30 Episodes Later!

The Book-Bat podcast has reached 30 episodes, with the latest being a bonus episode announcing the release of Davy Jones’ Aquarium!

Jason and Karlissa have been discussing Christian fantasy books and the wider fantasy landscape, from maturity in fantasy, to why they love fantasy, and their favourite fantasy characters.

Karlissa taught Jason ten fun facts about classic authors CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and George MacDonald.

And Jason brought to the table some of his musings and questions. What are the pros and cons of the Christian fantasy market? Which is better: aspirational characters or relatable characters? Have we lost the magic of friendship stories?

Also: “Words matter, people!” What are Mary Sue characters, and where did that term come from?

Many conversations have been planned for the future, so be sure to subscribe to the Book-Bat podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify to follow along!

Do you have any topics, books, authors, or shows you’d like to hear discussed? Write a comment on this blog post, or on one of our podcast episodes, or email us at connect@book-bat.com! We’d love to hear from you!

The Printed Book

Written by Karlissa J.

There’s something pleasant about holding a book in your hands.

The texture of the cover. The subtle scents of the paper.

When children are young, they’re already pulling novels off of book shelves. They can’t read, or even recognize lettering. But even when they’re aren’t any pictures, children enjoy just flipping through the pages of books.

I’ve heard that some people say ebooks will take over, and people will stop making printed books altogether. I find that highly unlikely.

There are certainly benefits to ebooks. They’re cheaper to make, easier to pack around, and save paper.

However, in an era of digital technology, ‘physical’ experiences - holding a real book, weeding the garden, tossing around a basketball - almost seem to have gone from mundane to special merely because we have easier, digital alternatives to fall back on. There is something sacred about embodied experiences.

I know I’m not the only one who enjoys having a printed book to hold, to flip through, to place on a shelf.

Fantasy and Money

Written by Jason Koop.

Money and economics: are they really necessary in fantasy?

In my humble opinion… no. 

One complaint I have heard about fantasy, particularly a series like Brian Jacques’ Redwall, is that its lack of money and economics make it automatically aimed at a younger audience.  Lacking in mature subject matter and tones, they might say.  Not relatable to an older audience. 

Now, the subject of what is and isn’t necessary in a fantasy story is incredibly varied by the genre’s diverse nature.  The Redwall series is in the fantasy genre, as is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings and Erin Hunter’s Warriors.  Each have differing types of creatures, cultures, and even tone.  Therefore, each has different elements that are essential to the story that is being told.  What is essential to one might be completely unnecessary in another. 

But there in lies the common denominator that I can’t help but wonder if some readers forget this simple, yet profound, fact.

When reading fantasy, it’s always important to remember that it is fiction.  Fantasy is – by its very nature – comprised of worlds, characters, cultures and situations created and curated by the author. 

Now, it’s perfectly fair to ask that the author is at the very least consistent in these things, but by no means do they have an obligation to anything more.  These are their worlds and their stories, not the reader’s. 

Perhaps they do take from real-world locations, cultures and situations, but the author is also fully within his/her creative rights to be selective in how much (or little) they take from these things.

So, back to the complaints about fantasy books not being “relatable” to a “mature audience” unless they have money…

Hold on a minute:  Are you telling me that themes of honour and bravery are not relatable to “mature audiences”?

If the reader’s main complaint – or praise – of a fantasy story is stringent on real-world things like money, economics and power structures, I can’t help but wonder if they’re reading the wrong genre.  Fantasy stories don’t have to feature specific real-world cultural practices, and I’d even argue that they tend to be a lot more focused when they don’t go out of their way to do so.

So… why does a fictional story, which entails fictional characters, settings, cultures, etc. need those elements again?

What is good fantasy?

Written by Jason Koop.

Last week, we took a crack at the question: Where can I find fantasy? And now that that’s done, I’d like to answer the questions: What is good fantasy? And where do I find it?

Perhaps it would help if we first defined what is “good” fantasy, exactly?  Does it have to endorse good character and morals?  Does the narrative’s plot have to be tight and engrossing?  What about the characters?  What is the most important thing? 

Well, in my opinion, the answer is simply: “you.”

Yes, you.  The reader.  Yes, the parameters and preferences will change as you do, but that’s part of the beauty of it.  There’s nothing wrong with something being utterly fantastic for a season, while another thing remains in your mind across multiple years.

So perhaps the question should be:  What do I like in stories?  What gets me to invest the time and energy into reading them (or having them read to me if you’re into the audiobook scene)?  Well, let’s break this down into some more specific questions.

Is there a particular setting that you like?  Medieval?  Age of Sail?  Space?

What type of characters do you like?  Heroic heroes?  Brooding anti-heroes?  Ordinary, everyday people?

Do you prefer sprawling epics, or something shorter and maybe more laid-back?

Are there certain creatures you prefer?  Animals?  Aliens?  Or do you prefer the more mundane humans?

This may help you define what you are more likely to enjoy, and hence narrow your search. But what if this is still not enough (or perhaps too much)? 

