Episode 11 - Is Magic Necessary in Fantasy?

Jason and Karlissa discuss magic: a topic that sometimes gets brought up in Christian circles concerning fantasy. Together, they consider the complexities that often get overlooked.

Resources used: “The Gospel According to Tolkien” (Ralph C. Wood); “Narnia, Middle-Earth, and the Kingdom of God” (Mark Worthing); “The Fellowship: the Literary Lives of the Inklings” (Philip and Carol Zaleski); and a few dictionaries!

A nod to Madeleine L’Engle, who brought up the magi and the stars in her book, “Penguins and Golden Calves.”

And George MacDonald’s “Lilith” indeed has many odd, magical moments - Karlissa recommends reading it!

Episode 10 - Where to Find Fantasy

Jason tells the story of how he discovered Brian Jacques’ Redwall series; then he and Karlissa give some ideas on where to find fantasy books.

Books Mentioned and Corrections: The Heart of George MacDonald (edited by George MacDonald scholar Rolland Hein), The Gospel According to Tolkien (Ralph C. Wood), The Green Ember (S.D. Smith), Tales from the Perilous Realm (J.R.R. Tolkien).

This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Join the Conversation!

Where did you discover your favourite fantasy novel? Let us know in the comments!

Episode 9 - Underrated Books

Karlissa and Jason share their lists of fantasy books that deserve more attention: forgotten books from renowned authors, personal favourites, and recognized classics that are just hard to market.

Recommended books: Phantastes (George MacDonald), The Children of Hurin (J.R.R. Tolkien), Lilith (George MacDonald), The Thrawn Trilogy (Timothy Zahn), Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis), Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J.), Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis).

Resource mentioned: The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis (Jason M. Baxter).

This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Join the Conversation!

What fantasy books, Christian or otherwise, do you think are underrated? Let us know in the comments!

Episode 8 - Manga, Graphic Novels & Comic Books

What is manga? What makes it similar to our comic books and graphic novels, and what’s different? And why is Christian media largely lacking in graphic novels and the like?

Main resource:  New York Public Library - https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/12/27/beginners-guide-manga

This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Episode 7 - 10 Fun Facts: George MacDonald

Who was George MacDonald? And why are his works a vital part of Christian Fantasy? Ten things you should know about this oft-forgotten author.

George MacDonald's stories include: "Phantastes," "Lilith," "At the Back of the North Wind," "The Princess and the Goblin," "The Golden Key," "The Light Princess," and more.

Episode 6 - Fantastical Creature Origins

Discover the origins of six popular fantasy beings, followed by a conversation about one never-used creature.

Zombies, elves, fairies, and more: where do they come from, and how have they changed over time??

Resource: Tony Allen's "The Mythic Bestiary"

Episode 5 - Questions from the Jar, Part 2

More random discussions about the state of fantasy! Are there any discernable trends in Christian fantasy? Are they different than the trends in secular fantasy? Are there any untapped markets (noteworthy subgenres or mediums) that Christians have largely not pursued? We share our opinions, tangents, and queries!

Books mentioned: Warriors series (Erin Hunter), Redwall series (Brian Jacques), Tomo series (by Funnypages Productions), The Silmarillion (JRR Tolkien), The Children of Hurin (JRR Tolkien), Lilith (George MacDonald), “On Fairy Stories” (essay by JRR Tolkien), The Dragon Prince (show by Wonderstorm and Netflix), Auralia's Colors (Jeffrey Overstreet), Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis).

Episode 4 - Questions from the Jar, Part 1

Karlissa and Jason answer an array of questions about books, reading, and Christian fantasy! Do we take Lewis’ advice and reread books? Do we need more thoughtful influences shaping Christian fantasy authors, and does the level of academic rigor found in Lewis and Tolkien still exist in the Christian fantasy landscape? We share our opinions, tangents, and queries!

Correction: Phantastes (George MacDonald) doesn't end with it all having been a dream, though his other novel Lilith leaves things ambiguous as to whether it was a dream.

Books mentioned: C. S. Lewis "Different Tastes in Literature" (article); Phantastes (George MacDonald); Amish Vampires in Space (Kerry Nietz); The Thrawn Trilogy (Timothy Zahn); Redwall series (Brian Jacques); Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis); The Children of Hurin (J.R.R. Tolkien); The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis); The Wingfeather Saga (Andrew Peterson).

This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Episode 3 - 10 Fun Facts: CS Lewis

CS Lewis: one of the most famous Christian fantasy authors, writer of the acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia, author of multiple apologetics books defending the Christian faith… and a more complicated person than we may imagine.

Jason reacts to ten surprising facts about C.S. Lewis that Karlissa has found during her research. Where was Lewis actually born? What was his official career? Who was Arthur Greeves? Discover something new about this familiar author!

Correction: CS Lewis did identify as an Anglican. He did try not to emphasize denomination in his writings to non-Christians, as he explains in the introduction to Mere Christianity, instead focusing on things that join us across the Christian faith.

Resources: The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings (Phillip and Carol Zaleski), The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis (Jason M. Baxter), Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God (Mark Worthing), the CS Lewis Podcast (with Alister McGrath), Perelandra (CS Lewis), That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis).

Episode 2 - What Is Christian Fantasy?

What is “Christian fantasy,” and how are we using that term? First, we explore the complexities involved with defining whether a book is ‘Christian’ or not. Then, we look at the roots of the fantasy genre; and finally, give an overview of the fantasy book scene today.

Resources: Mark Worthing's Narnia, Middle-Earth and the Kingdom of God; another helpful book to consider is Daniel Silliman’s Reading Evangelicals.

This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!