By Dawn Ford
 |
| Steampunk Dawn Ford |
What do dragons, time machines, and God
have in common? You might be surprised to discover they fall in the category of
Speculative Fiction. When people ask me what I write and I tell them
Speculative Fiction, they scrunch their brows and say, “What?” So, I’m here to try
and take the speculation out of Speculative Fiction.
What are we
really talking about when someone says Speculative Fiction? Fantastical in
nature, this term encompasses genres such as Fantasy, Horror, Spiritual
Warfare, and Utopian/Dystopian fiction. Simplified, Spec Fic is a sibling to
Sci-Fi wherein a story, whether modern day, furturistic or historical, gets
thrown together with some elements of an alternative nature. This speculation
of time/world/nature turns the ordinary into extraordinary and thus becomes
Speculative Fiction.
Because of this,
a story that is Spec Fic needs certain elements to be placed under this large
umbrella of vastly different genres. Magic, time travel, alternative realities,
non-human species or entities, a non-earthly world, or elements bent and
stretched beyond the norm can be used to set your story apart from a “regular”
fiction or even Sci Fi work.
Spec Fic claims hybrid
genres such as Steampunk. Steampunk is a genre taken from a historical period
of time (mid-eighteenth century) to magnify a certain aspect of that time (the
use of steam over industrial technology) and uses it to tell a story. Think the
movie Sherlock Holmes which stars Robert Downey Jr., whose exceptional ability
to think ahead in the action helps him fight brilliant and resourceful villains.
This in itself is a bit of a stretch in human ability even for a genius such as
Sherlock. Mix that together with the use of weaponry and/or inventions dripping
with a 19th Century retro-futuristic flair. That’s Steampunk.
Utopian/Dystopian
stories have been on an upswing in the past few years as well, especially in
Young Adult novels. Utopian: a perfect society vs. Dystopian: a partially or
completely devastated society. These societies would have their own share of
pros and cons, allowing a creative landscape for an author to bring about a new
society, brimming with problems that would naturally arise in such an extreme
world. Think The Hunger Games for dystopian and Divergent for Utopian.
Thanks to
publishers such as Marcher Lord Press, Oak Tara, Port Yonder Press, and
Splashdown Books, and the rise of Splickety and Havok magazines, the
Speculative genre has gone from speculation to reality. At least a fictional
kind of reality.
The Faith and
Fantasy Alliance with the support of SpeculativeFaith.com have even spurred
their own conference, aptly named Realm Makers. The 2013 conference had an
overwhelming response, even though it was their first year. The 2014
conference, RM’s second, promises to be bigger and better with Tosca Lee as the
keynote speaker. It also features the Clive Staples Award, given to the best
published Speculative novel of the year. All of this shows how Speculative
Fiction is becoming recognized by the publishing industry and seeing a growth
in popularity.
Because of the
diversity in genres, I could go on for days about the nuances that frame Spec
Fic, but I’m sure you’ll be glad to know I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going
to strap on my goggles and go
tune up my time machine while you decide if I’ve
taken some of the speculation out of Speculative Fiction for you.
~~~~~
Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a $25 Amazon eGift Card
~~~~~
For more
information on Faith and Fantasy Alliance go here
or Realm Maker’s 2014 Conference, go here.
~~~~~
Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a $25 Amazon eGift Card
~~~~~
Dawn Ford
lives nestled among the Loess Hills in Western Iowa. Her passion is in fantasy
but she also loves small town drama. Dawn is a member of ACFW, SCWBI, and blogs
with nine other Christian women on www.inkspirationalmessages.com.
Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.hemberford
I've heard of speculative fiction, but didn't understand it until now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the knowledge :)
Count me in the drawing!
Thanks for explaining speculative fiction. I have read a few books in this genre and they were very good.
ReplyDeletePlease include me in the drawing.
Thanks for the explanation. I still have my personal dislikes for these genres, which is rather weird, because I time travel every time I read a historical novel, and I believe in angels (supernatural) and know there is spiritual warfare. I even like it when I am caught in it unawares. So welcome, Dawn.
ReplyDeleteMy crit partner Glenn has a short story in the last Havok, so I got to crit some speculative! I love the idea of writing steampunk, but I doubt I'll ever do it....gothic romance is probably the closest I'd get, got a few ideas for that, but I don't think they're considered speculative, are they?
