Monthly Archives: August 2011

Offering Literary Tributes

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

Most writers are avid readers, and most have encountered books that forever stand out in their imaginations. Tributes to these hallmark works may come in many fashions, not least of which is their inclusion in a novel of one’s own. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous | 5 Comments

The Predominance of
YA Speculative Fiction

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

In a recent post on Novel Rocket, Mike Duran asked “why is Christian speculative fiction mostly YA?” He then proposed two possible answers. One, that YA speculative fiction fits better in the family friendly model of the Christian market since … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy | 7 Comments

Superheros On the Rise

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

You can’t go to the theater these days without stumbling upon a superhero. Captain America, Thor, the Green Lantern, and numerous other heroes have adorned the screen within the last year, and many of these will make a return appearance … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged | 3 Comments

Residential Aliens, Day 3:
Short Stories Reviewed

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

Short stories and flash fiction abound in the archives of Residential Aliens, so much so that it was difficult to make a reading choice. In the end, I selected two tales at random, one fantasy and the other futuristic fiction. … Continue reading →

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Posted in CSFF Blog Tour | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Residential Aliens, Day 1: A Zine for Readers of Christian Speculative Fiction

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

For the most part, we feature books on the CSFF blog tour, but this month we have a speculative website–Residential Aliens. According to founder Lyn Perry, Residential Aliens is a “a zine of spiritually infused speculative fiction” that seeks to … Continue reading →

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Posted in CSFF Blog Tour | Tagged , | 7 Comments

On Theme and Meaning

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

On the topic of theme and meaning in stories, Flannery O’Conner said: “When you can state the theme of a story, when you can separate it from the story itself, then you can be sure the story is not a … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Faith in Fantasy, Part 3

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

As I’ve discussed in the last several posts, I believe that all story communicates something regarding worldview and the deeper things of life, and fantasy innately tends to reveal spiritual truth or error. Those considered fathers of fantasy–Tolkien and Lewis–had … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy, God, Writing | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Faith in Fantasy, Part 2

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

Despite all they shared in common, Tolkien and Lewis had distinct differences when it came to the creative process, even in the way they depicted spiritual realities in their stories. Yet the one thing they both agreed on was that … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy, God, Myth and Legend | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Faith in Fantasy, Part 1

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

If you’ve been around this blog any length of time, you’ll know that I consider the spiritual element a vital part of good storytelling–and it’s weighed especially on my mind of late. When fellow writer Virginia Ripple posted about fantasy … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy, God, Myth and Legend | Tagged | 9 Comments

The Secularization of Fantasy

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Sarah Sawyer

I ran across an intriguing interview CNN did with fantasy writer Lev Grossman, whose novels have landed on the NYT bestseller list. I’ve never read anything he’s written, but I perked up at the mention of him finding inspiration in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Christian Fantasy, God | Tagged , | 4 Comments