1. Galadriel says:

    Amen! I especially agree with the quote about fantasy becoming morid delusion, because it seems certian subgenres *cough* paranormal romance *cough* are heading that way, if they are not there already.

  2. Tolkien was one astute dude, wasn’t he? I mean, he recognized the pitfalls, and he knew human nature. Funny thing, though. I just read an article about him with quotes from some of his students. If they reported accurately, he wasn’t a very good teacher. Hard to imagine how he knew people so well and yet was apparently so preoccupied with his lecture that he forgot his students. Go figure!

     

    Becky

  3. Kessie says:

    This sounds good in theory, but–what fantasy?
     
    Robert Jordan and the Wheel Of Time It Takes To Finish? The oodles of Dragonlance trilogies? Terry Brooks? The Dresden series? George R. R. Martin? Robin Hobb?
     
    They all have their merits, but I’d hardly call them transcendent. And I’ve found no Christian authors who can compare to really good secular authors.
     
    There’s always George MacDonald and other dead authors, I suppose. But people don’t write like that anymore.
     
    Sorry for coming across as such a cynic. I’d just like to see some practical examples of this sort of fantasy, because I have yet to find any of this caliber.

  4. Kessie, Tolkien is right that fantasy written as he described is not easy. Some writers have emulated his work, and perhaps the morality of their story is in place, but others are created that fit his description of fantasy put to evil use.

    Where are the stories that reach the caliber of Tolkien’s opus maximus? I think there are writers who want to reach his level without writing an updated version of his work, so who knows, it may be out there waiting for us to find it.

    Some Christian writers I know off the top of my head who have written or are writing sub-created fantasy include Karen Hancock (the Guardian-King series), D. Barkley Briggs, (the Legends of Karoc Tor), Andrew Peterson (the Wingfeather Saga), Brian Polivka (the Trophy Chase trilogy), Sharon Hinck (the Sword of Lyric series), Jill Williamson (the Blood of Kings series). These are all better than average, I think. They could hold their own against many a secular novel, and I think one or two or three are a step away from “breaking out” — really catching the notice of the public because of the quality of the writing and the grandness of the story.

    Sadly, in some cases the publishers are funneling the talents of their writers into something different, something they view as more marketable.

     

    Becky

  5. Galadriel says:

    And don’t forget Jeffery Oversteet’s Auralia’s Thread series. Gorgeous books, really.

    • Good add, Galadriel/ I know Jeffrey Overstreet has a good number of fans. His strength, in my way of thinking, is his beautiful prose, but he also built a unique and believable place where a reader can submerge herself.

       

      Becky

  6. […] in a short two-part series of posts, and yet the topic came up again in my article yesterday at Spec Faith. Consequently, as I read some of the tour posts about Corus The Champion by D. Barkley Briggs […]

  7. From Becky:

    In church? During worship? Indeed. And the image was so powerful, so clearly allegorical, so transitional to what God provides spiritually, that I teared up and could hardly continue singing.

    Sometime recently, in another Spec-Faith discussion, Kaci Hill and I were mentioning how such fantasy-borne images will often come to mind during church worship. I think our agreement was that these haven’t been distractions from worship so much as a momentary lapse into a different form of worship. In this case, then, what made you tear up? Something apart from being enamored with the wonders of God? No, it sounds like it was Tolkien’s image, which itself reflected His glory, that “got” to you.

    Interestingly enough, I just received Michael W. Smith’s instrumental album, Glory, today. While I appreciate many of his contemporary songs, I believe that if he were to spend the rest of his life on Old Earth making this kind of music, we’d all be blessed.

    Until now, I haven’t been familiar with that particular song, though.

    Sadly, in some cases the publishers are funneling the talents of their writers into something different, something they view as more marketable.

    (Clears throat.)

    Well … American-evangelical pragmatism, and all. “Whatever works,” to teach morality / get ’em saved / make ’em feel comfortable … (Yanks out ongoing rant by its roots.)

    Also from Becky:

    If [Tolkien’s students] reported accurately, he wasn’t a very good teacher.

    Then from Kessie:

    I’ve found no Christian authors who can compare to really good secular authors.

    If true, maybe they’re instead really good teachers … ?

    • In this case, then, what made you tear up? Something apart from being enamored with the wonders of God? No, it sounds like it was Tolkien’s image, which itself reflected His glory, that “got” to you.

      It was the picture from fantasy that illustrated the words which perfectly described life. It was an incredible unification of art and reality pointing to truth — definitely not a distraction, though I admit, the epiphany, for lack of a better term, was quickly followed by a bit of amazement because I am not currently reading Lord of the Rings (though that might change), nor had I recently seen the movies. Yet there it was, from somewhere buried in my subconscious, right to the front of my thinking, stirred by the music that seemed to belong with the image. And together they shouted the truth that the light of God’s face, that His grace, shines in the darkness I experience.

      See, I had an impossible circumstance I’d put in God’s hands, and He used a Christian friend to deal with the situation. What had been darkness, impossibility, became light and joy and gladness and celebration and singing, but until the song and the remembrance of the Frodo scene, I hadn’t completely processed God’s amazing goodness, the way He planned before time how He would not only save me but rescue me in the circumstance I faced. His love and grace sort of poured over me, overwhelmed me.

      Good line, Stephen, about the really good teachers. 😆

       

      Becky

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