ReplyDeleteHey Dawn!!!! How cool that Speculative fiction is getting a toe-hold in the Christian market. Love the sound of that conference! And it's such a significant genre for YAs nowadays. What a wonderful way to reach Christian teens. Which brings me to a question:
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that a lot of the mainstream speculative YA books have some gritty content -- from violence to sex to language. Just wondering about how Christian speculative fiction handles that aspect of the genre? How 'edgy' to they get?
Great explanation. I don't read spec fiction, but both of my sons do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Welcome to Seekerville, Dawn! Thanks for taking the mystery out of speculative fiction.
ReplyDeleteI've brought an egg bake, coffeecake and the coffee is hot.
Janet
Hi Dawn!
ReplyDeleteSo good to see you here and 'speculative" explained to us.
You know I wish you the best with your writing!
Hi Dawn and welcome to Seekerville. I have a friend who writes speculative fiction and now we are so glad to have a name to call the genre. smile His is spiritual warfare.
ReplyDeleteI read one time that when it gets ugly in real life, fantasy fiction becomes more popular. People want to escape and they want to see good conquer evil. And it is delightful to see the Christian market embracing it.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your day here.
WOW, DAWN ... this is by FAR, the best blog I've ever seen explaining the mysteries of speculative fiction -- THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeleteLike Courtney, I've heard of speculative fiction (who hasn't with Twilight, Hunger Games, and Divergent???), but I had NO CLUE what it was, other than my knowledge of Steam Punk from the Sherlock Holmes movies. Gosh, it's SO nice to be informed on what is truly a trendsetting genre!!
Have you ever read Diana Gabaldon's time travel series, Outlander? I am assuming this falls into the SF realm, and I have to say it's a very powerful series that ranks up there with Gone With the Wind for me. I just found out the mini-series will be airing this summer on Starz, and I simply CANNOT WAIT!!!
Hugs,
Julie
Oh yes, I brought a steaming pot of chocolate velvet coffee and some hot cross buns. We always had those on Easter morning as a child, so I've been baking some up to be sure I have the recipe correct. Help yourselves.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is a platter of fresh fruits all cut up and peeled and ready to enjoy. Fresh pineapple, apple slices, grapes, mangoe slices, strawberries and cuties (they are easy to peel)
hi Dawn
ReplyDeletethanks for the run-down on Speculative Fiction. I love Steampunk. I didn't realize that the Christian market was accepting it so that's cool for me to know.
Some commentors have already asked a couple of questions I had, so I'll just check back to see your answers.
I wish I had the courage create a Steampunk costume. I love the aviator caps and goggles - just not sure where I could wear them without people thinking I'm a goober.
Good morning Dawn.
ReplyDeleteI've never read speculative fiction but I can see where it should be a sought-after genre. I know a lot of readers who LOVE it. I'm glad to see they can read it in the Christian market now.
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteGood morning! Speculative Fiction wears a lot of hats! Glad I cleared it up for you!
Wilani,
ReplyDeleteKeep reading those speculative books!
Hi Marianne! The greatest thing I like about Speculative is that it covers so many different things. If you don't like werewolves or vampires try some magical reality where it's much more subtle. Or try the actual time travel that goes back in history. I love historical romances, and I've read many good ones that started in the future and traveled back through time.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Seekerville, Dawn! I never understood what speculative fiction was, so thanks for the information. I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Bestie! I'm considering all those times you had to explain this to me and all our other writer friends in the area as training for writing this blog post. I love a good spec fic, but obviously my mind time travels every day. And before you tell me to get back to 1913 and start writing, I wanted to say great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Kav!
ReplyDeleteMainstream Speculative can be a bit edgy. Action can be the same way with all the violence. I appreciate the authors who will put disclaimers on their books such as 'for ages 14 and older' so you know there's content you may want to be wary of for your teen reader. I do have some gritty subjects, but try to handle them respectively.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteIt's great your boys read. I have three boys-one reads epic fantasies, one reads anything he can get his hands on, and the third is picky a non-fiction reader. It's harder to find non-fiction that interests him.
Janet,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the coffee! I'm not a morning person. Hope you enjoyed the explanation!
Hi Rose!
ReplyDeleteYou're one of my biggest supporters and encouragers! Thanks for coming over today!!
Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think when there's unrest in our own government Dystopian adventures go on the rise. It's a reflection of the modern day temperature, for sure. I, however, have always been a head in the clouds type of person so fantasy has always fit me well.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I was able to help you understand the awesomeness that is Speculative Fiction. I'm only slightly enthusiastic about it, as you can see.
I love to find new books I haven't read, especially if they will be put on screen. I don't know why I love to compare the books to the movies (books always win) but I just can't seem to help myself. I'm going to go look it up! Thanks!!