Here are some ideas that may prove useful in finding your next favourite fantasy.

Check out book review sites like Goodreads.  While their opinions likely won’t match up perfectly with yours, you might get some good ideas from fellow readers’ recommendations.

Check to see if other media (movies, TV shows, etc.) came from books.  For example, you like the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies?  Well, they were originally a book series.

Ditto for adaptations from other mediums INTO books.  Like the Legend of Zelda video games?  There’s official manga!  These are almost never a 1-1 adaptation because there are things that work in one form that don’t translate to others.  They can help you see stories from a different perspective.

Check out a familiar author’s bibliography.  Odds are they wrote more than just what you are currently reading or have already read.

Check out publishers’ websites.  If they sold one fantasy book, odds are there are a lot more.

Ask your friends for recommendations.  And, if possible, ask them why they are recommending what they do.  It may prove useful so you can track what kind of books they are likely to recommend you in the future, should you ask again.

There are a plethora of ways to find a fantasy story that you’ll like.  The thing to remember is that there is no shame in saying “I don’t like this” and moving on until you find something that you do enjoy.  Don’t underestimate the joy to be found in discovering a new favourite story.

Where can I find fantasy?

Written by Jason Koop.

Here at Book-Bat, you’ve probably noticed that we focus a lot on fantasy in books.  In fact, you can find evidence of this in our name and our podcast, which is mostly about Christian fantasy books.

I’ve noticed that in our podcast, we’ve done a lot to espouse the positive traits of fantasy, and dispensed facts about some of its more historical writers.  But one thing that we haven’t devoted much (if any) time to is answering the question:

#1  Where can I find fantasy?

#2  What is “good” fantasy?  And how do I find it?!?

Ah yes, all very good questions.  And the answer is…  There is no one size-fits-all answer.  But rest assured, my dear reader, that I – Jason Koop the first – shall take upon the endeavor to provide you with some points to getting started.

On this blog post, I’ll take a crack at that first question: Where can I find fantasy?

The first places to start are – while quite obvious – surprisingly effective if you give them a chance. 

The library.  Whether your local public, church or school’s, these provide the excellent opportunity to “test out” many different types of stories and authors with no monetary cost (unless you get hit with those late fees, which feel worse when accompanied by the librarian’s look of disapproval).  Let’s go through those three briefly.

Your school’s library has the obvious perks of the books being aimed at your age group (assuming you’re still in school, of course).  Having it unavailable during the summer can be a downer, depending on how you plan to spend those hotter months.

The church library comes with the obvious perk that it is more likely to have something that has overtly (or maybe more subtle) Christian themes and tones.  Selection may be limited, though, and last I checked, most church’s aren’t into the whole inter-library loan shtick.  So you really are at the mercy of your church’s librarian (shout-out to Karlissa for going above and beyond to greatly improve this in my church).  Availability might be limited to days and times of service, so spontaneity in just browsing is greatly reduced.

And finally, your public library is a great – and often underappreciated – resource.  Not only will it likely have the greatest selection immediately available, but many do participate in inter-library loans, so you can still get your hands on a book that they don’t have.  The biggest downside is often the size of selection.  Quite the opposite of not having enough, often there’s too much, to the point where it can be overwhelming just to pick something.

But say you’re not really into the whole “borrowing” thing.  Especially the aspect of being expected to return it within a limited window.  What about those of us who like to have books to own and do with as we please?  To take our time with – and possibly place the book in positions of risk – and to take on all those creases, nicks and such that they accumulate with age.

Well, let’s turn the proverbial page to… bookstores!

Another more obvious one, but one we tend to easily overlook in today’s age of ordering via the internet.  I mean, why bother going to an actual bookstore when we can just find whatever we want online and order it in through some outlet like Amazon?  Ah, my friend, while the internet is indeed a wondrous and powerful thing, there are some things that it simply cannot replicate.  Such as actually seeing books in a physical space.  Seeing something that strikes your fancy.  Or maybe being taken in by an amazing book binding (it does happen).  Whether Christian, mainstream or even thrift, I find physical bookstores can breed a sense of discovery sadly lacking in the online-verse.

Okay, now that we’ve knocked out some of the obvious ones, let’s quickly fire through some other options:

Free book stands – I’ve made it a habit to peruse them whenever I come across one.

Garage/yard sales – The lottery pick of all; you never know when you might get lucky.

Your friends’ shelves – Weigh the risks before raiding, a damaged book can do even more to the relationship!

I’m sure there are other options, and I’ll leave it for you to mention them in the comments below! Next week, I’ll tackle the question: What is good fantasy?

Fantasy Books Part 2

Written by Karlissa J.

Searching for a new fantasy book to read? For this week of highlighting fantasy titles, I’m going to recommend some of the classics! They’ve been published multiple times, with a variety of cover designs, so I came up with my own images for each - a little taste of what I found memorable in these stories!

