Episode 31 - Perelandra and Star Wars

Jason finished reading CS Lewis’ Perelandra! What did he think? Karlissa and Jason use this as a launch point for talking about hard and soft sci-fi, Star Wars, CS Lewis’ novels, and more!

Spoiler warning for Perelandra! This is the second book in CS Lewis’ Space Trilogy, between Out of the Silent Planet (book one) and That Hideous Strength (book three).

 

Books Referenced:

Perelandra (CS Lewis); Sonic the Hedgehog, Volume 10: Test Run! (IDW Comics); Paradise Lost (Milton); Shivering World (Kathy Tyers); Out of the Silent Planet (CS Lewis); That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis); The Divine Comedy (Dante); The Great Divorce (CS Lewis); Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis);

 

Notes:

Milton’s (Paradise Lost) first name is John. John Milton.

Perelandra was referenced in the Language of God podcast, “166. Molly Worthing – Science and the Journey to Faith.” Molly Worthing states, “For the most part, I don’t find Mere Christianity to be this very powerful apologetic intervention that I think many people think it is, and for me, The Space Trilogy is most absolutely his most powerful apologetic work.”

Alister McGrath has talked about the racism concerns in Lewis’ books on the CS Lewis Podcast.

Episode 28 - Pros and Cons of Christian Fantasy

What are the pros and cons of the recent state of Christian Fantasy? Jason and Karlissa consider the value of Christian-written fantasy, and areas where the ‘genre’ we call Christian Fantasy could grow by moving away from market trends.

Currently Reading: “Silverwing” graphic novel (Kenneth Oppel), “Sonic Volume 16: Misadventures” (Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley), “The Divine Comedy” (Dante, English translations), “A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (Jason M Baxter), “Perelandra” (CS Lewis).

Correction: “The Divine Comedy” was written about 700 years ago (not 600)!

Episode 26 - Books We Used to Like

Jason and Karlissa talk about how they got into fantasy, books they haven’t read in a while, books they finished reading recently, and the books they are working on writing!

Recent books read: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Rewriting Adam” (Connie Mae Inglis), “JRR Tolkien: the Mind Behind the Rings” (Mark Horne), “The Woodcutter” (Lorn Wolf), “A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War” (Joseph Loconte), and “Let the Ghosts Speak” (Bryan Davis).

Episode 25 - Fear of Death

Lord of the Rings; Harry Potter; The Dragon Prince; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – what do all have in common with a verse from the book of Hebrews?

Spoiler Warning for “The Dragon Prince” show from Wonderstorm! (Also, be aware that this series contains abundant LGBTQ+ content and some dark themes.)

Currently Reading: “The Woodcutter” by Lorn Wolf; “J. R. R. Tolkien: The Mind Behind the Rings” by Mark Horne.

Episode 24 - Overview Effect Stories

Karlissa’s mind made a connection between an astronaut interview and a CS Lewis quote. Is there something there that will help us find stories that “cool us”?

Episode Resources: BibleProject podcast, “Chaos and the Cosmos: an Astronaut Interview – Chaos Dragon Episode 19” (Dec 11, 2023); and CS Lewis, “On Science Fiction” (as printed in “On Stories”).

Currently Reading: “Rewriting Adam” (Connie Mae Inglis), “The Medieval Mind of CS Lewis” (Jason M. Baxter), “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn).

Episode 23 - Friendship: the Lost Magic

Do we over-emphasize romantic relationships to the detriment of our understanding of friendship? And where can you find good friendship stories in Christian fantasy, and fantasy in general?

Currently reading: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Leoshine Book 1” (N. MacCameron), “The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis” (Jason M. Baxter), “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (Akira Himekawa).