Book-Bat
Exploring the world of fantasy from a Christian perspective!
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/
Do we have a type? Can a villain be a favourite character? Can a character be separated from their story? We explore our thoughts on favourite characters!
SPOILER ALERTS: George MacDonald’s Lilith, The Dragon Prince (Wonderstorm).
Other books mentioned: The Silmarillion (JRR Tolkien), Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J), Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis), Sonic Comics from IDW, Rise of the Guardians series (William Joyce), Chronicles of Narnia series (CS Lewis), Redwall series (Brian Jacques), All-New Wolverine series (Tom Taylor)… the Bible!
Who are you favourite fantasy characters? Let us know in the comments!
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!
Jason tells the story of how he discovered Brian Jacques’ Redwall series; then he and Karlissa give some ideas on where to find fantasy books.
Books Mentioned and Corrections: The Heart of George MacDonald (edited by George MacDonald scholar Rolland Hein), The Gospel According to Tolkien (Ralph C. Wood), The Green Ember (S.D. Smith), Tales from the Perilous Realm (J.R.R. Tolkien).
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!
Where did you discover your favourite fantasy novel? Let us know in the comments!
Karlissa and Jason share their lists of fantasy books that deserve more attention: forgotten books from renowned authors, personal favourites, and recognized classics that are just hard to market.
Recommended books: Phantastes (George MacDonald), The Children of Hurin (J.R.R. Tolkien), Lilith (George MacDonald), The Thrawn Trilogy (Timothy Zahn), Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis), Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J.), Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis).
Resource mentioned: The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis (Jason M. Baxter).
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 fantasy books, Christian or otherwise, do you think are underrated? Let us know in the comments!
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!
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"
More random discussions about the state of fantasy! Are there any discernable trends in Christian fantasy? Are they different than the trends in secular fantasy? Are there any untapped markets (noteworthy subgenres or mediums) that Christians have largely not pursued? We share our opinions, tangents, and queries!
Books mentioned: Warriors series (Erin Hunter), Redwall series (Brian Jacques), Tomo series (by Funnypages Productions), The Silmarillion (JRR Tolkien), The Children of Hurin (JRR Tolkien), Lilith (George MacDonald), “On Fairy Stories” (essay by JRR Tolkien), The Dragon Prince (show by Wonderstorm and Netflix), Auralia's Colors (Jeffrey Overstreet), Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis).