Fantasy Review: Rewriting Adam by Connie Mae Inglis

Review by Karlissa J

What distance would you travel to finally find a sense of home?

Rewriting Adam by Connie Mae Inglis is the story of a man named Ethan, and how his recent divorce sends him on a quest of soul-searching in Thailand. He doesn’t know how to begin or what to do with himself, but a providential encounter with Janus, and archaeologist, puts him on a path towards facing a ghost, rethinking his past, and setting foot in an alternate, Edenic realm.

From my first read, I was enamoured by the vivid depictions of Thailand and Myanmar. Before the Eden-realm comes into play, we follow Ethan – a Canadian – as he experiences these countries and their cultural differences. When Eden does come into the story, it holds surprises of its own. And there are layers to this novel that stand out the more I’ve read it.

Rewriting Adam generally does a good job of balancing elements of drama, horror, and enchantment. What I would say upon my third reading is that the drama can, in moments, feel overplayed; and the horror aspects could have been more intense and introduced earlier in the novel, considering the important role they play in Ethan’s journey. However, that may be more of my personal preference.

If you expect a fantasy novel to instantly throw you into another world and upon a hero’s quest, the fantastical elements will seem to be introduced too late in the novel. But if you are a lover of sci-fi and fantasy who enjoys stories with more unorthodox pacing, this is a narratively unique and spiritually thoughtful journey worth taking.

Nerding Out on C.S. Lewis

By Karlissa J

Clive Staples Lewis: many Christians have read at least a few of his books, we quote him without hesitation, and we value his writings for leading so many skeptics to accept Christianity. But how much do you actually know about “Jack,” as he preferred to be called?

In researching for To Narnia and Beyond, I discovered so much I hadn’t known or even expected. I collected books, read much, and then strived to select highlights for the Lewis chapters in To Narnia and Beyond.

But maybe you want more! Maybe you’re thinking: “I’m a nerd too, and I want to understand C.S. Lewis better!” If that’s the case, this blog post is for you: here are four books I recommend for nerdy readers wanting to learn more about Lewis!

Book One: GEORGE MACDONALD by C.S. Lewis

Let’s start with a book that Lewis wrote himself! In these 365 quotes from George MacDonald selected by C. S. Lewis, it becomes clearer how MacDonald influenced Lewis' spiritual beliefs. For me, it accomplished Lewis' stated goal: "to spread his [MacDonald's] religious teaching".

MacDonald's teachings in this book focus on subjects like nature, possessions, our relationship with Christ, and obedience to God.

I found it worth having a physical copy to write notes in: there are many insightful reflections worth recalling and meditating on.

Book Two: IMAGES OF SALVATION IN THE FICTION OF C.S. LEWIS by Clyde S. Kilby

A short, helpful aid to contemplating Lewis' fiction. Contains a brief overview of each of Lewis' novels (handy, since I have not read The Pilgrim's Regress and have no intention to), followed by several spiritual themes that can be drawn from the novel's story and characters.

Book Three: THE MEDIEVAL MIND OF C.S. LEWIS by Jason M. Baxter

Baxter invites us into some of C. S. Lewis' philosophies and creative choices by revealing the inspiration behind them: quotes and ideas from Lewis' favourite medieval books are paired with instances when Lewis modeled his writing after them. I felt drawn in to the 'magic' of these classics, as Baxter's writing style is very contemplative and welcoming.

Book Four: PLANET NARNIA by Michael Ward

Ward explores how ancient and Medieval astrology - particularly the concept of seven planetary personalities - shows up repeatedly throughout Lewis' writing. The core thesis is built around the Chronicles of Narnia, but there is plenty here diving into the Space Trilogy and Lewis' academic works and poetry as well.

Planet Narnia is at times quite technical, and one-quarter of the book is notes, bibliography, and indexes. This is the volume for nitty-gritty details, while Jason M. Baxter's The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis provides a more easy-reading introduction to the general topic of Medieval thinking and Medieval astrology/astronomy in Lewis' writing.

