The CSFF Greatests Hits – Number 3

The CSFF Greatests Hits – Number 3

by | Aug 23, 2010 | Blog, CSFF, speculative fiction, The Gifted, top books

Hearken back to May of 2006. Do you remember what was happening back then? Do you even remember what you had for breakfast yesterday?

Anyway, I recall (thanks to the power of the web) that it was the first time I participated in the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy tour! Amazing how time flies. There have been a lot of good books that we’ve covered, and for this special August 2010 edition of the CSFF Tour, I give you Spoiled for the Ordinary’s best of:

Coming in at number…

is The Gifted series by Lisa T. Bergren, from April 2009. The CSFF Tour featured the first book of the series, The Begotten for this tour. The story continues in The Betrayed and The Blessed.
This series was set in Italy of the 1300’s, a dynamic time with rival popes competing for leadership of the Church and the continued mixing of cultures across the Mediterranean Sea. The premise rests on the Lost Corinthian Correspondence of St. Paul, letters lost at the compilation of the Bible.
Fragments of the letters are being hunted by Father Pietro and Lady Daria, as it foretells the gathering of a group called The Gifted that will walk in the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring light and healing to a dark time. The group is pursued by a lord willing to walk in very evil ways in order to bring the Gifted to ruin.
This series was considered borderline “speculative” as it is set in a historical period and wasn’t fully science fiction or fantasy. Still, the premise and supernatural aspect of the story brought it to the attention of the CSFF Tour, and it became one of my favorite series we have featured. Bergren did a lot of research and brought this intriguing pre-Renaissance period to life. The characters were rich and the suspense thick. I had two books in mind for this tour, and needing a third to feature. After skimming through all of my CSFF posts, I had almost forgotten about The Gifted. I’m tempted to pull them out and re-read them after refreshing my mind – if you missed this series and enjoy a historical tale, make sure to check this out. 
Read my review and other thoughts on The Begotten at these links. Check back Tuesday and Wednesday for my 2nd and 1st favorite tour books.
In the meantime, I’m sure these folks will have some interesting posts as well – my fellow CSFF tourmates!

Brandon Barr
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
George Duncan
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Mike Lynch
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Jason Waguespac
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Does “Nightmare” Belong in the CBA?

by | Aug 23, 2010 | Blog, CBA, christian fiction, Robin Parrish, speculative fiction

On Friday I reviewed Nightmare by Robin Parrish. As a paranormal suspense novel, close to a horror novel, this book has received some interesting reviews. None of the reviews I’ve seen have said that it is a bad story. They all acknowledge Robin as a good suspense author.

However, a few reviews I’ve seen (on Christianbook.com, a couple during the CFBA tour) turn negative when they talk about the spiritual aspects of the book. Obviously Nightmare takes on a topic that may seem to go against some people’s theology. To this I say, make sure you read the book all the way through, and read it carefully. It is a work of speculative fiction – as in “speculate.” He is not saying a definitive position on the topic, he came up with a suspenseful story idea and worked on it. If you expect a treatise on spiritual warfare you’ll be disappointed.

Spoilers Ahead!

Robin never denies or totally affirms the paranormal in the book. He writes an author note at the back of the book saying he believes closer to a Christian character in the book, and warns people that he does not believe dabbling in the paranormal is a good idea at all. The plot hinges around a machine that is able to remove a person’s soul from their body. There is a large McGuffin plot device that pops up at this time to explain this. The people are able to be reconnected soul to body at the end.

End Spoilers

I’ve had some bad experience with things like Dungeons and Dragons in the past. I believe that Christians shouldn’t dabble in every possible form of evil or paranormal. This is a whole different ball game to me. I don’t believe he is trying to glamorize anything, but to use a plot point to tell a story. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Robin makes sure at the end to remind people it is just a story to make people think – not to sermonize on ghosts or glorify any kind of evil. At least in my opinion.

So is there a place in CBA fiction for a book like Nightmare? The answer is: it depends who you ask!

Nightmare is going to trip up some people who think that CBA fiction means uplifting, theologically correct books that are squeaky clean in the orthodoxy department. Thus the negative reviews. There is another segment of readers who are more open to fiction that has a little more ambiguity, without things fully nailed to a theological premise. People who read science fiction or fantasy should have no problem in general. I would like to see a CBA industry that has room for authors like Robin Parrish or Eric Wilson. However, in my opinion there is enough resistance to writers like them at this time that they may need to pursue other options in publishing.

