by Jason Joyner | Oct 20, 2009 | Blog, CSFF, Eric Wilson, Jerusalem Undead, speculative fiction, vampires
Yesterday’s post gave a background to Eric Wilson’s Jerusalem Undead series, Field of Blood and Haunt of Jackals. Today I want to highlight what people are saying about Wilson’s books in particular and vampires in Christian fiction in general.
I’ve posted a couple of times on the topic of vampires in Christian fiction (by this term I mean fiction produced by the CBA, which focuses on the evangelical Christian market for the most part). There was some good discussion in the comments, so don’t miss those.
Anytime you want a lively discussion on issues in Christian fiction, don’t forget to look to Mike Duran, who caused a little stir with his Novel Journey post, “What’s More Dangerous, Amish Heroines or Christian Vampires?” Again, don’t miss out on a stirring debate in the comments. Don’t forget about his classic “The Good Vampire” post either. He considers the possibility of “Stoker’s Dracula as Christian Fiction.” Finally, he discusses his take on “Christian Horror,” which would certainly involve vampires (and it mentions Mr. Wilson).
For a different perspective, I ran across the site VampChix, where apparently they are fans of shortening and misspelling words. Or perhaps they are females who like vampires. In any case, they interview Eric Wilson himself, which is interesting to see him explain his series to a “non-Christian” audience.
There’s many other posts I could find if I had the time. I know there’s a few other books with a Christian outlook to hit this subject, such as Never Ceese or Shade. I hope I’ve provided some food for thought here. I’d be interested in other people’s thoughts on the issue of Christian fiction and vampires, or if you know of other links worth investigating. Tomorrow I plan my review of Haunt of Jackals. See you there.
—
by Jason Joyner | Oct 20, 2009 | Blog, CSFF, Eric Wilson, Jerusalem Undead, speculative fiction, vampires
Yesterday’s post gave a background to Eric Wilson’s Jerusalem Undead series, Field of Blood and Haunt of Jackals. Today I want to highlight what people are saying about Wilson’s books in particular and vampires in Christian fiction in general.
I’ve posted a couple of times on the topic of vampires in Christian fiction (by this term I mean fiction produced by the CBA, which focuses on the evangelical Christian market for the most part). There was some good discussion in the comments, so don’t miss those.
Anytime you want a lively discussion on issues in Christian fiction, don’t forget to look to Mike Duran, who caused a little stir with his Novel Journey post, “What’s More Dangerous, Amish Heroines or Christian Vampires?” Again, don’t miss out on a stirring debate in the comments. Don’t forget about his classic “The Good Vampire” post either. He considers the possibility of “Stoker’s Dracula as Christian Fiction.” Finally, he discusses his take on “Christian Horror,” which would certainly involve vampires (and it mentions Mr. Wilson).
For a different perspective, I ran across the site VampChix, where apparently they are fans of shortening and misspelling words. Or perhaps they are females who like vampires. In any case, they interview Eric Wilson himself, which is interesting to see him explain his series to a “non-Christian” audience.
There’s many other posts I could find if I had the time. I know there’s a few other books with a Christian outlook to hit this subject, such as Never Ceese or Shade. I hope I’ve provided some food for thought here. I’d be interested in other people’s thoughts on the issue of Christian fiction and vampires, or if you know of other links worth investigating. Tomorrow I plan my review of Haunt of Jackals. See you there.
—
by Jason Joyner | Oct 19, 2009 | Blog, CSFF, Eric Wilson, Jerusalem Undead, speculative fiction, vampires
The Undead are here.
At the CSFF blog tour, at least. The book of the month for the CSFF is Haunt of Jackals, by Eric Wilson. The Jerusalem Undead trilogy and its first book, Field of Blood, is a far cry from another Wilson book-the novelization of the movie Fireproof. Suspense and the battle between heaven and hell is an Eric Wilson trademark, and that’s what a reader will find in this series.
Since we’re starting in the middle of a series here, there’s bound to be some confusion. Wilson builds an elaborate background for this tale, with a lot of characters and a lot of theology mixed with speculation. Today’s post will explain some of the setting for the books.
The Jerusalem Undead series has been referred to as a “Christian vampire” tale. It doesn’t deal in classic vampires, and they certainly won’t sparkle in the sunlight.
Collectors: These are spirits who had rebelled. Separated from physical senses and pleasure, they can only interact with this world if they are in hosts, whether human or other forms. A special cluster of Collectors forms when the blood of Judas Iscariot (“the man from Kerioth”) soaks a field outside of Jerusalem, the Akeldama or “Field of Blood”, and seeps into a family’s ossuary cavern.
The remains of two human families, the house of Ariston and the house of Eros, are reaminated when these spirits are able to access the remains. Due to the special evil of Judas, they are more powerful than other Collectors. They feed on human blood, but they won’t die if they don’t get it. They can also grow literal thorns in humans that can be harvested, keeping their victims in bondage and using them as pawns. Since “the life is in the blood,” memories can be found in drinking it.
Nistarim: Jewish tradition says there are 36 righteous ones who, in humility and anonymity, carry the burdens of the world while staying God’s hand. In the Christian Bible, we are told that saints came up out of the tombs after Jesus’ death and resurrection. What happened to these people? Could they still be among us, hidden and immortal? Could they, in fact, be the Nistarim, “the Concealed Ones”? These stand against evil such as the Collectors, but if the Nistarim can be destroyed, will it usher in the Judgment?
Gina Lazarescu: We meet this Romanian girl as she is about to turn 12, the age of adulthood according to Judaism. She is central to the story as there are connections between her and both groups. As she grows, will she learn to take her place in this epic struggle, or fall under the weight of the burdens she carries?
