Behind-the-Scenes: Why I Included L'Engle in To Narnia and Beyond

By Karlissa J

At one point in my writing of To Narnia and Beyond, I was planning not to include Madeleine L’Engle.

I was still in the process of narrowing down which authors to focus on in my exploration of classic Christian fantasy. I’d decided that only deceased authors would count, as I wanted there to have been enough time to see how their legacy endured beyond them. Three authors were very obviously getting in: everyone knows of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as pillars of fantasy; and George MacDonald had such a strong impact on Lewis (and on me) that there was no denying his inclusion as well.

But what about Madeleine L’Engle?

She is more recent than the other three: Lewis was the youngest of those men, and she was born on his 20th birthday. Her death occurred in 2007, not quite two decades ago. Her Time Quartet novels are odd, falling somewhere between fantasy and sci-fi. And I found that many readers I spoke to had never heard of her.

So why did I end up featuring her in my book To Narnia and Beyond?

For one, she didn’t stop coming up. It was important to me that each of the authors I included inspired Christians beyond their own generation. What I discovered in L’Engle was that she did just that. One of the people she inspired was painter Makoto Fujimura, whose books on faith and art I have greatly enjoyed. I realised that, even if fewer people have heard of her than Lewis or Tolkien, she has left a creative legacy that continues to inspire.

Second, I couldn’t deny anymore the way her writings had changed me.

Initially, I thought her books were strange. But I found myself contemplating life and my thoughts came to a story she’d told. What does it mean to love your enemy? What does it look like for each creature to submit to being what God called them to be? My children have asked me about baby unicorns, and I’m sure they come from eggs, because L’Engle’s A Swiftly Tilting Planet told me so.

Since I’ve written about her in my book, I have encountered more readers who know of Madeleine L’Engle and have enjoyed her writing. I expect that as I continue to talk to people about classic fantasy novels, I’ll continue to meet those who have been inspired by her.

Sleep in Peace (story and preview)

By Karlissa J

Davy Jones started awake. A chilly, palpable darkness surrounded the merchild, his belly resting against soft mud.

He wasn’t afraid of the dark or the cold. He breathed through it. He lived in it. And yet something had unsettled him. “Uncle Jor’mun Gand?” Davy Jones whispered.

Silence.

“Uncle?”

“I heard you,” His uncle’s smooth voice floated from the darkness. “I told you not to wake me. What do you want?”

“Can… can I um… can I come sleep beside you?”

A pause. “Fine.”

Davy Jones swam up and over. He felt the rock that his uncle slept upon, then nosed his way to his uncle’s chest, curling beneath the larger merman’s arms. The child stretched out his own eel-like body. “Uncle?”

“Yes?”

“Um… I saw a glowing fish in the house.”

“A small one?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then don’t worry about it,” Jor’Mun Gand said absently. “All the food is stored away. And glowing fish are rarely scavengers anyways.”

The room fell back into quiet. Davy Jones could feel his uncle’s pulse. The merchild curled into a ball. “Uncle, I… I had a nightmare. I didn’t see anything, but I smelled something scary following me.”

His uncle shifted. “Tell me: what do you smell right now?”

Davy Jones’ little nose searched the water. His voice lifted cheerily, “I smell you.”

The two spent a moment tasting and smelling the chemical mixture of the water: the salt of the sea, the particles stirred by the current outside. Jor’mun Gand held his hand over Davy Jones’ heart, feeling the child’s rushing pulse.

He pulled his nephew closer. “Focus on the comforting smells. On me. On what’s really here. There are no monsters, no scary smells. Just us.”

Davy Jones took another couple sniffs to confirm his uncle’s words. Then, he set his head against the rock. The spiny dorsal fin trailing from his head to his back folded down.

No monsters, Davy Jones thought contentedly, curling his long claws into the rock beneath his hands and uncoiling his slimy, serpentine body. He yawned, exposing rows of mini daggers for teeth. No monsters – just us.

This short story is also the first chapter in Davy Jones’ Aquarium! Click here to find the book on Kobo or take a look at Karlissa J’s novels!

Our Podcast!

Want to hear some fun conversations about all things fantasy books? Listen to the Book-Bat podcast, here to help you navigate the world of Christian fantasy!

Since February 2023, Jason and I have been releasing podcast episodes the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Our focus is Christian fantasy books, though we also discuss fantasy in general. Each episode is approximately between 10 and 40 minutes long. Recently, we reached an early milestone in posting our tenth episode!

