Hm… I’m a practising Catholic and I write spec fiction (blood, non-graphic sex scenes, violence, horror), and I don’t do intentional moralising. How does that work with me being Christian? Well, first of all, I think my values show in my work inevitably - the good guys win, the evil get punished. All the best, timeless themes are also core Christian themes - pure love, self-sacrifice, friendship, brotherhood, courage, family, etc. Secondly - I am a professional visual artist. It means I had to draw nudes from nature. The whole history of Christian art is full of depiction of nudes, violence, blood etc. Take Adam and Eve. David chopping off Goliath’s head. Etc. Creativity is a gift from God, and if I listen to my conscience (which is deeply influenced by Christianity) I am free to create, as long as I don’t corrupt. Thirdly - the sex scenes. God has given us the beautiful ability of manifest our love through physical nearness. I want to make it beautiful again. Not diminish it to ugly physicality. In my stories, often the couples go through some kind of Marriage ritual. If not, often they face some unpleasant consequences. So, you can write fantasy. Even brutal, dark fantasy. Even as a Christian. Just make sure it has the moral grounding in Christian values. As for horror? I try to write poetic and symbolic horror which also raises questions about the motivations of characters. I do not show the villains in good light, but I do like to mess with the readers head.
My point is - Christians can and they do write readable spec fiction (at least judging by my work, and there are plenty other good Christian authors on Substack).
All of this! Also, historically, for most of the last 2,000 years, Western art has been primarily Christian. Tolkien and Lewis didn't market their books as Christian fantasy - they were simply fantasy. And I recently re-read Dracula after many years and was shocked at how blatantly Christian that book is. Categorizing art and fiction as Christian vs. Secular is a very recent invention, and it's resulted in a lot of terrible art perpetrated in the name of Christ that's aimed more at pleasing the kinds of readers in the article than at glorifying God. Which is all why I've always identified as a Christian who writes fantasy and horror, not a "Christian fantasy and horror writer."
I came to this realization 3 years ago. The Christian market doesn't want anything new or challenging. They want pap that's been mentally sanitized into worthlessness. Salt without savor.
There isn't enough serious Christian fantasy that isn't apologetically infantalized for my tastes. I don't want the Veggietales level of fantasy. That's good for children or newcomers to the faith learning the basics. It's milk when I need meat. I also don't want renamed allegories for Jesus and the parables or stories from the Bible. I'm sorry, I'd rather go to scripture. Reskinning the story of Moses is BORING! Even with a sci fi veneer. Especially when the author often does not have enough understanding or skill to create an engaging narrative that isn't transparent as glass.
Give me Piretti (despite him often doing what I'm about to say next). I want stuff that's going to convict my soul and not have a neatly trite resolution where a simple sinner's prayer or "Road to Damascus" moment saves the day. It's insulting. That's why I write my fantasy in a much darker vein that 90% of Christians will accept, because the same percentage have never stopped sucking on spiritual milk and refuse to try and chew the meat that would make them strong in their faith.
This is why Christian fiction is a sliver of a fraction of the market, and even that sliver of a fraction is turning up their nose at anything that isn't a 30 year old IP. I was at RiseUpCon this year with several other big names in Christian fiction. The public spurned us all. They only wanted celebrities from old IPs, or collectables of the same.
So now, I'm giving up marketing to Christians. Too many of them want sermons, not stories. That's not me. I'm marketing my books to the lost instead. The people who don't want to hear the name Jesus but need Him in a way they can understand. People who need characters that are broken and fallen just like them. The lady's church muffin societies who have no spiritual strength but a lot of feelgood rhetoric and moralistic theraputic deism to throw around like chicken soup at a cold don't want these sorts of questions put to them. The conviction of the spirit is too painful to confront. They're no longer my target audience and I'm fine with that, now. There's almost no money there to keep me writing anyway, and I'm not doing this as a charitable donation or hobby. Let someone else who can speak to their hearts and evangelize to them.
So to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, "I didn't leave the Christian Spec Fic community. They left me."
Again, Christians... your lack of content is the fault of your lack of engagement and I have no sympathy for self inflicted wounds. If you find my caustic view of this stings your spirit, then perhaps that is a prick of conviction to your spirit by the truth.
