Writing and Reading

It’s time for me to be unabashedly honest here: I’m a Christian. A convicted Christian. I’m not one to hide from my faith, although I’m also not one to hide from the truth that I’m nothing but a wretched sinner. I am, really. Only God knows.

But I also want to be clear that I’m not a ‘preacher’. And I don’t mean ‘preacher’ as in the recognized, devoted, qualified and educated pastor, priest or reverend. Those true kinds have their special gifts, and I always admire them. In fact, one of my best friends is a pastor.

When I say, ‘preacher’, I mean someone who constantly believes that there’s a message he or she needs to ‘preach’ because he or she has a right to and that everyone should listen. Their intention is to try and change minds. Their motives are really to try and communicate God. Instead of sharing Him. There’s a big difference.

In my everyday thoughts and inner rantings, I’ve remembered constant discussions and conflicts between topics such as the sacrilege of witchcraft and such in the Harry Potter books and whether or not Rowling is a satanist or if Tolkien worshipped Baal with his feces and urine or other such retarded stories (I exaggerate, of course. The latter story really doesn’t exist!). “Kids shouldn’t read Rowling, blah blah, yadda yadda,” and the same goes for the religious rite and its criticism of Pullman and HIS DARK MATERIALS, his fantasy series, the religious rite claiming it to be an attack on the church.

Read the books. Read them. And while you’re at it, try and pick up these particular books, too–

WALKING WITH FRODO by Sarah Arthur.

FINDING GOD IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware.

LOOKING FOR GOD IN HARRY POTTER by John Granger.

GOD, THE DEVIL, AND HARRY POTTER by John Killinger.

A little shocking, maybe? Maybe a little. There are actually more works of literature out there regarding the connections between Christianity and the novels some of us like to tear apart for their ’sacrilege’. But let me get to the point here.

This isn’t about proving whether or not the arguments in these books hold water. No. It’s not about whether or not we should or shouldn’t read this or that book because of this or that and that this person is wrong about this book or that book or right about this book or that book.

Yes, Philip Pullman is an atheist. But let’s make one thing clear (without getting too theological here): Christ himself actually ‘attacked’ the church, too. Christ himself abolished the old laws. Christ himself overturned tables, called leaders of the church a ‘brood of vipers’. I’m willing to bet, without a doubt, whether Pullman liked it or not, HIS DARK MATERIALS actually supports the truth about faith, the truth about how God wants us to be. God doesn’t want us to conform to a ‘religion’. God wants us to love one another and be holy people. The imagery, the words, the religious traditions–nothing, absolutely nothing, they are. Our faith comes from within, not in buildings and not in conformity. Not in judging others for being ‘unholy’ or ‘immoral’. Whether you like it or not, Pullman, you shout for us Christians. Even if you’re an atheist. Kind of pleasantly ironic and wonderful, I think. And in my opinion, as an atheist, you should be flattered.

That brings me to my point.

Really, how can we be sure that any of those wonderful authors actually do intend to ‘preach’ any kind of message in their fiction? C.S. Lewis doesn’t count. The man was a veritable theologian himself; so it remains easy to see the obvious allegory in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. But what about J.K. Rowling? Can we judge what her intentions were? Can we judge what J.R.R. Tolkien’s intentions were? Do we really know? Can we really find the truth of what they really believe? Does it matter what they believe in? Just as in my previous point: Pullman’s an atheist, yet I can say without fear that HIS DARK MATERIALS could actually support true Christianity. Yes, I said it. Watch all the stones come my way.

In writing THE CAIN LETTERS and then also CHIMERA FALLS, the sequel, I completely knew what I wanted to write about. I wanted it to be about Christianity. But for those of you who have read my manuscripts, it’s pretty safe to say that they’re not ‘Christian’ books! I’d actually be surprised, if and when I get published, to find the books in a Christian bookstore. Dear, God, wow…. I mean, the books are about vampires, people! Urban fantasy. Urban fantasy + Christianity = usually not a common mix of themes to then categorize it as acceptable “Christian” fiction.

