Episode 17 - Mature Content Part 1

October 26, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

Does Christian fantasy need more ‘mature content’? What IS maturity? What is the role of spiritual maturity, difficult themes, and deeper thinking in fantasy? We will be exploring these questions and more in our series on mature content, as we take a look at classic literature and what authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien can teach us.

Don’t worry, this episode’s content is suitable for all ages!

Quote from C.S. Lewis comes from his article “The Lord of the Rings,” which can be found in his book On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature.

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!

Episode 16 – Familiarity: Creative Stifler?

October 12, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Author Insights

Does constantly reaching for the familiar stunt our creativity? In this episode, each co-host answers how he/she makes a point of stepping outside the box of familiarity to strengthen their writing abilities.

Episode 15 – Stereotypes, Mary Sues and Gary Stus

September 28, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

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/

Episode 14 - 10 Facts About J.R.R. Tolkien

September 14, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Classic Novels & Authors

Karlissa came up with a list of ten fun things to say about John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and multiple short stories!

“Christian Fantasy 101” has become To Narnia and Beyond! Explore the fantasy novels of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, and Madeleine L’Engle, and how they each expressed their faith in their writings.

Learn more: https://www.book-bat.com/nonfiction

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/

Episode 13 - Favourite Fantasy Characters

August 24, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

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!

Join the conversation!

Who are you favourite fantasy characters? Let us know in the comments!

Episode 12 - Relatable vs Aspirational Characters

August 10, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

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/

Episode 11 - Is Magic Necessary in Fantasy?

July 13, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

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!

Episode 10 - Where to Find Fantasy

June 22, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy

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!

Join the Conversation!

Where did you discover your favourite fantasy novel? Let us know in the comments!

Episode 9 - Underrated Books

June 08, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Book Review

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!

Join the Conversation!

What fantasy books, Christian or otherwise, do you think are underrated? Let us know in the comments!

Episode 8 - Manga, Graphic Novels & Comic Books

May 25, 2023 by Karlissa Koop in Thoughts on Fantasy, Graphic Novels & Manga

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!