I've never read speculative in the Christian genre, but waaaaaaay back a long time ago, I read the Harry Potter series, which I assume, from your excellent description, is speculative. Am I right?
ReplyDeletePlease toss my name in the hat for the giveaway.
Dawn is in the house! Great blog and what a wonderful explanation. It's great to see the genre gaining some 'steam' ;)
ReplyDeleteDebH,
ReplyDeleteI wore my steampunk outfit (the one you see me in the picture above) last year at the Realm Maker's conference. I got so excited my husband (who is not any kind of fantasy buff) joined in! I took a hat I bought at a museum for an Abraham Lincoln display and tricked it out with a sparkly scarf, added some bling, and a mad hatter tag.
Then I found a used leather jacket at a Good will and added a big netted flower which I glued gears on.
I had a dress that I liked the skirt, so I had a sewing friend of mine take the top off, fix the bottom so it could be worn alone, and added a blouse I found at a costume store. Add some lace up boots and viola!
I'm sure there are steampunk events around you--there usually are in larger cities. Or a Renaissance Fair. They're the best for dressing up and having some fun in costume.
Dawn, I didn't know you wrote steampunk! Is there much of a market for that in Christian fiction? (If not, there's always self-pubbing, right?)
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read steampunk, but it's tempting. The book covers are always so unique!
Connie,
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for a few years for Speculative to catch fire on the Christian market. We've had some great authors plow the way and with efforts such as Realm Makers, we are joining forces and getting stronger every day!
Cara Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI love your books!! Historical Fiction is a second love of mine. Most of my friends who are authors write it as well. Do try it!!
Lorna,
ReplyDeleteHey!!!! Just the person who got me bitten by the writing bug!! Lorna and I went on a trip, mainly for Lorna to meet up with other writers. I went along because, hey, who says no to a free trip with their best friend? Since then I've been smitten. So, it's all Lorna's fault. And, yes, get back to 1913 and get spunky!
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteYes, Harry Potter would definitely be under our Speculative umbrella. And I did read, and love, Harry Potter! My middle son read them faithfully. When the movies would come out, we would all go out on the opening weekend to go see them. It's really neat to have that to share as a family.
Hey, Sherri,
ReplyDeleteCan I get a whoop-whoop? I(I've promised Mary I'll do my best to behave)
We are building steam, almost as much as you romance writer's. Pretty soon it'll all be steamy in here. ;)
Hi Sally!
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten anything steampunk written yet, however I have one plotted out along with all kinds of devices I'm going to use. It's almost too much fun to plan, I may never get it written! Ha.
The Christian market is growing for steampunk, but one must note that the Christian markets are usually a good two years behind the regular market on trends. What's hot in ABA soon becomes popular CBA. It's only a matter of time before the cyborgs take over!
Hi Dawn!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.......I never knew...good info! I do read ...lots...but will have to try this type!
Please count me in for the GC!!
Thanks!
Hi, Jackie! I"m sure you'll find something to your liking. Goodreads is a great place to start.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Dawn. Thanks for the great explaination. I was just chatting with some friends from church over dinner on all the genres in Christian fiction. The discussion veered to Christian horror. hahaha.
ReplyDeleteIt seems speculative fiction is one of the easiest genres in the CBA to crossover into the hands of ABA readers. Or at least, I heard that at one time.
What motivated you to embrace this genre? Or perhaps I should say, what do you most enjoy about writing spec. fiction?
With the huge popularity of Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent and of course the hallmark...HARRY POTTER it's the perfect time to get into these genre with a faith message. Harry Potter, at it's root is the battle of good against evil. And what more perfect message for a Christian take on this.
ReplyDeleteAnd if The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe works for Christian fiction, the we know it can be great.
Dawn, it's a pleasure to have you as our guest today, and thanks for this informative post on speculative fiction!
ReplyDeleteUsually my pleasure reading leans toward real-life stories, either contemporary or historical, but I've always enjoyed SF-type movies and TV shows. A fave that I hated to see cancelled was Sanctuary.
What a great blog, Dawn! Love your steampunk costume.
ReplyDeleteI read an editor blog on what she was looking for, and she said dystopian has been overdone and has seen its day. Is that true from your point of view?
Thanks for the links to learn more.