Is Art Subjective?

By Jason Koop

“Art is subjective”. 

That’s a line most of us have heard, in one form or another, in our lifetime.  Put that line into a Google search, and you will get many people’s (and AI’s) take on it. 

My thoughts on that line have run the gamut from “What does that even mean?” to “That’s your excuse for defending something that is just bad” to me using it to defend my own preferences.

For the sake of this post, I’m not coming at the line “art is subjective” from the perspective that there is no “good” or “bad” art, because “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. And I’m not saying I can convince you that some piece of art is “good” or “bad” because of how it grades on a specific formula.  I’m going to approach the line “Art is subjective” from the mindset that a piece of art can mean different things to different people at different times.

Basically, to appropriate Shrek’s greatest line:  Art is like onions.

What brought this on is two videos I saw on YouTube that discussed two franchises/series I have some definite thoughts about.  The first was The Dark Underlying Theme of IDW Sonic by Sonic Theory, and the other was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Black Sheep of 2000’s Fantasy by The Thrifty Typewriter.

In The Dark Underlying Theme of IDW Sonic, Sonic Theory argues that a major theme in the IDW Sonic comic books is free will. And I must say, having read the comics I didn’t make that connection, but then again, you’re talking about the guy who didn’t know Hamlet was contemplating suicide when he says “to be or not to be”, so… there’s that.  Sonic Theory has a point.  The theme of free will isn’t slammed in the audience’s face in a way that you cannot miss it, but now having had it pointed out, I can’t stop seeing it.  I honestly want to do a deep dive on that theme using all the characters (yes, I’m a Sonic nerd, where have you been?).

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Black Sheep of 2000’s Fantasy looks at the three theatrical movies that came out in 2005, 2008 and 2010 (The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and how they fit into the fantasy saturation that really kicked off in the 2000s.  Comparing the films to the contemporaries of their time gives the review an interesting angle.  While I don’t really agree with The Thrifty Typewriter’s takes, frankly it has more to do with the fact that I have at least a basic grasp of the spiritual tones of the stories and he doesn’t.  His perspective is drawn from taking into account the media landscape the movies were being released into.

These two seemingly unrelated things do in fact share a common thread I’d like to tug on.  They showcase how an underrated determiner of what the audience’s takeaway(s) of a story/character is the individual’s perspective.  My main takeaways from the Sonic the Hedgehog IDW comics are the themes of friendship and teamwork.  I tend to see The Chronicles of Narnia movies by comparing them to the books and the Christian themes that C.S. Lewis tried to get across. But these YouTube reviewers saw different things, probably based on their own perspectives and life experiences.

“Art is subjective”.  I used to balk at the very idea of it.  If you had a differing take on a book/movie/video game, well then you were just wrong.  And if you were to imply that there were multiple different themes that could be taken from said media, depending on how you approached it, well that was just plain silly.  The themes are the themes, and they are plainly universal, regardless of your perspective.

But now… I wonder if the themes one takes away from a piece of art are indeed subjective, because of our human flaws and brokenness.  Perhaps we are incapable of perfectly getting across themes and stories, which then leaves cracks where the audience can fill in with their own personal life experience and theology.

And by God’s grace, He makes it so that imperfect stories told by imperfect humans can have a richness of meaning.  Maybe even beyond what the creator intended.

Sleep in Peace (story and preview)

By Karlissa J

Davy Jones started awake. A chilly, palpable darkness surrounded the merchild, his belly resting against soft mud.

He wasn’t afraid of the dark or the cold. He breathed through it. He lived in it. And yet something had unsettled him. “Uncle Jor’mun Gand?” Davy Jones whispered.

Silence.

“Uncle?”

“I heard you,” His uncle’s smooth voice floated from the darkness. “I told you not to wake me. What do you want?”

“Can… can I um… can I come sleep beside you?”

A pause. “Fine.”

