainty is the only thing one can be certain of. Joining that movement is [...]
Some family and friends have had this ongoing, albeit playful, discussion about the concept of “soul mates.” Is this rooted in biblical concepts or has it been hijacked by romantics of our age? We’ve arrived at three possible answers: 1.) The concept of “soul mates” is essentially biblical. Eve was made specifically for Adam, brought [...]