Thanks for the explanation, Dawn. I've always wondered just what Steampunk was. Now I know.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteI was always a daydreamer. My Mother knew this about me and never faulted me for it. She was so patient with me. So that encouraged my imagination from an early age. Magic has always entranced me, so much so that I tried writing a few "regular" manuscripts, but they never kept my own interest for long. The first speculative manuscript I wrote was a spiritual warfare one. My angels and demons were so much fun to write and I would get so excited in the middle of the battle scenes. It was the first book I ever really pitched and got some interest, but I've learned so much since then.
Now I have a finished fantasy time travel book I'm sending out. It came to me one morning and I had the first three chapters written before I even realized it. My newest one has more magical realism theme than real fantasy, but I just can't get too far away from the speculative that seems to run in my blood.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for inviting me here today!!!
The reason I first wrote my spiritual warfare novel was because I was seeing all these books written where the angels fell in love with the protagonist, or the human was reincarnated over and over until they were finally united and the angel would risk anything--even leaving heaven--to love this human girl. God is the bad guy in lots of these, and in some even the angels or hybrids (nephilium) don't know if they believe in the one true God.
BLECH!
I wanted angels to be angels and demons to be demons, and God to be shown as the one true God He is. There are readers to be had if we can just get the stories out there. (I say as I dust off my soap box.)
Thanks, Myra!I have not seen Sanctuary! I wonder if it's on Netflix?
ReplyDeleteThere are more and more books coming out that have what's called Magical Realism in them, like I mentioned above, that might suit you better. My critique partner writes in this genre and is finding a great audience with middle graders, but the thing is that I love her books also! There's just so much that can be done with the Speculative genres.
Thanks, Dawn. Good explanation. Hook and Patch appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cher!!
ReplyDeleteI believe Dystopian has had a good run. I've seen more Alien stories lately, and believe it or not Alice in Wonderland has several retells out or coming out that are hotter than pancakes. So fairy tales are still trending if there's a fresh take on them.
Shari,
ReplyDeleteI should wear my costume to our next meeting so you can see it in person! Ha.
jdsqrd,
ReplyDeleteHey old friend!! Thanks for coming over to visit me. You've helped edit the only book I've finished that has NO magic in it whatsoever. LOL! And I must admit, in your manuscript the haunted house scene was pretty awesome! I hope we can both celebrate soon these manuscripts coming into print!
Hi Dawn!
ReplyDeleteI like reading some of the varieties of Spec Fic - not dystopian, or horror, but most of the others. Fantasy was one of my first loves (after historical), and Tolkein continues to be my favorite author.
One cool thing about Spec Fic is that it only takes one element - a non-human character, for instance - to swing it out of one of the other genres into Spec Fic. So you can have a very realistic modern romance or historical adventure...and then throw in a supernatural character, and the story takes off. :)
I don't see myself writing in this genre, though. I don't think I could live in that kind of world long enough.
And you live in the Loess Hills? We travel back and forth from western South Dakota to visit family in Indiana and Michigan. As we go down I-29, I always look at those hills in the distance. Now I'll wave as I go by!
Jan, waving at you right now! The Loess Hills are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it only takes a small element to bring a story out of the "norm" and into one of these genres. Let's use Sandra Bullock movies for examples, since they are fairly well known. The Lake House is fairly contemporary, although it goes back and forth through time. The element there is the mailbox and the letters that reach the characters either in the past or the future. It's a simple thing made supernatural. How fun! Then in Premonition she relives the day her husband dies and the events that follow it. It's classified as horror, but has supernatural elements in it that make it Speculative. However, the contemporary feel of the story remains.
Welcome Dawn!
ReplyDeleteYou know I've always wanted to write a book like the TV series, The Wild, Wild West. The original.
Perfect example of Spec. Fiction.
Totally sounds like fun!!
Okay, I will say I am not a fan of Dystopian.
ReplyDeleteI can't suspend my reality that long.
But you have now got me thinking about Jules Verne.
Tina, I loved Wild, Wild West and I'm a sucker for anything Jules Verne.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I love Dystopian/Utopian like I do. Although many people didn't like the violence in The Hunger Games, it became my new favorite series. Maybe it's my penchant for rooting on the underdogs and weakness for love triangles that sucked me in and kept me going.
However, I've found several series since then that I love, love, love. I did like Divergent, but it wasn't my favorite. I liked the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, although the religion in the story is a fanatical controlling kind. I think that speaks more of human nature than of religion, but it could be viewed by others differently.
Dawn I know just what you mean about the angels giving up heaven for love.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the movies that's always seen as all right, even beautiful.
Wasn't some Nicholas Cage movie...he (or was the woman the angel?) gave up heaven and then the woman died and it was all right because 'one day of true love was worth it.'
