Artificial Intelligence. An intriguing idea, isn’t it? To imagine a machine which can replicate a human’s ability to think stirs the mind in so many ways. Indeed, AI has been a darling of science fiction for decades. With it we’ve created terrifying villains like HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey. With it we’ve met some endearing characters such as Data from Star Trek and Disney’s Wall-E. It is a concept that simultaneously intrigues and terrifies us, and the repulsion-attraction has only grown as the potential of achieving human-level AI draws steadily closer. Now AI presents many moral and ethical issues in …
We are all Zombies
I watched an episode of The Walking Dead the other night. The story was absolutely intriguing: what would the world be like if a disease turned almost everyone into zombies? The problem was, I couldn’t stomach the head shots or the body parts trailing behind the corpses. So I only ended up watching one and a half episodes. But it made me start thinking: All of us are zombies. Huh? I work with junior high boys and we always end up talking about interesting things (surprising, right?). One night we talked about this verse: “And you were dead in your …
Interview with James L. Rubart
Please Welcome…James L. Rubart (*Originally posted January 2011) This month our interview guest is Christian speculative fiction novelist James L. Rubart! Jim dreamed of writing fiction from 7th grade on, but was too scared to pursue the dream until 2006 when he attended his first writer’s conference. It revolutionized his life. He burst onto the Christian speculative fiction scene in April 2010 with his debut novel, ROOMS, which hit the ECPA fiction best-seller list in September of 2010. ROOMS has since been nominated as an INSPY finalist in the speculative category, and is a Book of the Year nominee for …
Seven Questions with Jason C. Joyner
Hello everyone! Today we have the pleasure of having young adult author Jason C. Joyner with us. Jason is a physician assistant, a writer, a Jesus-lover, and a Star Wars geek. He’s traveled from the jungles of Thailand to the cities of Australia and the Bavarian Alps of Germany. He lives in Idaho with his lovely wife, three boys, and daughter managing the chaos of sports and superheroes in his own home. Launch, a YA superhero novel, is the first book in the Rise of the Anointed series. Thank you for joining us! 1) What is your favorite part of …
Seven Questions with J.L. Mbewe
Hi everyone, today we have author J.L. Mbewe with us! Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She is currently living her second childhood with her wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and swords, among other things. Here, between reality and dreams, you will find her busily …
Seven Questions with Fantasy Author Laura Zimmerman
Hi everyone! Today we have debut novelist Laura Zimmerman with us! First, a little about Laura. Laura lives in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, three daughters, and three furbaby felines. Besides writing, she’s passionate about loving Jesus, anything Star Wars, and singing loudly. She takes her coffee black and spends her days pretending to do yoga. Keen is her debut novel. 1) Everyone seems to have a “how I got published” story. What is yours? My “how I got published” is actually more of a “how I was forced to get published”! Haha. I’ve written stories …
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Seven Questions with Lauricia Matuska
Hi everyone! Today we have fantasy author Lauricia Matuska with us. Lauricia has taught high school literature and creative writing classes for more than ten years. She first discovered the realm of fantasy by traveling with Lucy through the wardrobe to Narnia. Since then, she has established dual-residency between that world and this one, and she currently serves as an ambassador to contemporary youth and young adults. The Healer’s Rune is the first novel in her Ceryn Roh trilogy. 1) What is your favorite part of speculative fiction? There is so much about this genre that captivates me! I …
Seven Questions with Mollie E. Reeder
Hello everyone! We are excited to have steampunk author Mollie E. Reeder with us! Here’s a little about Mollie: her first job was with a major theme park where she operated a roller coaster, fixed parade floats, and helped Scooby-Doo put on his head. Now, she’s a movie producer and the author of character-driven science fiction/fantasy novels for adults who never outgrew imagination. Her self-published debut, The Electrical Menagerie, was selected by Publisher’s Weekly for a starred review in 2018, and its sequel, Circus of Disasters, is scheduled for 2019. Her favorite things include Jesus, dinosaurs, and training her border collie, …
Between the Lines: Let the Devil Out, Part III
“When I heard all those prayers, all those… suffering people, I thought it was God’s voice. But I was wrong. All I ever heard was people in pain. And all he ever gave any of us was… silence.” Matt Murdock, “Daredevil, Season 3×2– “Please” Warning: Spoilers abound! If you haven’t watched The Defenders or Season 3 of Daredevil, don’t read any further. The quote above is what Matt Murdock, the superhero Daredevil, bemoans at the onset of Season 3. Wrong as he is, it’s still a bracing reminder that this how many people—even Christians—feel about God at times. It takes …
Between the Lines: Let the Devil Out, Part II
“Guilt can be a good thing. It’s the soul’s call to action. The indication that something is wrong. The only way to rid your heart of it is to correct your mistakes and keep going until amends are made. I don’t know what you didn’t do or what you should have done, but the guilt… the guilt means your work is not yet finished.” Father Paul Lantom, “Daredevil,” Season 2×4 – “Penny and Dime” The second season of Daredevil opens not with a guilt-stricken Matt Murdock wrestling with what he’s about to do wrong but reveling in the very thing …