Holiday Recommendations

Written by Jason

Hey everyone!  It’s that time of year again!  Of getting together with friends and family, reflecting on the year that has past and looking ahead to the next one, and… way too much going on!  Okay, maybe that last one is just me, but for myself, I know that Christmastime is a time when I quite often get “peopled out” and want to advance in a direction away from what feels to me like complete chaos.

One goal Karlissa and I have discussed is keeping better track of what books (and even TV shows and movies) we watch in a given year.  And if there’s one thing that I have learned, it’s that in today’s world of media oversaturation, word of mouth is the best way to market the stories you have interacted with. 

So with that in mind, here’s some recommendations for different books, TV Shows, or even movies that you might want to consider in some of your quieter moments this holiday season, or even moving into the new year.  Some might be new, others new to me, and of course, all are fantasy (or fantasy-adjacent)!

Books…

This manga is fun and has surprisingly deep themes about family life, responsibilities and bonds.  Add on fantastic action of different types – espionage and outlandish assassinations – as well as fantastic characters and great humor.  I can’t help but wonder that I get more out of this series as a husband and dad than the teen crowd it is aimed at.

Karlissa here! This year I discovered this beautifully illustrated book about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – I recommend checking it out!

TV Shows…

Okay, maybe this one is a bit of a cop-out.  But having only discovered the manga and the TV series, I can honestly say that, in my mind they are both well worth your time.  The TV show largely stays true to the manga, but Karlissa prefers the TV Show’s flow.

A fan-made, animated, original Legend of Zelda story.  The fact that the characters speak via text boxes (like the video games) does not detract.  The story is gripping, the soundtrack spectacular, and I for one cannot wait for the next episode (the 6th episode was released in the spring of 2025).  Check out these videos on YouTube, this is not your average fan-fiction.

Movies…

While I’m sure many of you have come into contact with this movie in one form or another, please allow Karlissa a moment to sing its praises: “Fun, unique, and crazy, with great animation and engaging characters!”

Not a new movie by any stretch, but one that keeps with the holiday theme.  Make no mistake, this is not a Christian movie by any stretch, but with charming animation, brilliant character growth and a great sense of humor, it’s a favourite in my house.

A new release for this year, and while the novelty of the first is gone, I would argue that it’s the more subtle character growth and struggles that give it plenty of merit all its own.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to our podcast, read our blog, bought a book, or attended a book signing this year!  Thanks for being a part of the journey with us, and please stay tuned for updates on Karlissa’s new book To Narnia and Beyond, as well as any other projects that we will put out.  Also, for more recommendations, follow Karlissa and I on Goodreads (post links here) and see what we have been reading and our thoughts on them.  Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

Is It Time You Read Out of the Silent Planet?

By Karlissa J

Have you read C.S. Lewis’ Cosmic Trilogy?

You may or may not be aware, but today – November 29 – is C.S. Lewis Reading Day.

Clive Staples Lewis has served as an entry point to fantasy for many Christian readers. He is also well-respected for his spiritual teaching. But before he ever wrote The Chronicles of Narnia or Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis pursued the creation of a trilogy in a genre that thrilled him: science fiction. The first book of the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, was released in 1938.

Out of the Silent Planet introduces Ransom, a man who finds himself kidnapped and taken on a journey through space to another planet. He escapes his kidnappers and wanders the planet’s wilderness until he encounters a native. Ransom befriends the alien being, and from there, his understanding of the world gradually grows.

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), Ransom is a philologist (someone who studies language differences); 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. Especially those who assume that Lewis’ fantasy stories were all written for children.

However, if you love fantasy and sci-fi, and want to read more from Lewis, I recommend you pick up Out of the Silent Planet!

Also, if you’re interested in learning more about fantasy novels from Christian authors like C.S. Lewis, you may enjoy my upcoming book, To Narnia and Beyond: Four Christians Who Used Fantasy to Teach Spiritual Truths. You can learn more about it by clicking on the image below!

Is Art Subjective?

By Jason Koop

“Art is subjective”. 

That’s a line most of us have heard, in one form or another, in our lifetime.  Put that line into a Google search, and you will get many people’s (and AI’s) take on it. 

My thoughts on that line have run the gamut from “What does that even mean?” to “That’s your excuse for defending something that is just bad” to me using it to defend my own preferences.

For the sake of this post, I’m not coming at the line “art is subjective” from the perspective that there is no “good” or “bad” art, because “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. And I’m not saying I can convince you that some piece of art is “good” or “bad” because of how it grades on a specific formula.  I’m going to approach the line “Art is subjective” from the mindset that a piece of art can mean different things to different people at different times.

Basically, to appropriate Shrek’s greatest line:  Art is like onions.

What brought this on is two videos I saw on YouTube that discussed two franchises/series I have some definite thoughts about.  The first was The Dark Underlying Theme of IDW Sonic by Sonic Theory, and the other was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Black Sheep of 2000’s Fantasy by The Thrifty Typewriter.

In The Dark Underlying Theme of IDW Sonic, Sonic Theory argues that a major theme in the IDW Sonic comic books is free will. And I must say, having read the comics I didn’t make that connection, but then again, you’re talking about the guy who didn’t know Hamlet was contemplating suicide when he says “to be or not to be”, so… there’s that.  Sonic Theory has a point.  The theme of free will isn’t slammed in the audience’s face in a way that you cannot miss it, but now having had it pointed out, I can’t stop seeing it.  I honestly want to do a deep dive on that theme using all the characters (yes, I’m a Sonic nerd, where have you been?).

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Black Sheep of 2000’s Fantasy looks at the three theatrical movies that came out in 2005, 2008 and 2010 (The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and how they fit into the fantasy saturation that really kicked off in the 2000s.  Comparing the films to the contemporaries of their time gives the review an interesting angle.  While I don’t really agree with The Thrifty Typewriter’s takes, frankly it has more to do with the fact that I have at least a basic grasp of the spiritual tones of the stories and he doesn’t.  His perspective is drawn from taking into account the media landscape the movies were being released into.

These two seemingly unrelated things do in fact share a common thread I’d like to tug on.  They showcase how an underrated determiner of what the audience’s takeaway(s) of a story/character is the individual’s perspective.  My main takeaways from the Sonic the Hedgehog IDW comics are the themes of friendship and teamwork.  I tend to see The Chronicles of Narnia movies by comparing them to the books and the Christian themes that C.S. Lewis tried to get across. But these YouTube reviewers saw different things, probably based on their own perspectives and life experiences.

“Art is subjective”.  I used to balk at the very idea of it.  If you had a differing take on a book/movie/video game, well then you were just wrong.  And if you were to imply that there were multiple different themes that could be taken from said media, depending on how you approached it, well that was just plain silly.  The themes are the themes, and they are plainly universal, regardless of your perspective.

But now… I wonder if the themes one takes away from a piece of art are indeed subjective, because of our human flaws and brokenness.  Perhaps we are incapable of perfectly getting across themes and stories, which then leaves cracks where the audience can fill in with their own personal life experience and theology.

And by God’s grace, He makes it so that imperfect stories told by imperfect humans can have a richness of meaning.  Maybe even beyond what the creator intended.

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.