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).
Karlissa’s mind made a connection between an astronaut interview and a CS Lewis quote. Is there something there that will help us find stories that “cool us” and give us a bigger perspective on the world? This tangent leads her and Jason into discussing the book of Revelation and Dante’s Divine Comedy as they search their minds for stories that can fill this role for the average person.
Episode Resources: BibleProject podcast, “Chaos and the Cosmos: an Astronaut Interview – Chaos Dragon Episode 19” (Dec 11, 2023); and CS Lewis, “On Science Fiction” (as printed in “On Stories”).
Currently Reading: Rewriting Adam (Connie Mae Inglis), The Medieval Mind of CS Lewis (Jason M. Baxter), Thrawn Treason (Timothy Zahn).
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/
Which are better: characters that exemplify who we wish to be, or ones that remind us of who we already are? Jason and Karlissa discuss the Bible, superheroes, Sonic the Hedgehog, and even throw in a reference to Disney's "Treasure Planet"!
“When a character is relatable, the audience can see themselves in them, and they are more likely to invest in their story.” - neilchasefilm.com/relatable-characters/ - by Neil Chase
2 years ago, the website Comic Vine did a poll that asked which voters preferred: Aspirational or Relatable. Now, out of the fourteen that voted, the results were 57-43 in favour of “Aspirational”.
According to Falcon At the Movies “An aspirational hero is somebody to look up to and fights for the right thing. I think they CAN make mistakes and even have flaws, but they can NEVER question fighting for good.” - https://falconmovies.wordpress.com/2021/07/23/great-debate-what-is-an-aspirational-hero-movies/
Jason and Karlissa discuss magic: a topic that sometimes gets brought up in Christian circles concerning fantasy. Together, they consider the complexities that often get overlooked.
Resources used: “The Gospel According to Tolkien” (Ralph C. Wood); “Narnia, Middle-Earth, and the Kingdom of God” (Mark Worthing); “The Fellowship: the Literary Lives of the Inklings” (Philip and Carol Zaleski); and a few dictionaries!
A nod to Madeleine L’Engle, who brought up the magi and the stars in her book, “Penguins and Golden Calves.”
And George MacDonald’s “Lilith” indeed has many odd, magical moments - Karlissa recommends reading it!
What is manga? What makes it similar to our comic books and graphic novels, and what’s different? And why is Christian media largely lacking in graphic novels and the like?
Main resource: New York Public Library - https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/12/27/beginners-guide-manga
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!
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!