I didn’t intend for my work to have any kind of message. But they do. There’s a Christian message there. That doesn’t mean I intended it. That doesn’t mean I woke up one day and thought, “I’m going to preach to the world the wonders of God through this book, and many will come to know Him.” No. I simply wanted to write a book. An entertaining book. Because of an inner faith, a secret faith, no matter what, in anything you write, it becomes a part of your words. Your experiences, your faith, your morals. Everything. It automatically becomes a part of it. That’s not preaching. That’s being.

I guess you can say I’m sharing my faith. But only because it’s important to me. It’s real to me. Not because I think it’s right. It’s not my place to judge. And that’s the point I’m making.

We don’t know if Rowling woke up one day and wanted to tell the world that God is right and everyone’s wrong. We certainly don’t know if Rowling wanted kids to worship the devil either. We’ll probably never know what Tolkien’s intention was (although I believe he was good friends with C.S. Lewis back in the day).

I’m betting that their intentions were simply to write something they loved. And when you love what you write, everything that you are gets poured into it. Whether you like it or not.

All this talk about, well, they’re communicating this message and that message. I then wonder if Rowling herself is shaking her head, smiling, thinking simply this–

I just had a character in my head (little Harry Potter), and I wanted to write a story about him. Here’s his story. Whatever else you get out of his story, well…let’s just say you have every right to and should make your own judgments.

Here, here, Rowling. I’m right there with you.

There’s one genre out of all the genres that has always fascinated me in the strangest ways: science fiction. Let me put it to you this way: I absolutely adore reading it (and watching it on TV), but I’m pretty positive that I just don’t write it very well. I don’t. Really.

Works by such geniuses as Isaac Asimov always enthralled me with such complex research and intricate designing of super-technological worlds and science theory and speculation and imagination. And, of course, I’m a big fan of all the classic sci-fi series, book or film–you’ve got “Star Wars” (I bow to you, George Lucas), “Star Trek”, “2001″ and “2010″, “Babylon 5″ (which I hear, as I’ve linked, will return to the Sci Fi Channel! Now only if I had expanded Cable….). Other forms of sci-fi are good–those basically include the ones that don’t hold to the traditional formula being the all-important spaceship and crew “seeking out new worlds and new civilizations” or the space station with the rough and tough security chief and stately commander or the blazing space battle scenes with all the freakin’ laser beams (thanks to Dr. Evil, I can’t get the word ‘freakin’ out of my vocabulary). I’m talking about science fiction involving giant monsters, genetic plagues or infections, psychic powers, time travel, films like “Men in Black” where most of the plotting just happens to be on planet Earth and not on planet Zarkon or in the Astronameta sector, and films like “Alien”, “Predator”, “Alien vs. Predator”, “Aliens vs. everything” (I’m losing control over my own mind here). Everything! It’s all great! Oh, and “The Matrix”! You can’t forget “The Matrix”. Even though I especially love the martial arts fight scenes, the whole premise behind “The Matrix” kicks major tail in the realm of sci-fi.

And really that’s only scratching the surface on the kinds of science fiction that’s out there. There are so many unique formulas that fall into the category of science fiction. I happen to like all of them. I, unfortunately, can’t write it. At least I think I can’t. It would be way too daunting.

I’m going to try and categorize certain kinds of science fiction here–

1) outer space science fiction

That would include works like “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.” Anything that involves space travel or stories in ‘outer space’.

2) theory science fiction

I guess this particular category would hold the works of Isaac Asimov and possibly Michael Crichton’s “Sphere” where the central theme around a literary work is based on some speculative theory involving science or even philosophical thought.

3) biological science fiction

I don’t have actual examples for this one; but I can explain it pretty easily. Super-genetic plagues or fantastical mutations (Spider-man, X-men, raise your hands–there are my examples, right there. Okay, Superman counts, too, even though he wasn’t born on Earth), and even “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” falls into this realm.

And then, I think, maybe this will be the last category….

4) alien/monster science fiction

Simply put: “Predator”, “Alien”, “Godzilla”, “King Kong”, “The Abyss” etc etc. So many others that I can’t even name them all.

If any of you readers have any other categories that you can think of, please do not hesitate to comment. I keep thinking there are more formulas out there. I now have questions for all you readers out there–

Which formulas, which final frontiers, of science fiction are your favorites? Which ones do you not like so much? Discuss! Let’s make it a Sci Fi Day today.