I just thought it was written by someone with no notion of what heaven was. Which is probably an exact description of whoever wrote that.
Good grief.
Another dystopian series I liked was the Matched series by Ally Condie and the Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Of course Jill Willaimson's Captives is always a good read.
ReplyDeleteDawn, thanks for an informative blog. I had never heard of spec fiction until I attended my first ACFW conference. In fact, I had to ask what it was. :)
ReplyDeleteI do like a little paranormal--not vampires, mind you, but spirits.
Anyone remember the old HQ line that was a little out there? Was it Nocturne? Hmmmm? That doesn't seem right. Anyway, I loved the line, which was cut...probably when more hard-hitting paranormals stole the limelight.
Forest of Hands and Teeth ????
ReplyDeleteWell, that is an amazingly disturbing title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mary, I think that was City of Angels with Meg Ryan. I could go on for days about the whole angels who turn into human or have romances with humans thing. It was funny that when I put my spiritual warfare in for a contest (not ACFW) that the judge commented that she wished my angel was romantically involved with my main character, instead of being seduced by a human possessed by a demon. (which sounds really out there, but i promise you it really wasn't all that weird)
ReplyDeleteDebby,
ReplyDeleteThey have a Nocturne line now. I know they had another one because I read some years ago, but I can't remember the name of the line either. So, you like ghost stories? I love a good ghost story.
It is disturbing, isn't it, Mary? It's about a zombie apocalypse where the zombies roam the forests and the safe places have huge fences around them, hence the fear of hands and teeth which get through the fences and infect the others. The Enclave is also a good read for zombie/dystopian lovers. However, I would keep that one above the age of 14 for sure. Just my own rating there.
ReplyDeleteI have some speculative fiction on my bookshelves, looks like I'll need to dig them up and give them a try. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your clear explanations, Dawn. It is funny how close the lines are between Historical and certain aspects of Speculative Fiction. Maybe it has to do with Worldbuilding? The Twilight Zone is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I've always been tempted to try something. Maybe someday. Thanks for visiting Seekerville Dawn!
ReplyDeleteHi Anna!! Do dig them out and give them another look. There's nothing quite like taking a vacation of the mind.
ReplyDeleteHey, Piper! Thanks! And I loved watching the Twilight Zone growing up. Really bends the mind, doesn't it? I also loved Creature Feature, which I'm not sure where it all reached back in the 70's or 80's. They were mostly horror movies, but I loved watching them with my Dad. It's probably what twisted my mind from a very young age, lol.
ReplyDeleteLove reading the comments here. I think I wrote some little stories when I was a kid that would be classed as Speculative now days. It's definitely a different world (no pun intended). I appreciate your soap box on the angels and demons writings, Dawn. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. Off I go to look at more comments. Learning a lot...
ReplyDeleteforgot to mention to put my name in the draw.
DebH, Don't pass over your old stuff, if you have short stories that are good you can send them in to magazines.
ReplyDeleteI'm honored you've learned something new about Speculative Fiction. I love that meme that shows Darth Vader and says something like, 'Come to the dark side, we have chocolate.' Ha!
Hi Dawn! Thank you so much for your more detailed explanation of speculative fiction. You were the first person to introduce me to it a few years ago! I've read a few since then, and all I can say is, good luck! The imagination that genre requires is beyond me, but I know you do a terrific job of it. Can't wait to read one of yours in print soon!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just finished the third "Parasol Protectorate" novel last week (for those who don't know, it's a speculative fiction series by Gail Carriger about a woman who has no soul that can neutralize supernatural beings, taking place in Victorian steampunk London with a Jane Austen sensibility. Fun stuff!). You're going to love the next few books!
Have a splendid day!
Thanks, Stephanie! I always hoped I wasn't a bad influence on you, lol! I have the second book in the Parasol Protectorate in line to be read. Now I'm really anxious to get to them!! Ahhh.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab post Dawn!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Welcome Dawn! Thanks for sharing info! I didn't really know much about speculative fiction. Although, I saw titles of books that I've loved. Now I know better where to place these books in my description. :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm dying to see the Divergent movie! I loved those books when my book club read them a year or two ago.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amy C.!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Missy! I really liked Divergent. You read it in a book club? What a cool book club! If we lived closer we could go to the movie together, form a group, since my hubby and youngest son don't want to go with me. My middle son who would go with is busy ending his last year at college and getting ready to get married!! So, I guess I'll let him off the hook this one time.