Phantastes

By George MacDonald. An enchanted journey - through nature and village and palace - filled with delights and dangers, romance and tragedy, and above all, self-discovery. Beautiful, contemplative; I can see how this inspired future authors like C. S. Lewis. A journey to take more slowly.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

By Lewis Carroll. Rich with word plays, puns, and banter, there's more to these books than what exists in the popular imagination. I've never seen a retelling that features Alice's older sister; yet I'd argue the meaning and purpose of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland hinges on her. Alice herself is fun and quirky, and the short books are easy to read.

Out of the Silent Planet

By C.S. Lewis. The first book in his Cosmic Trilogy.

I have to admit, this is my kind of story! Exploring an enchanting world, interacting with non-human creatures, and discovering a new language and culture! Appropriately (or perhaps conveniently), the main character is a philogist (someone who studies languages); this provides an excuse for the language barrier to be rather smoothly crossed, and an excuse for Lewis to fixate on unique words and concepts.

Perhaps the lesser fame of this work is, in part, due to the fact that it's not for kids: unlike Narnia, it contains a spattering of mature content, nudity, and mild swearing; nothing obscene, but some Christian readers may find it unexpected.

Perelandra

By C.S. Lewis. The second book in his Cosmic Trilogy.

Perelandra contains the adventure and beautiful worldbuilding of Out of the Silent Planet, but this time, it takes a back seat to a myriad of philosophical musings: about the nature of temptation, the definition of gender, the Theory of Evolution, and even why you shouldn't fear bugs. There are a few bizarre plot choices, but C.S. Lewis' imagination and thoughtfulness shine through.

Till We Have Faces

By C.S. Lewis. It's hard to argue with those who call this C.S. Lewis' greatest novel. It feels like an ancient tale brought to life by someone who understood ancient literature and culture; and it contains Lewis' classical mix of masterful storytelling and spiritual musing. Orual is a compelling and complex protagonist. This is a mature story, not designed for a family audience.

Fantasy Books Part 1

Written by Karlissa J.

Searching for a new fantasy book to read? I’ve been reading a lot lately as I research for my upcoming book Christian Fantasy 101, mainly fantasy from Christian authors, but also a few secular works. So I’ve decided to do a series of posts highlighting a variety of fantasy books. Take a look, and you may discover your next reading adventure!

Written by Carrie Anne Noble, The Mermaid’s Sister follows young Clara as she wrestles with the reality that her sister, Maren, is transforming into a mermaid and will soon leave their family to live in the sea. On top of that, getting to the ocean will be no easy feat, and the more Maren transforms, the more desperately she needs the sea to survive.

The story is told in first person, allowing us a deeper glimpse into Clara's emotions as she wrestles with the ever-approaching departure of her sister. There's a romantic angle carried throughout the book, which seemed a little overdone to me, but many readers will probably enjoy that aspect. There are some dark moments and innuendos, meaning the book may not be ideal for children; however, nothing truly gritty or gory. The ending is sweet, and overall, I found the book to be a satisfying read.

The popular fantasy series Warriors follows the lives of wild and feral cats as they defend their borders, hunt for food, build families, and learn loyalty and honour. Written by a team of authors that go by the name Erin Hunter.

The Warriors authors have created an engaging world that feels both perfectly cat-based and very human. Characters meow, flick their tail, hiss, purr, and lick themselves. They also struggle with questions of right and wrong, desire friendship, fall in love, and seek spiritual guidance.

On that note: the cats are ancestor worshippers, and as the series progresses, their world’s spiritual laws are further revealed. I’ve found no mention of God (or gods). Fellow Christians may find this off-putting, but I still believe there are a lot of positives in this series.

This review is for the first three books in the series Tales of Goldstone Wood: Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Moonblood. The author is Anne Elizabeth Stengl.

Princess Una and her brother grow up next to the mysterious Goldstone Wood, daring each other to get as close as possible but never brave enough to enter. They seem a to be a typical girl and boy living in a typical kingdom… unaware of the enchantments and dangers that fill their world.

This series is beautifully written, with a well-developed and magical world. The story follows the journeys of multiple characters, each with their own motivations and personality. The second and third books, Veiled Rose and Moonblood, take place during and build upon the first book, Heartless, taking side characters and turning them into compelling protagonists.

I'm reviewing the first three books of The Sword of the Dragon: The Swords of the Six, Offspring, and Key of Living Fire. The author is Scott Appleton.

A terrible black dragon fights against a prince and his army. Unexpectedly, the prince is betrayed by all but one of his trusted warriors: he and his loyal friend are murdered. The white dragon, an ally to the prince, arrives too late to save him. Years later, the black dragon has since been imprisoned, but the white dragon knows the traitorous warriors must be brought to justice.

Appleton presents us with a fascinating world, described skillfully and vividly - tainted by great violence but overcome by even greater heroes. The core characters are well-crafted and deep, each with their own desires and emotions to drive them. And I enjoyed the inclusion of creatures invented by the author.

Of course, I have to include Tales of the Diversity!

Taking place on an island-covered world filled with diverse races and cultures, the story follows Captain Ctzo in his quest to compile a multi-racial crew, fight pirates, and discover new lands.

You can learn more about my books by clicking here!