Exactly how I operate, my work is Christian in nature and yet I try not to have sex scenes, and can only point to one work that hints at it (Chute) and the other works lack it entirely and sure they have blood and fighting but they are always kept to the Howard/Tolkienian level of things so to speak.
I think a lot of Christian (and tbh indie) fantasy suffers from a quality problem. People don't really put in the work to become good at what they do. On top of that, some Christian writers have the attitude of "well, I was Called, so God will take care of me despite the [bad cover/poor editing/insert other indie author pitfalls here]."
Besides that, tbh, a lot of Christian fantasy is...boring. It's always got to have the Christ figure, the faith-that-somehow-resembles-both-Protestantism-and-Catholicism. It feels like you can't stray between set lines and that things always have to be neatly wrapped up and the hero's Pressing Theological Questions get answered with a little bow on top.
When Christians focus less on the "I must write Christian Fiction" thing and more on the "I must work at my art and improve as much as I can because I owe it to God to be the best I can be", THEN things get interesting.
I am a Christian pastor and write fantasy stories and have done so for years. I am from the Tolkien/Lewis camp, especially the former. In these days, I believe Christian fantasy needs to be more like Tolkien and less like Lewis. Tolkien wrote fantasy with Christianity (in his case, Catholicism) deep in its bones rather than on its skin. I've read or listened to a lot of fantasy stories that come from Christian writers, and it always strikes a sour note when the Christianity and moralizing are just too blatant. So, I try to write stories that keep overt mentions of Christian things to a minimum (I do have a religion in them that calls its deity "the Shepherd," but its doctrines are vague, and it is not Christianity). So, like Tolkien, I try to write a good story with Christian themes first and let the reader find them (show, don't tell).
Oh, it's fine to talk theology in fantasy. Please do let characters argue over the meaning of life, or the purpose of beauty, or why evil exists. But DONT HAVE AN ALTAR CALL. That's it. Let characters live their faith but don't turn and talk to the readers. "Sonic says, drugs are bad, kids!"
I think the problem lies deeper. Fundamentally, fantasy and science fiction are not Christian genres. No, this has nothing to do with dragons or space ships. It has to do with the nature of the genres. A genre is a contract between the writer and the reader that the book will adhere to certain principles. These principles run deep and if the book violates them, the reader may not know why, but they will feel something is fundamentally wrong.
One of the most powerful parts of the contract of a genre is what we might call its defining virtue. The defining virtue of a western is rugged individualism. Of a war story, it is courage and ambition. Of a romance, it is devotion. The defining virtue of science fiction is competence, and that has become the defining virtue of fantasy as well. A fantasy now must have a magic system which the protagonist must master and use. They will triumph by attaining and using competence.
LOTR may have spawned the fantasy genre, but it is not itself a fantasy. It is, as Tolkien himself described it, a fairy story. Fairytales are a distinct genre and their defining virtue is virtue itself. Not the boring middle class respectability that passes for virtue in so many Bowdlerized Christian romance and fantasy novels, but the grand high drama of virtue, the virtue of the knights of the round table and the quest for the holy grail. (LOTR is itself a grail quest, but with an anti-grail that must be destroyed, rather than a holy grail that must be recovered.)
It's not that Christian readers are all longing for fairytales and stories of the high romance of virtue. Many of them doubtless want the tales of competence that the culture has taught them to expect. But Christianity does not graft easily onto tales of competence. Do you make prayer and grace instrumental forces to be wielded like a sword or a wand? That is not a Christian idea, nor is it a satisfying form of competence.
There is nothing wrong with tales of competence. Competence is a good thing. But it is not a distinctly Christian virtue, and you cannot convincingly craft a spiritual competence story, because spirituality is not concerned with competence but surrender. You can, however, craft fairytales with a thread of spirituality running convincingly through their tales of high virtue, as Hans Christian Andersen did so brilliantly.
You can certainly write Christian fairytales, therefore, but Christian fantasy and sci fi is at war with its own genre. It's not going to work without fundamentally subverting the genre.