Missy, I forgot to ask, what did you think of the ending of the Divergent series?
ReplyDeleteParasol Protectorate? Okay well, I'm probably not going to get the Forest of Hands and Teeth (eek!) but the Parasol Protectorate ... maybe.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMary, you should stretch your wings with Parasol Protectorate. It has werewolves and all kinds of fun things in it. I love the main character's weapon of choice--a bladed parasol.
ReplyDeleteHey, Kimberli!! Thanks for coming over today.
Please include me in your generous drawing!!
ReplyDeleteI had always put the separate books into the sci-fi genre. Thanks for the enlightening information!
S. Trietsch, Spec Fic is very similar to Sci Fi, and many times the genres trade traits. However, after having attended many conferences and talked with many Sci Fi writers, there's a definite difference in the genres. They're like different shades of gray, so we can blend, but on the spectrum you see the differences.
ReplyDeleteDawn, she gets a new parasol in Book 2--with more weapons!
ReplyDeleteMary, they're a lot of fun and very humorous. A nice way to ease into speculative fiction if you're unfamiliar with it, like I was.
A new and improved Parasol, huh? Awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you Seekerville for allowing me to come today and talk about something that is such a passion for me. Thanks to everyone also for your kind remarks. I hope this brings you all closer to reading a different genre if you weren't before, or enforced the love you have for the Speculative Fiction!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn, this post is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a term for it, but my DIL writes Spec Fic, with Steampunk elements, which I love. (I could easily be a brown coat! Go Firefly!)
It's intriguing to consider a Christian Fantasy, especially after last night's blood moon eclipse, as designed by God.
You've opened a whole new world for me. I'll check out the Speculative Faith website. Do you have a suggestion for a good Christian Spiritual Warfare novel to read as a beginning reader in this sub-genre?
Thanks for your post! Very interesting!
Sherida,
ReplyDeleteThe first novel I read that was spiritual warfare was This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. He also wrote Piercing The Darknesss. However, be prepared to look at shadows differently after you read it. Honestly, the book scared my socks off, but I loved it.
Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee also have great spiritual warfare books. You can find them both on Amazon, B&N, and on Christianbook.com.
These are the best examples I can think of to get your feet wet.
And best of luck to you and your DIL. Thank you for your enthusiasm!
ReplyDeleteDawn, thanks for the fabulous explanations. I love science fiction and speculative fiction. I've tried my hand at writing it, but I haven't finished the story to know if it's any good or not. Of course, I like to think it is!
ReplyDeleteSpeculative really opens the door on creativity where you can create different worlds, rules, beings. I've always been drawn to it as a reader.
"Fantastical"...my new favorite word!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the info! I work with teenagers, and this stuff is Huge right now. I'm glad to be able to stay on top of it.
And Congrats to you Dawn! This will only get bigger in the next few years, and YOU are riding on the tip of the wave!
*please put me in the drawing! And thank you for spending your day with us!
HQ Shadows! I finally remembered the line. A bit late, right?
ReplyDeleteYes, I love ghost stories!!!
Dianna, Thanks! Building the world I'm writing in has always interested me. As for writing, I like to think if I go back and reread what I've done and I still like it, I must be doing something right.
ReplyDeleteJana,I agree! I've always believed I was in on the wave.
Debbi,
That's it!! I loved it when I could get my hands on them. Of course, that was before I began using the internet for ordering books, so it was a real treat to find one! AND you're a kindred spirit. I love ghost stories, too!
Great post! I've enjoyed reading speculative fiction in the past, but am in a historical and contemporary romance phase for now. It's great that there are Christian themes in the genre now. Please put me in the hat for your giveaway and thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the definition, Dawn.
ReplyDeleteJan
Thank you for explaining. I enjoyed this thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I honestly wasn't sure what speculative fiction was myself. :)
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I'm often disturbed by the types of books they advocate for kids, especially middle school age kids. At our last book fair, 90% of them were dark...filled with all kinds of paranormal things. I'm glad to see that speculative fiction can offer kids a way to tap into their desire to read about fantasy while avoiding the unhealthy aspects of it. Thanks for the post and please count me in the drawing!
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn! I love to read and write Spec Fiction. It is a very broad term. I get a lot of scrunched-eyebrow looks when people ask me what genre I write in and I respond with "speculative fiction". Now I try to be more specific and say "young adult romantic urban fantasy" (which is a total mouthful). I really enjoyed your post and would love to be entered in the drawing for the gift card:)
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, Speculative has become one of my favorite genres.
ReplyDelete