Cal Nichols: This man is a mystery, with an unknown connection to Gina and the Nistarim. Is he there to watch over her, or will he be her undoing?
The story veers from Israel to Romania and the United States and back. It is a dense story packed with intrigue and mystery. Check back tomorrow for more on the idea of “Christian vampire” stories, and see my fellow tourmates below for their take on Eric Wilson and his books.
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jennifer Bogart
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher—
by Jason Joyner | Oct 19, 2009 | Blog, CSFF, Eric Wilson, Jerusalem Undead, speculative fiction, vampires
The Undead are here.
At the CSFF blog tour, at least. The book of the month for the CSFF is Haunt of Jackals, by Eric Wilson. The Jerusalem Undead trilogy and its first book, Field of Blood, is a far cry from another Wilson book-the novelization of the movie Fireproof. Suspense and the battle between heaven and hell is an Eric Wilson trademark, and that’s what a reader will find in this series.
Since we’re starting in the middle of a series here, there’s bound to be some confusion. Wilson builds an elaborate background for this tale, with a lot of characters and a lot of theology mixed with speculation. Today’s post will explain some of the setting for the books.
The Jerusalem Undead series has been referred to as a “Christian vampire” tale. It doesn’t deal in classic vampires, and they certainly won’t sparkle in the sunlight.
Collectors: These are spirits who had rebelled. Separated from physical senses and pleasure, they can only interact with this world if they are in hosts, whether human or other forms. A special cluster of Collectors forms when the blood of Judas Iscariot (“the man from Kerioth”) soaks a field outside of Jerusalem, the Akeldama or “Field of Blood”, and seeps into a family’s ossuary cavern.
The remains of two human families, the house of Ariston and the house of Eros, are reaminated when these spirits are able to access the remains. Due to the special evil of Judas, they are more powerful than other Collectors. They feed on human blood, but they won’t die if they don’t get it. They can also grow literal thorns in humans that can be harvested, keeping their victims in bondage and using them as pawns. Since “the life is in the blood,” memories can be found in drinking it.
Nistarim: Jewish tradition says there are 36 righteous ones who, in humility and anonymity, carry the burdens of the world while staying God’s hand. In the Christian Bible, we are told that saints came up out of the tombs after Jesus’ death and resurrection. What happened to these people? Could they still be among us, hidden and immortal? Could they, in fact, be the Nistarim, “the Concealed Ones”? These stand against evil such as the Collectors, but if the Nistarim can be destroyed, will it usher in the Judgment?
Gina Lazarescu: We meet this Romanian girl as she is about to turn 12, the age of adulthood according to Judaism. She is central to the story as there are connections between her and both groups. As she grows, will she learn to take her place in this epic struggle, or fall under the weight of the burdens she carries?
Cal Nichols: This man is a mystery, with an unknown connection to Gina and the Nistarim. Is he there to watch over her, or will he be her undoing?
The story veers from Israel to Romania and the United States and back. It is a dense story packed with intrigue and mystery. Check back tomorrow for more on the idea of “Christian vampire” stories, and see my fellow tourmates below for their take on Eric Wilson and his books.
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jennifer Bogart
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher—
by Jason Joyner | Oct 16, 2009 | Blog, cover art, fiction, Marcher Lord Press, speculative fiction
Cover art for a book can make or break the success of it. If it fits the tone of the book and communicates that special “read me” to the customer. I’ve picked up many books just by the attraction to the front of the book.
I just received a book that I’ll be reviewing later for the CFBA: Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge. It is listed as “A Rick Macey Cyberthriller,” and it is published by Marcher Lord Press. I’ve blogged about MLP before, when the independent publisher first launched. It is a unique venture in Christian fiction, and I wanted to highlight it again by noting the cover.
The cover of this book is so professional-looking. I didn’t realize when I requested the book it was from MLP. Seeing it on the table when I got home from work, I looked it over with anticipation. Then I noted the MLP logo on the back. This is not the cover for a typical independent publisher. It truly is top-notch. Obviously I haven’t read a word, since it just arrived, but I think the cover matches the description of the back-copy perfectly.
I’m looking forward to this book, and I’ll have a review in November. I wanted to highlight the professional job Marcher Lord Press and Jeff Gerke is doing with the novels being produced. Keep your eye on this publisher – it seems he is doing something special.
—
by Jason Joyner | Oct 16, 2009 | Blog, cover art, fiction, Marcher Lord Press, speculative fiction
Cover art for a book can make or break the success of it. If it fits the tone of the book and communicates that special “read me” to the customer. I’ve picked up many books just by the attraction to the front of the book.
I just received a book that I’ll be reviewing later for the CFBA: Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge. It is listed as “A Rick Macey Cyberthriller,” and it is published by Marcher Lord Press. I’ve blogged about MLP before, when the independent publisher first launched. It is a unique venture in Christian fiction, and I wanted to highlight it again by noting the cover.
The cover of this book is so professional-looking. I didn’t realize when I requested the book it was from MLP. Seeing it on the table when I got home from work, I looked it over with anticipation. Then I noted the MLP logo on the back. This is not the cover for a typical independent publisher. It truly is top-notch. Obviously I haven’t read a word, since it just arrived, but I think the cover matches the description of the back-copy perfectly.
I’m looking forward to this book, and I’ll have a review in November. I wanted to highlight the professional job Marcher Lord Press and Jeff Gerke is doing with the novels being produced. Keep your eye on this publisher – it seems he is doing something special.
—
