by Jason Joyner | Feb 27, 2008 | Blog, fiction, theology, writing craft
I’ve noticed a paradox in some Christian fiction books recently. It manifested in The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka and The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley. It presents an interesting conundrum for those who pursue writing Christian fiction. It really strikes at the heart of how to write effective, engaging fiction, and it has the potential to create a couple of theoretical camps in this realm of fiction.
Now that I’ve been melodramatic, what does crazy Jason have in mind? Well, I’m not ready to say. But any good product finds a way to create some buzz. I’m hoping that dropping a little teaser will have people wonder what those two books have in common that may portend what I’m talking about.
If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to post comments and I’ll be back in a couple days to open up what I want to discuss.
See you then…
by Jason Joyner | Feb 23, 2008 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reading, reviews, suspense
Ted Dekker doesn’t need much introduction in the realm of Christian fiction. If any readers here think that a book from Christian fiction authors aren’t worth checking out, then his new book Adam is very likely to change your mind.
I’ve enjoyed the other books of his that I’ve read (Blink, Thr3e, and Showdown). I have been busy enough with reading that I’ve haven’t managed to read every one of his books. He has a powerful imagination and loves to explore the tension between good and evil.
Adam is the latest book to examine this theme. From the back cover:
FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark has become famous for his well-articulated arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn’t know is that his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as “Eve” is about to end abruptly with an unexpected death-his own.
Twenty minutes later Daniel is resuscitated, only to be haunted by the loss of memory of the events immediately preceding his death.
Daniel becomes convinced that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes during which he alone saw the killer’s face. And the only way to access them is to trigger his brain’s memory dump that occurs at the time of death by simulating his death again…and again. So begins a carefully researched psychological thriller which delves deep into the haunting realities of near-death experiences, demon possession, and the human psyche.
I’m not a person who reads a book in one sitting, but I really wish I could have with Adam. He knows how to capture an audience and hold them to their seats, knuckles white from gripping the book. The main characters all suffer from some obsession, and the individual reactions to the scenario are intriguing. As they work together to hunt down the serial killer “Eve”, the tension ratchets up to a surprising turn of events that throws the book from being a taut thriller about tracking a murderer to something much more haunting and personal.
Dekker’s writing is fast-paced, and there is not a lot of flowery exposition – he hits the action hard and keeps the plot moving. He uses an interesting technique in this book. There is a fictional Crime Today magazine serial of 9 articles discussing how a serial murderer comes to be. Basically he gives away who the bad guy is from the get go, but is still able to keep the suspense at high levels in tracking the path throughout the serial articles and the narrative. Very challenging to pull off, yet he does it very well.
My only critiques lie with the medical aspects, which play into the plot prominently. He has done his research well, and it is all written well and believably. My problem is that I am a physician assistant, so I can see a few minor inaccuracies. Aren’t I picky? I’m sure that it won’t be a problem for any other readers.
Overall, this book has reminded me of why Ted Dekker is the premier Christian suspense author today. He deftly handles issues of darkness and light and is a master of drawing his reader into the the battle that ensues. I highly recommend this book, and I’ve got a new itch to read more of Dekker’s work.
by Jason Joyner | Feb 23, 2008 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reading, reviews, suspense
Ted Dekker doesn’t need much introduction in the realm of Christian fiction. If any readers here think that a book from Christian fiction authors aren’t worth checking out, then his new book Adam is very likely to change your mind.
I’ve enjoyed the other books of his that I’ve read (Blink, Thr3e, and Showdown). I have been busy enough with reading that I’ve haven’t managed to read every one of his books. He has a powerful imagination and loves to explore the tension between good and evil.
Adam is the latest book to examine this theme. From the back cover:
FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark has become famous for his well-articulated arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn’t know is that his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as “Eve” is about to end abruptly with an unexpected death-his own.
Twenty minutes later Daniel is resuscitated, only to be haunted by the loss of memory of the events immediately preceding his death.
Daniel becomes convinced that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes during which he alone saw the killer’s face. And the only way to access them is to trigger his brain’s memory dump that occurs at the time of death by simulating his death again…and again. So begins a carefully researched psychological thriller which delves deep into the haunting realities of near-death experiences, demon possession, and the human psyche.
I’m not a person who reads a book in one sitting, but I really wish I could have with Adam. He knows how to capture an audience and hold them to their seats, knuckles white from gripping the book. The main characters all suffer from some obsession, and the individual reactions to the scenario are intriguing. As they work together to hunt down the serial killer “Eve”, the tension ratchets up to a surprising turn of events that throws the book from being a taut thriller about tracking a murderer to something much more haunting and personal.