I have to agree with the assessment that Christians like safe stories, at least in my case - I drop anything, whether in film or a book, that starts getting suggestive. I’m always confused when I pick up “Christian” stories and find them full of inappropriate scenes or violence. We need to use our God-given gifts to create beauty: we need clean, pure works that are an escape from the darkness around us, not another plunge into it, yet it needs to have a compelling plot.
I’m not sure I entirely agree with Christians wanting “safe” stories as adults. I’ve heard it the other way as well: Christians don’t want to read safe Christian stories because they consider them “Hallmark” bits, boring and shallow. I certainly fit in that camp. I think most secular people automatically assume the same—so it’s hard for a story labeled “Christian” to ever break out into a larger market.
I’m a Christian writer and reader—and I am very specific about what I want. I want a compelling and deep struggle between Good and Evil, wherein the hero is bloodied but does not Fall.
Most modern secular fiction and film veers into sadism and various non-Christian values and perversions, and their stories do not condemn these evils, and the hero always is tainted by them in the end. Christianity has something profound to offer that is different: A hero who faces dark evil, including the darkness within himself—and emerges still holy, and victorious.
I do not think all fantasy readers want pure escapism, where they can avoid the evils of everyday life—although we all enjoy a story like that from time to time. Rather, I think people (Christians and otherwise) crave a vision of how to respond to evil, and the inspiring hope that our own dragons can, indeed, be defeated.
Yeah, I think you're right, but it really depends. For instance, Christian men really crave the deep philosophical action stuff, like Rage of Lions by Matt Barron. But when it comes to women, it's the fairytales and fluff all the way down. And it's weird, because women make up the majority of the Christian reader market, so that's the way it all seems to slant. As I hang around Christian groups and eavesdrop on the talk, that seems to be all they read.
Very true. I am a newer Christian, so my experience is probably a lot more limited than yours. My current group of women like “happy” stories, but they won’t turn down a decent Good versus Evil showdown, either.
However, as a semi-outsider coming into the fold, I do see a lot of good signs for Christian storytellers in the culture.
1. There’s a revival happening. A lot of people are coming to church who either left or never came before.
2. The secular culture has gotten so bad even atheists are seeking alternatives.
3. A lot of skepticism exists about the “religiousity” in the church. There’s more and more room for—something new. These people are looking for truth, not religion.
Just my 2 cents. I think the market is there, and it’s growing right now. It’s just that the “Christian” label has gotten a bad reputation, and the gatekeepers of Christian fiction have painted themselves into an overly religious corner.
Personally, I want to always write with Christian conviction, but I’ll never use the Christian label. I’m not writing for Christians. I’m writing for *people*—and the people I most want to reach are those like me 5 years ago. Non-Christians, who are yearning for truth and enjoy good *stories*. I think Christians will also enjoy works like that, but the irony is that you can’t write to them as a primary audience.
Thank you very much for this post and the discussion!
Spot on. It's the same with music, it's the same with movies. They don't want rock-n-roll, they want "Worship" music. It's why bible-thumpers shunned Stryper as much as the metal underground did. They don't want nuanced mature dramas, they want PureFlix (just look at the glut of grievance fiction like God's Not Dead, which is on its FIFTH FILM). As someone who recently started spearheading his own Solomon Kane-styled pulp hero from a largely secular perspective, I found out told that I had created one whose overt faith was quite rare. I think writers have to give up any pretensions about imposing ideas upon their work, and simply have to go where the work is needed. At some point, if you can't preach to the choir, maybe it's best to bring the good news elsewhere. If Alice Cooper can spread the word while still delivering on his Grand Guignol theatrics and hard rock legacy, sky's the limit on reaching secular audiences.
I'm Christian and I both read and write fantasy and sci-fi. Maybe you mean that Christians don't read Christian Fantasy and/or Sci-fi. That would depend upon the Author and content. @heatherelaine writes fantasy and sci-fi. @thereseJudeana writes Christian based fantasy and sci-fi.
In my experience, any kind of literature that is labeled as "Christian (fill in blank)" is just not that great. Not to say that there aren't exceptions, but the Church hasn't been very kind to artistic expression over the years. This can be said for literature, music, art, etc. If there is "Christian Art" it's usually very bad. I'd rather read a secular author than a Christian one, because I've been disappointed by Christian art over the years. I'm a Christian who writes fantasy, I'm not a Christian fantasy author. Here's to hoping that our Brothers and Sisters can come to make better art in years to come, and that it glorifies God and reaches the lost.