Davy Jones swam up and over. He felt the rock that his uncle slept upon, then nosed his way to his uncle’s chest, curling beneath the larger merman’s arms. The child stretched out his own eel-like body. “Uncle?”

“Yes?”

“Um… I saw a glowing fish in the house.”

“A small one?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then don’t worry about it,” Jor’Mun Gand said absently. “All the food is stored away. And glowing fish are rarely scavengers anyways.”

The room fell back into quiet. Davy Jones could feel his uncle’s pulse. The merchild curled into a ball. “Uncle, I… I had a nightmare. I didn’t see anything, but I smelled something scary following me.”

His uncle shifted. “Tell me: what do you smell right now?”

Davy Jones’ little nose searched the water. His voice lifted cheerily, “I smell you.”

The two spent a moment tasting and smelling the chemical mixture of the water: the salt of the sea, the particles stirred by the current outside. Jor’mun Gand held his hand over Davy Jones’ heart, feeling the child’s rushing pulse.

He pulled his nephew closer. “Focus on the comforting smells. On me. On what’s really here. There are no monsters, no scary smells. Just us.”

Davy Jones took another couple sniffs to confirm his uncle’s words. Then, he set his head against the rock. The spiny dorsal fin trailing from his head to his back folded down.

No monsters, Davy Jones thought contentedly, curling his long claws into the rock beneath his hands and uncoiling his slimy, serpentine body. He yawned, exposing rows of mini daggers for teeth. No monsters – just us.

This short story is also the first chapter in Davy Jones’ Aquarium! Click here to find the book on Kobo or take a look at Karlissa J’s novels!

Four Approaches to Writing Christian Fantasy

By Karlissa J

“If a writer’s aim be logical conviction, he must spare no logical pains… where his object is to move by suggestion, to cause to imagine… If there be music in my reader, I would gladly wake it.” George MacDonald, “The Fantastic Imagination”

Many people debate over whether The Lord of the Rings should be called a “Christian” book series. Tolkien himself once said his books were religious, but different people have different standards for applying the label “Christian” to a work of art; and The Lord of the Rings is subtle in its use of spiritual themes.

For some readers, the subtlety leaves them more open to learning from the books, and the lessons go deeper. Other readers, however, walk away unsure whether they learned anything, and completely unaware of Tolkien’s Christian faith.

Contrast that with the style of George MacDonald. MacDonald was a preacher, and when he told stories he didn’t stop preaching. His fantasy books and fairytales were also deeply symbolic, so in addition to surface-level teachings there are layers to discover upon rereading.

For some (like Lewis) this makes MacDonald’s fantasies rich, exciting, and memorable. Tolkien, however, came to resent them as being too preachy; and some modern readers will find MacDonald’s florid narrative style and layered symbolism hard to make sense of.

L'Engle’s Time Quartet books are an odd mix of openly Christian and bizarrely unconventional. Some readers are deeply moved and drawn to Jesus by these stories, while other readers come away critiquing her beliefs as unorthodox.

And then there’s Lewis. His Cosmic Trilogy alone is all over the place, from only subtly Christian (Out of the Silent Planet) to deeply theological (Perelandra) to focused on critiquing a particular philosophy (That Hideous Strength). His preachiness varies accordingly.

Which is better: to openly declare a Christian message? To subtly explore a Christian worldview in a tale of good versus evil? To fill a story with much teaching and instruction?

I believe all have their place, because there are a myriad of readers in different stages of their walk with God, coming from a variety of backgrounds, ages, reading skills, and learning styles.

In response to a question about how to include Christian messages in a fantasy book, current fantasy author Wayne Thomas Batson had this to say:

“Your allegory will always be too obvious for some and not enough for others. The big thing is, always respect the story itself. If the message within the allegory is precious and valuable, but the story built around it is superficial, it will fail. Tell a fantastic and meaningful story; respect the genre and the reader, and any allegory within will be that much more powerful.” {See Note}

Each of these four classic authors – George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L’Engle – had a different way of telling a fantasy story. I encourage you to try reading a book from all of them! Find out which author or authors you enjoy most and learn from best.