—

Does “Nightmare” Belong in the CBA?

by | Aug 23, 2010 | Blog, CBA, christian fiction, Robin Parrish, speculative fiction

On Friday I reviewed Nightmare by Robin Parrish. As a paranormal suspense novel, close to a horror novel, this book has received some interesting reviews. None of the reviews I’ve seen have said that it is a bad story. They all acknowledge Robin as a good suspense author.

However, a few reviews I’ve seen (on Christianbook.com, a couple during the CFBA tour) turn negative when they talk about the spiritual aspects of the book. Obviously Nightmare takes on a topic that may seem to go against some people’s theology. To this I say, make sure you read the book all the way through, and read it carefully. It is a work of speculative fiction – as in “speculate.” He is not saying a definitive position on the topic, he came up with a suspenseful story idea and worked on it. If you expect a treatise on spiritual warfare you’ll be disappointed.

Spoilers Ahead!

Robin never denies or totally affirms the paranormal in the book. He writes an author note at the back of the book saying he believes closer to a Christian character in the book, and warns people that he does not believe dabbling in the paranormal is a good idea at all. The plot hinges around a machine that is able to remove a person’s soul from their body. There is a large McGuffin plot device that pops up at this time to explain this. The people are able to be reconnected soul to body at the end.

End Spoilers

I’ve had some bad experience with things like Dungeons and Dragons in the past. I believe that Christians shouldn’t dabble in every possible form of evil or paranormal. This is a whole different ball game to me. I don’t believe he is trying to glamorize anything, but to use a plot point to tell a story. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Robin makes sure at the end to remind people it is just a story to make people think – not to sermonize on ghosts or glorify any kind of evil. At least in my opinion.

So is there a place in CBA fiction for a book like Nightmare? The answer is: it depends who you ask!

Nightmare is going to trip up some people who think that CBA fiction means uplifting, theologically correct books that are squeaky clean in the orthodoxy department. Thus the negative reviews. There is another segment of readers who are more open to fiction that has a little more ambiguity, without things fully nailed to a theological premise. People who read science fiction or fantasy should have no problem in general. I would like to see a CBA industry that has room for authors like Robin Parrish or Eric Wilson. However, in my opinion there is enough resistance to writers like them at this time that they may need to pursue other options in publishing.

—

Review – Nightmare

Review – Nightmare

by | Aug 19, 2010 | Blog, books, Robin Parrish, speculative fiction


Robin Parrish chills and thrills in his latest book

A few weeks ago I used Nightmare, the new book from suspense author Robin Parrish, as a springboard into a discussion about the boundaries of Christian fiction. Since then, a discussion has taken on a life of its own (others started talking about this at the same time).

I got caught up in this debate, but in the meantime I finished Nightmare. So what is this book about, and does it “fit” in Christian fiction?

Nightmare is the story of Maia Peters, a college student who had an unusual upbringing – her parents were ghost hunters on a famous TV show. Maia grew up on the paranormal, so there wasn’t a lot that could scare her. When her friends drag her to the latest in theme parks, “Ghost Town,” she isn’t impressed.

That is, until a familiar face and voice form out of a mist and warn her, “The nightmare is coming.”

The face belongs to Jordin Cole, a rich orphaned classmate who has a fascination with the supernatural. Jordin had hired Maia to explore several “known” hauntings to explore these phenomena, but Maia hadn’t seen her in months. She didn’t know that Jordin had disappeared.

Now Jordin’s fiance is looking for her and asking for Maia’s help. The pair retrace Jordin’s steps, trying to find the nightmare before it comes. However, messing with the supernatural may have a heavy price to pay…
—
The Good
Robin Parrish is one imaginative fellow. He has come up with some amazing tales in his writing career. Nightmare does not disappoint. The plot alternates between Maia’s search for Jordin and the adventures Jordin and Maia have seeking out haunting hot spots. You can tell Robin did his research, as the settings are actual sites of reported paranormal activity. There’s an added bonus of grainy pictures in front of these sections. The pace doesn’t let up, and he has a gift for keeping the pages turning frantically. This was the type of book I’d pull out of my backpack in between work assignments to read “just a little more.”

Several reviewers commented that this was a book to read with the lights on. There was one section that seemed a little creepy to me, but nothing that was excessive. I can see how some people might get freaked.

Finally, that cover ROCKS! Best one I’ve seen this year.

The Critique
Robin is also very intelligent, and he writes with a specific voice and a fluent vocabulary. After reading all of his books, I feel his characters sound too much alike. Maia didn’t seem to be too feminine (which was her character), but I never felt she had a “female” voice. Then again, Robin always seems to have very intelligent characters, so perhaps this is natural. Not a big deal, but something I noticed in this book.