Dekker’s writing is fast-paced, and there is not a lot of flowery exposition – he hits the action hard and keeps the plot moving. He uses an interesting technique in this book. There is a fictional Crime Today magazine serial of 9 articles discussing how a serial murderer comes to be. Basically he gives away who the bad guy is from the get go, but is still able to keep the suspense at high levels in tracking the path throughout the serial articles and the narrative. Very challenging to pull off, yet he does it very well.
My only critiques lie with the medical aspects, which play into the plot prominently. He has done his research well, and it is all written well and believably. My problem is that I am a physician assistant, so I can see a few minor inaccuracies. Aren’t I picky? I’m sure that it won’t be a problem for any other readers.
Overall, this book has reminded me of why Ted Dekker is the premier Christian suspense author today. He deftly handles issues of darkness and light and is a master of drawing his reader into the the battle that ensues. I highly recommend this book, and I’ve got a new itch to read more of Dekker’s work.
by Jason Joyner | Feb 21, 2008 | Blog, CSFF, fiction, sci-fi
I had to chime in a little more on the blog tour for The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley. I confessed on Sunday that I had only read about 125 pages, so I couldn’t give an accurate review of the whole book. I wanted to see what people were saying about the book before I opened my mouth and filled it with shoe leather (doesn’t sound filling this week).
I’m glad that I did. It seems a lot of people really enjoyed the book. One of the major things from other blog posts and the comments to my first post is that, yes the book may start slow, but around page 150 it really picked up. So I’ve determined to read a little farther to see if I can get into it.
In my last post I listed all of my CSFF colleagues for your linkage pleasure. Today there are three that I’d like to highlight.
Author Christopher Hopper had a thoughtful review that discussed both positive and negative aspects, without total gushing or bashing. Also check out the comments to this link, as he’s kind enough to answer a question of mine about catching a reader quick versus a slow burn.
John Otte gave a great primer on end times and millennialism, as this is a major foundation for the plot. A good quick overview even for those just curious about the various types of end times views out there. In other posts he discusses his review and ideas about sin brought up by the book. Well worth reading.
CSFF’s other John, John Ottinger (what are the odds?), gives a very positive review of the book and makes a case in support of the book’s slower start.
I wish I could’ve participated more, both in having read the book as well as having time to check out other blogs. Like I said, I’m going to give the book a little more time to see if I can get into it. I will say that I’m not enamored by his writing style, but perhaps when the conflict really takes off I will see the intensity of the trouble for main characters Merral and Vero, which seems to be a really big part of what others like. Perhaps I can add a follow up post later on.
My one other comment has also been repeated elsewhere in the tour. The book is listed as “A Fantasy in the Tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” I found this quite misleading and presumptuous, as 1. it is not a fantasy, and 2. I don’t think it is fair or accurate to suggest this book is to the level of Lewis or Tolkien. Not a turn off for me, but hopefully the marketers will be a little more thoughtful in this aspect in the future.
If you’re curious, please go to my last post and check out others’ posts on this book!
by Jason Joyner | Feb 21, 2008 | Blog, CSFF, fiction, sci-fi
I had to chime in a little more on the blog tour for The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley. I confessed on Sunday that I had only read about 125 pages, so I couldn’t give an accurate review of the whole book. I wanted to see what people were saying about the book before I opened my mouth and filled it with shoe leather (doesn’t sound filling this week).
I’m glad that I did. It seems a lot of people really enjoyed the book. One of the major things from other blog posts and the comments to my first post is that, yes the book may start slow, but around page 150 it really picked up. So I’ve determined to read a little farther to see if I can get into it.
In my last post I listed all of my CSFF colleagues for your linkage pleasure. Today there are three that I’d like to highlight.
Author Christopher Hopper had a thoughtful review that discussed both positive and negative aspects, without total gushing or bashing. Also check out the comments to this link, as he’s kind enough to answer a question of mine about catching a reader quick versus a slow burn.
John Otte gave a great primer on end times and millennialism, as this is a major foundation for the plot. A good quick overview even for those just curious about the various types of end times views out there. In other posts he discusses his review and ideas about sin brought up by the book. Well worth reading.
CSFF’s other John, John Ottinger (what are the odds?), gives a very positive review of the book and makes a case in support of the book’s slower start.
I wish I could’ve participated more, both in having read the book as well as having time to check out other blogs. Like I said, I’m going to give the book a little more time to see if I can get into it. I will say that I’m not enamored by his writing style, but perhaps when the conflict really takes off I will see the intensity of the trouble for main characters Merral and Vero, which seems to be a really big part of what others like. Perhaps I can add a follow up post later on.
My one other comment has also been repeated elsewhere in the tour. The book is listed as “A Fantasy in the Tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” I found this quite misleading and presumptuous, as 1. it is not a fantasy, and 2. I don’t think it is fair or accurate to suggest this book is to the level of Lewis or Tolkien. Not a turn off for me, but hopefully the marketers will be a little more thoughtful in this aspect in the future.
If you’re curious, please go to my last post and check out others’ posts on this book!