NOTE: quote from GoodReads author page for Wayne Thomas Batson: https://www.goodreads.com/author/33508.Wayne_Thomas_Batson/questions (accessed August 27, 2024)

The Sheep and the Briars (a parable)

By Karlissa J

(This story was first published in the FellowScript InScribe Magazine, February 2025 issue)

Sheep may not be as stupid as we claim; yet there are things the Shepherd understands that sheep need help to figure out.

The Shepherd was instructing Well-Spoken Ram one day, telling him how he could help the other sheep.

Pointing to a row of briar bushes growing across the length of the pasture, the Shepherd explained: “Well-Spoken Ram, it is important that the sheep do not eat from these bushes. For just beyond them lies a pack of wolves, waiting for sheep to get too close. But the wolves will not pass to this side of the bushes.”

Peering between two briar bushes, Well-Spoken Ram glimpsed a dark figure, and a pair of sharp golden eyes locked onto his gaze. Well-Spoken Ram backed behind the Shepherd, trembling. “Are you sure they will not pass?”

Stroking him gently, the Shepherd repeated: “The wolves will not pass to this side of the bushes. But you must tell the other sheep not to eat from these briars.”

The ram did not know why the wolves would not cross the bushes. But he trusted his Shepherd’s word. “I can do that,” he agreed.

Well-Spoken Ram carried himself boldly, feeling very happy to be chosen by the Shepherd for this important job. He walked around the other sheep as they grazed throughout the pasture, and he bleated: “The Shepherd said with his own mouth: do not eat from the briar bushes! If you do, you will be devoured by wolves!”

Many sheep took this sage advice to heart, and steered clear of the briar bushes and the wolves beyond.

Among the meandering sheep was Loyal Lamb. Nibbling casually, mind absorbed in finding the softest patches of grass, Loyal Lamb tasted something strange on her tongue, something prickly but with juicy leaves.

“What is this?” She pulled back to examine a stick that had been lying within the grass. The lamb had never seen this type of stick.

But she recalled the warning of Well-Spoken Ram: never to eat from the briar bushes. With a shudder, she realized that the thorny branch in front of her might be from a briar bush!

“Oh no! Have I disobeyed the Shepherd, eating from a briar?” But she hadn’t been trying to; the branch had appeared in her path. Questions raced through her mind.

“Is it a briar branch, or something else? Does the Shepherd care if I eat from a branch, if I don’t eat from the bush itself? If it is a bad briar branch, will He forgive me for touching what I meant not to touch? Oh dear! I better go to Well-Spoken Ram for more answers!”

Well-Spoken Ram, meanwhile, had come to feel very proud of his position in directing the flock. Thus far, only the sheep that despised the Shepherd ignored his words, jeering at him as they tested out the briar bushes for themselves.

“Whatever befalls you,” he declared, “is on your own hooves!”

Then up came Loyal Lamb.

“Excuse me,” she bleated to Well-Spoken Ram. “I know I was told not to eat the briar, but I nibbled a branch in the grass, and it might have been a briar branch. Did I disobey the Shepherd’s words? What should I do?”

“You nibbled from a briar bush?!” Well-Spoken Ram snorted angrily. “Then of course you disobeyed the Shepherd! Oh, Loyal Lamb, are you one of the scoffers too? Do you not remember what the Shepherd said: if you eat of the briar the wolves will devour you?”

Loyal Lamb quaked. “I do not want to be devoured by wolves. I want to obey my Shepherd. But I’m afraid I may have eaten some briar – I do not know. Can you help me –”

At that the ram cried, “How dare you try to defend your actions?! Traitor! You do not obey the Shepherd!”

The sheep around heard his cry, and gathered towards Loyal Lamb, whispering, “A briar-eater? A briar-eater?”