The “Huh?”
I think every book has a “huh?” moment. Robin is proud of his geek cred (since he blogs for ForeverGeek). So I was pretty shocked when I came upon page 259. There is an otherwise excellent Star Wars reference, but “Wookiee” is misspelled! Don’t worry Robin, I blame it on the editors.

The Verdict
As far as Nightmare goes, it is a very entertaining, suspenseful read. It also makes one think about some mysteries in our world in regards to the paranormal. The book doesn’t spell it out for the reader – we get to think about it. I recommend this book to any fan of suspense, paranormal, or horror fiction.

Now where does this book belong in the library of Christian fiction? Well, *looking at his watch* we’ve run out of time. Check back next time with my thoughts on this…
—

Review – Nightmare

Review – Nightmare

by | Aug 19, 2010 | Blog, books, Robin Parrish, speculative fiction


Robin Parrish chills and thrills in his latest book

A few weeks ago I used Nightmare, the new book from suspense author Robin Parrish, as a springboard into a discussion about the boundaries of Christian fiction. Since then, a discussion has taken on a life of its own (others started talking about this at the same time).

I got caught up in this debate, but in the meantime I finished Nightmare. So what is this book about, and does it “fit” in Christian fiction?

Nightmare is the story of Maia Peters, a college student who had an unusual upbringing – her parents were ghost hunters on a famous TV show. Maia grew up on the paranormal, so there wasn’t a lot that could scare her. When her friends drag her to the latest in theme parks, “Ghost Town,” she isn’t impressed.

That is, until a familiar face and voice form out of a mist and warn her, “The nightmare is coming.”

The face belongs to Jordin Cole, a rich orphaned classmate who has a fascination with the supernatural. Jordin had hired Maia to explore several “known” hauntings to explore these phenomena, but Maia hadn’t seen her in months. She didn’t know that Jordin had disappeared.

Now Jordin’s fiance is looking for her and asking for Maia’s help. The pair retrace Jordin’s steps, trying to find the nightmare before it comes. However, messing with the supernatural may have a heavy price to pay…
—
The Good
Robin Parrish is one imaginative fellow. He has come up with some amazing tales in his writing career. Nightmare does not disappoint. The plot alternates between Maia’s search for Jordin and the adventures Jordin and Maia have seeking out haunting hot spots. You can tell Robin did his research, as the settings are actual sites of reported paranormal activity. There’s an added bonus of grainy pictures in front of these sections. The pace doesn’t let up, and he has a gift for keeping the pages turning frantically. This was the type of book I’d pull out of my backpack in between work assignments to read “just a little more.”

Several reviewers commented that this was a book to read with the lights on. There was one section that seemed a little creepy to me, but nothing that was excessive. I can see how some people might get freaked.

Finally, that cover ROCKS! Best one I’ve seen this year.

The Critique
Robin is also very intelligent, and he writes with a specific voice and a fluent vocabulary. After reading all of his books, I feel his characters sound too much alike. Maia didn’t seem to be too feminine (which was her character), but I never felt she had a “female” voice. Then again, Robin always seems to have very intelligent characters, so perhaps this is natural. Not a big deal, but something I noticed in this book.

The “Huh?”
I think every book has a “huh?” moment. Robin is proud of his geek cred (since he blogs for ForeverGeek). So I was pretty shocked when I came upon page 259. There is an otherwise excellent Star Wars reference, but “Wookiee” is misspelled! Don’t worry Robin, I blame it on the editors.

The Verdict
As far as Nightmare goes, it is a very entertaining, suspenseful read. It also makes one think about some mysteries in our world in regards to the paranormal. The book doesn’t spell it out for the reader – we get to think about it. I recommend this book to any fan of suspense, paranormal, or horror fiction.

Now where does this book belong in the library of Christian fiction? Well, *looking at his watch* we’ve run out of time. Check back next time with my thoughts on this…
—

Awarding the Best in Christian Speculative Fiction

by | Aug 12, 2010 | Blog, Clive Staples Award, CSFF, speculative fiction, top books

My friend Becky Miller is a tireless promoter for Christian speculative fiction (encompassing science fiction, fantasy, and similar genres). Last year she worked with others to introduce a new award that would highlight Christian speculative fiction. It was christened the “Clive Staples Award” (being the full name of one C.S. Lewis).

If you are a regular reader, you can vote for this year’s winner. The rules are that you read at least two of the finalists. You can vote throughout August, with the vote closing September 1. You vote for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place book (with the option only vote for 1 or 2 if you don’t have a full three choices).

I encourage any fan of the CSFF Tour or the books we promote to take advantage of this opportunity. This is for the readers to speak out. I have my clear favorites. Let’s see in September which book is this year’s Clive Staple Award winner! Go vote HERE!