We began by introducing ourselves and our definition of Christian fantasy.

Twice we’ve done episodes about Christian authors from history: one on CS Lewis, author of the popular Narnia series; and one on George MacDonald, an early pioneer of the fantasy genre.

Other educational episodes include a discussion on manga and graphic novels, and one about the origins of popular fantasy creatures.

We’ve given tips on where to find fantasy and which underrated books are worth reading. And we’ve talked about magic in fantasy, and answered random questions from a jar in parts one and two.

We’re always on the lookout for more topics to discuss; so feel free to send us your questions about fantasy, or recommend books and conversation starters!

Writing Update May 2023

Written by Karlissa J.

I currently have two books in the works: a fantasy story, and a non-fiction book about fantasy!

The fantasy story is Davy Jones’ Aquarium: a sweet coming-of-age story about a six-foot-tall guy who swallows raw fish fillets and thinks dolphins are demonic.

I finished doing some rewrites in Davy Jones’ Aquarium, and am just reviewing this draft before finding a professional editor.

The non-fiction book is called Christian Fantasy 101, and it’s about… well, the core of Christian fantasy, including significant books and authors!

I’m getting further on research, which has led to some changes to my plans for the book. I’ve decided to focus in on four Christian authors that have shaped fantasy: George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L’Engle.

You can hear more about fantasy books and my research on our podcast: the Book-Bat podcast!

Welcome to Book-Bat

Hi everyone: this is Karlissa J!

We’ve been hard at work rebranding the website from Karlissa J to Book-Bat. The goal is to add more opportunities for creative exploration and co-creation.

As part of this process, I’ll be going through all my past blog posts (over 130 of them!), reposting, editing, or deleting them as needed. Future blog posts will focus around book reviews, fantasy musings, my authoring and librarian updates, and the like - though I do have some design ideas that may pop up every now and then!

We also have an all-new podcast in the works! We sent out a sample podcast episode to a few testers for feedback, and appreciated their insight and excitement. The Book-Bat podcast should be up and running soon!

Five Fall Updates 2022

I have five projects in the works… and here’s what they are!

After completing the rough draft of Davy Jones’ Aquarium, I set to work on early reviewing and editing - and discovered there’s a lot more I could have done to explore the world, and better ways of approaching certain storytelling aspects. This editing and rewriting will take at least a few months, but I’m enjoying the opportunity to re-explore this tale!

I’m planning on ‘rebranding’ to BookBat. This will allow me better marketing for joint ventures with other creatives (like my husband!) and make advertising smoother if I decide to write under more than one author name. As part of this rebranding, I aim to move my website to www.bookbat.com. Be on the lookout for news of when the changeover will occur so you won’t miss what’s in store!

I am in the process of researching for a nonfiction book, Christian Fantasy 101. This will be a guide to fantasy books written by and (largely) for Christians, exploring the authors, books, worlds, and concepts that have impacted and continue to impact the genre! You can keep up with my research quest on GoodReads by following Karlissa J, or see my occasional updates on FaceBook!

My husband and I have been plotting a podcast! In some respects, it will be an expansion of my Christian Fantasy 101 journey, where we discuss the fantasy genre, how to find good books, and how to make sense of the Christian fantasy scene! More updates on that to come!

Though my focus is currently Davy Jones’ Aquarium and Christian Fantasy 101, October seems the appropriate time of year to put out a reminder that I am also working on a revised and expanded version of Kingdom of Bats! I plan to make it into a trilogy this time; and as I’ve grown as a writer, I hope to see this story grow in strength and charm!

Merman Update and Tease

I’ve finally completed the rough draft of my next fantasy book: Davy Jones’ Aquarium! To honour the occasion, here’s a tease of what’s inside this tale!

Next up for this project: my husband and I will be re-reading the story, noting anything that obviously needs reworking, and thinking about ways to improve it. Only after that’s complete will we start looking for a professional editor.

Unexpectedly, I’ve been inspired to begin work on my first ever non-fiction book: which (I think appropriately) is about fiction! Christian Fantasy 101 will be a “brief, approachable” tour of Christian Fantasy both modern and classic, and even a bit about the history of the fantasy genre and Christian ‘fantastical’ literature… at least, that’s the goal right now!

I’ve begun to gather a variety of research material for the book: biographies, histories, podcasts - and of course, the fantasy books themselves!

So: two new books to get excited about! Both likely coming out sometime in 2023 (if all goes well)!