Book-Bat
Exploring the world of fantasy from a Christian perspective!
What is allegory? The word “allegory” often gets brought up in discussions about Christian fantasy - but what do people really mean when they use that word?
Karlissa is currently reading: “The Divine Comedy” (Dante, various translations); “A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (Jason M Baxter).
The evolution of the word stereotype, the invention of the term Mary Sue, our dislike of James Bond, what Ironman has in common with Paw Patrol… our discussion of Mary Sue and Gary Stu characters leads to multiple random reflections!
Dictionary.com article on Mary Sue: https://www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/mary-sue/
The actor who plays Superman in the CW’s “Superman & Lois” is Tyler Hoechlin.
The Tolkien Society Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/faq/
Karlissa came up with a list of ten fun things to say about John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, among other books!
Resources mentioned: the CS Lewis Podcast with Alister McGrath; J.R.R. Tolkien’s letter to Milton Waldman; “On Fairy Stories” (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Jason Fisher’s Article “Reluctantly Inspired: George MacDonald and J.R.R. Tolkien”: https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/northwind/vol25/iss1/8/
Who was George MacDonald? And why are his works a vital part of Christian Fantasy? Ten things you should know about this oft-forgotten author.
George MacDonald's stories include: "Phantastes," "Lilith," "At the Back of the North Wind," "The Princess and the Goblin," "The Golden Key," "The Light Princess," and more.
Discover the origins of six popular fantasy beings, followed by a conversation about one never-used creature.
Zombies, elves, fairies, and more: where do they come from, and how have they changed over time??
Resource: Tony Allen's "The Mythic Bestiary"
CS Lewis: one of the most famous Christian fantasy authors, writer of the acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia, author of multiple apologetics books defending the Christian faith… and a more complicated person than we may imagine.
Jason reacts to ten surprising facts about C.S. Lewis that Karlissa has found during her research. Where was Lewis actually born? What was his official career? Who was Arthur Greeves? Discover something new about this familiar author!
Correction: CS Lewis did identify as an Anglican. He did try not to emphasize denomination in his writings to non-Christians, as he explains in the introduction to Mere Christianity, instead focusing on things that join us across the Christian faith.
Resources: The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings (Phillip and Carol Zaleski), The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis (Jason M. Baxter), Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God (Mark Worthing), the CS Lewis Podcast (with Alister McGrath), Perelandra (CS Lewis), That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis).
What is “Christian fantasy,” and how are we using that term? First, we explore the complexities involved with defining whether a book is ‘Christian’ or not. Then, we look at the roots of the fantasy genre; and finally, give an overview of the fantasy book scene today.
Resources: Mark Worthing's Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God; another helpful book to consider is Daniel Silliman’s Reading Evangelicals.
This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!