I never set out to write Christian fantasy. In fact, I wasn’t sure what place that kind of book had in this world. Sure, there was Lewis’ Narnia series and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. But with all the controversy over Harry Potter years ago, I didn’t know what to think. I read Star Wars, Terry Brooks, and such, but Christian fantasy? I don’t think so. It was actually the Harry Potter controversy that made me start thinking about Christian fantasy. Could fantasy and Christianity mix? Could a good book be written where the faith element or the fantasy element …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: Alternate Reality & Virtual Reality
Who doesn’t like escaping into a book? It’s like alternate reality in paper form. Speaking of alternate reality (see what I did there?) the subgenres-of-the-month are…alternate reality and virtual reality. Alternate Reality The subgenre of alternate reality can also be called parallel universe. Some sites make a distinction between the two, but it’s not large enough to label them as different subgenres (unless you want to get reeeeally picky.) Alternate reality can fall under both the fantasy and sci-fi genres. It refers to another world or reality that exists inside our own. (Narnia fans, you with me?) Often times these stories …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: Alternate Reality & Virtual RealityRead More
A Time to Die Kickstarter Video
As part of our Kickstarter campaign we have Nadine Brandes here to talk about her upcoming debut novel, A Time to Die. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/BqOR_jrE7Uo
Spec Fic Subgenres: Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
I thought apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic were the same type of story for a long time. In fact, I even confused them with the dystopian genre at times, which I still see many readers doing today. Now that I finally have all of them straight (as far as I know) I can freely call myself a fan of all three subgenres. What’s that? You want to call yourself a fan, too? Alright then, let’s dig into the details: Apocalyptic In an apocalyptic book, the characters actually encounter the “apocalypse.” Often times this is some sort of natural disaster, divine judgment, nuclear warfare, supernatural phenomenon, …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: Steampunk & Cyberpunk
I read my first steampunk book just a couple months ago. (Armored Hearts, by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee if you really want to know.) Since then, the steampunk radar in my head goes off every time I pass a book cover with gears or cool goggles on it. Today we’re digging into steampunk and cyberpunk. While they both have the word punk in them, you’ll find they’re quite different. Steampunk Steampunk has not yet figured out exactly which genre it falls under — science fiction or fantasy. I’ve seen many people placing it under both, and it really comes …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: The Fantasies
Fantasy is where I feel most at home. I used to consider myself a fantasy fan, but as I dug into the genres I realized how ignorant I am. High fantasy? Low fantasy? Dark fantasy? What? High Fantasy (sometimes called Epic Fantasy) You may have been a high fantasy fan all your life and never known it. “One ring to rule them all…” If you know what that’s from (*hint* Lord of the Rings) then you’ve read or watched high fantasy (and hopefully liked it!) As with most subgenres, high fantasy is a little tough to fully break down. The definition either gets …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: Space Opera & Hard Sci-Fi
I’ll admit, when it comes to speculative fiction, I lean much stronger toward the fantasy side of things so today’s post, dealing with some deep sci-fi subgenres, was fun to write — almost like discovering a new world. We’re tackling space opera and hard science fiction. Both of these subgenres fall under science fiction. I’ve met many readers and authors who say the subgenres are getting too specific, but I’m delving into a few of them anyway. 😉 Space Opera We’ve all heard the term soap opera. Well, space opera is a play on words, but I can guarantee you’ll enjoy space opera more than a …
Spec-Fic Subgenres: Dystopia & Utopia
Speculative fiction is just a giant door leading to a hundred tiny doors called subgenres. Anyone writing spec-fic probably knows what his or her subgenre is. Mine is dystopian. What’s yours? Steampunk? Technothriller? Paranormal? Time Travel? I wrote in the speculative fiction genre long before I actually knew what any of the subgenres were. So, I thought it appropriate to do a blog series breaking down one or two subgenres a month for the good of all those who love (or don’t yet know that they love) speculative fiction. Let’s jump right in, shall we? There are three agreed-upon main …
Echoes of God
One of my favorite perks about reading and writing science fiction and fantasy is with every new story, I get to discover and explore whole new worlds. And with every new world I encounter through a book, movie, or game, I get to encounter a new echo of God. I believe as beings created in the image of God, it’s only natural for echoes of our Creator to resonate through the worlds we build, whether we try to do so intentionally or whether there’re just clues and themes left behind allowing readers to find an echo that resonates for them. …