Loyal Lamb trembled, and spoke haltingly, trying to explain; but her words were drowned as Well-Spoken Ram yelled loudly and clearly and persuasively: “The Shepherd said it, and we must obey! The lamb who ate from the briar bushes is doomed to face the wolves! Come, sheep: give the traitor over to her fate!”

And Well-Spoken Ram lowered his horns, charged at Loyal Lamb, and shoved her towards the briar row. The other sheep looked on, nodding and approving. “He is right about the Shepherd’s words.” “That lamb has clearly disobeyed the Shepherd.”

Beyond the briar bushes, the wolves awaited, eyes eager as the lamb was shoved, trembling and screaming, into their jaws.

“For all the law is fulfilled by this single piece of instruction: ‘You should love your neighbour as yourself.’ But if you are biting and devouring one another, watch out! You might end up consumed by each other!”

Galatians 5:14-15 (author’s paraphrase)

The Fantasy Author's Secret Tool

By Jason Koop

What are the tools any writer – particularly one of fantasy – requires?  Talent, some are more apt and able than others; communication skills, nothing kills a story’s potential than it being communicated poorly; grit and determination to see a project through to completion; and curiosity.  And not just any curiosity, but a particularly nerdy type.

Now, we will explore that last one, but first, some clarification.  As someone who has dabbled in writing fantasy almost since I could write, I have come to realize in the past few years that I have built up some assumptions that I now realize are a big “wrongzo” to quote my favourite YouTuber Arlo.  Primarily, I assumed that the best thing for a fantasy writer to do to help inspire them was to intake fantasy.  It makes sense, right?  Fantasy goes in, fantasy goes out.

One thing about being married to someone who not only writes fantasy, but has gotten multiple books published (7 as of this blog posting), is that I have had my eyes opened to the realities of getting a quality fantasy story written, and the tools necessary to accomplish this.

Yes, she has the talent, grit and drive, and has come a long way in her communication skills.  But more notably for me, most of her published novels have come from a nerdiness that predated the published work.

While we have stated on the podcast that Kenneth Oppel’s novel Silverwing did inspire Karlissa’s Kingdom of Bats, it was her love for – and knowledge of – bats that was the real driving force.  It’s evident in that there are multiple species of bat represented, and they aren’t readily defined as “good bat species” and “bad bat species”.

Dwelling in Darkness is heavily inspired by both animals of the night, the Popol Vuh (a Mayan religious text), and Malagasy mythology.  There are multiple reference books around the house about the age of sailing and weaponry of that time frame that Karlissa delved into well before writing the Tales of the Diversity trilogy.  Davy Jones’ Aquarium was primarily inspired by her interest and knowledge of creatures that live in the dark depths of our oceans… and aquariums, of course.

There are examples of this in other fantasy writers.  Madeline L’Engle had a love for science, which one can definitely pick up in her Wrinkle in Time series.  J.R.R. Tolkien had a deep affinity for Norse mythology.  C.S. Lewis was a Medieval and Renaissance scholar.

Timothy Zahn, whom has written some of my favourite Star Wars novels, has a doctorate in physics, which definitely is evident in things like space battles; he can elevate these conflicts beyond a simple shoot and explode scene.

One advantage of being at the very least curious or knowledgeable in any area is that the writer can then use this to provide greater detail and “colour” for the reader’s imagination.  If Karlissa’s knowledge of creatures that live in the dark ocean depths were contained in a Google search, then Davy Jones’ life in the Abyss would undoubtedly come across as a lot more boring, with not much to differentiate it from our own.

Fantasy is a wonderfully malleable genre.  And some of the best examples of fantasy come from taking a dash or two from this wonderful world God created and letting that influence what happens in our fantasies.

As much as writers of fantasy are encouraged to let their imagination go wild with the possibilities, I think we should also praise their own unique flairs that they bring to the table.  If a writer’s work is clearly painted by their love of animals or the way physics would interact with something fictional in space, I think it all adds depth to the fantasy experience.