Book-Bat
Exploring the world of fantasy from a Christian perspective!
Why is it so rare that we see stand-alone fantasy books? Is it a marketing scheme? Is this what readers really want?? Jason cracked some numbers, and he has some questions!
Do you prefer fantasy novels to be in a series, or do you also enjoy stand-alone stories? Let us know in the comments!
Time for more sci-fi! Jason contemplates themes in the Star Wars animated shows. Then, Jason and Karlissa discuss their favourite scenes from The Bad Batch!
Books Mentioned: George MacDonald, Lilith; H.M. Richardson, The Prisoner and the Traitor and The Winged Warrior.
Jason finished reading CS Lewis’ Perelandra! What did he think? Karlissa and Jason use this as a launch point for talking about hard and soft sci-fi, Star Wars, CS Lewis’ novels, and more!
Spoiler warning for Perelandra! This is the second book in CS Lewis’ Space Trilogy, between Out of the Silent Planet (book one) and That Hideous Strength (book three).
Books Referenced:
Perelandra (CS Lewis); Sonic the Hedgehog, Volume 10: Test Run! (IDW Comics); Paradise Lost (Milton); Shivering World (Kathy Tyers); Out of the Silent Planet (CS Lewis); That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis); The Divine Comedy (Dante); The Great Divorce (CS Lewis); Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis);
Notes:
Milton’s (Paradise Lost) first name is John. John Milton.
Perelandra was referenced in the Language of God podcast, “166. Molly Worthing – Science and the Journey to Faith.” Molly Worthing states, “For the most part, I don’t find Mere Christianity to be this very powerful apologetic intervention that I think many people think it is, and for me, The Space Trilogy is most absolutely his most powerful apologetic work.”
Alister McGrath has talked about the racism concerns in Lewis’ books on the CS Lewis Podcast.
Did you know that Karlissa’s latest book, “Davy Jones’ Aquarium,” is coming out soon?? After Jason’s impromptu ad, he and Karlissa discuss the things that make them love the fantasy genre!
What are the pros and cons of the recent state of Christian Fantasy? Jason and Karlissa consider the value of Christian-written fantasy, and areas where the ‘genre’ we call Christian Fantasy could grow by moving away from market trends.
Currently Reading: “Silverwing” graphic novel (Kenneth Oppel), “Sonic Volume 16: Misadventures” (Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley), “The Divine Comedy” (Dante, English translations), “A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (Jason M Baxter), “Perelandra” (CS Lewis).
Correction: “The Divine Comedy” was written about 700 years ago (not 600)!
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).
Lord of the Rings; Harry Potter; The Dragon Prince; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – what do all have in common with a verse from the book of Hebrews?
Spoiler Warning for “The Dragon Prince” show from Wonderstorm! (Also, be aware that this series contains abundant LGBTQ+ content and some dark themes.)
Currently Reading: “The Woodcutter” by Lorn Wolf; “J. R. R. Tolkien: The Mind Behind the Rings” by Mark Horne.
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).
Do we over-emphasize romantic relationships to the detriment of our understanding of friendship? And where can you find good friendship stories in Christian fantasy, and fantasy in general?
Currently reading: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Leoshine Book 1” (N. MacCameron), “The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis” (Jason M. Baxter), “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (Akira Himekawa).
What would it look like for Christian fantasy to tackle more difficult subjects and questions? We give some ideas, like drawing from deeper history and acknowledging complex emotions. We also give writing updates, and thoughts on how Christian norms affect our writing.
SPOILER WARNING for Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J)!
CORRECTION: in The Great Divorce, Lewis does mention that the mentor ghost is George MacDonald.
Mentioned: Thinking Out Loud podcast with Cameron MacAllister and Nathan Rittenhouse (toltogether.com/podcast); Lilith (George MacDonald); The Divine Comedy (Dante); The Great Divorce (CS Lewis).