Creative people tend to be creative in their lifestyles as well, so they drift away from rigid theology. At one point, we may have struck some kind of balance between one class dictating the metanarrative and another class being expressive and explorative within it. It would be nice to achieve that balance again, if it's possible.
See, that's the key word: balance. Creative expression without compromising the Word of God. It seems to me that too many Christians are afraid to delve into those dangerous waters where Beauty might be found. That's why Christian art is often "goody-goody" and uncompelling, because the artist only wanted to play it safe.
I agree to a lot of what you said but the last part, no. Write adult fiction without morals? Even secular authors write with morals. It's part of the art of fantasy. It's the cheering for the underdog who does what is right despite the immense obstacles. What I've come to see in recent years is the absolute need for morals. We're drowning in a world of immoral virtues that are literally causing suicide with no hope. George MacDonald, a famous 18th century pastor, defended his writing fantasy as a vehicle to explore hard issues without the constraint of real life.
That said, I have a little different approach to fantasy than other Christians. I know enough of the Bible to know a lot of it is graphic, even the parts that talk about sex. Song of Solomon isn't the only place it talks explicitly. Ezekiel quotes God describing Israel in one of the most over the top graphic depictions of a prostitute to the point when you read it in Hebrew, your face will turn beet red. That book alone should be Rated R. My take is that if God was quite fine in being graphic about sex, plus according to church fathers and biblical scholars, the bible aligns more closely to how fantasy is written than the church lets on, writing fantasy as a Christian isn't a crutch but a bonus. We have an insight we can draw on that places fantasy closer to reality. I'd say start with Michael S Heiser, watch your mind explode as the biblical text make sense as it did church fathers we refuse to quote on certain subjects, and wonder how in the world you never saw this before. Greek mythology and the Bible have much more in common than most would ever dream. I'm not claiming polytheism of any sort but a divine council worldview, gods (spirits) legitimately ruling nations (gen 11, deut 32, dan 7, psalm 82, Eph 6 where Paul describes spiritual warfare in cosmic geographic terms). I think as Christians, we've allowed ourselves to be duped by the world and dumbed down our own view of the Bible that in effect, killed our ability to express truths in writing.
For myself, I have a few rough drafts written already for a fantasy book series that revolves around spiritual warfare, cryptids, a storyline derived from a Castlevania influence with the Belmont family being part of the church. My aim isn't really to draw in Christians because I have a suspicion most won't like my content because they live in a church tradition that doesn't conform to the Bible's worldview. So I'll write dark fantasy with Christian elements and a clear distinction where I stand. It's a good vs evil and the evil is extreme. I use to have major problems writing anything dark cause I thought it was bad. Now, I have a freedom to do just that and show the contrast, the war, and those involved without an ultra-squeaky clean christian story. Cause lets face it. The Bible is anything but that
Yes sis! I've always said that if it's in the Bible, it's fair game to include in my writing (and having just read Judges 19 today, I'm reminded just how dark scripture can go). And fist bump for the DCW and Dr. Heiser reference. My current WIP, Flesh and Blood, is all about that Genesis 6/Deuteronomy 32 worldview.
Oh yeah.... Judges 19-20 is seriously messed up. I like how it says at the end of chapter 20 "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." So you're a Heiserite too??? *returns fist bump* LOL I don't care if it was meant as a put down originally. People who try and shame for agreeing with him misquote so bad it's so cringe (Doreen Virtue). I was super hesitant when I first heard him on an interview and thought that guy's a quack! Why are you interviewing him on a Christian program? Then I discovered his podcast and well....that was it. I got a nice college education with that. And it changed me. I'm often asked what's the use of this view if it doesn't change the gospel? My response is me. I changed. I think clearer and have so much more appreciation and awe. And it's heightened my awareness of everything around me. It's become mythical (the way academia describes it). I have since written several articles on it that informs the current state we're in, the rise of paganism, witchcraft, and how the church MUST respond instead of turning a blind eye. The DCW gives us the tools to fight back but are too afraid of the big bad "GOD" idea not being what we think in english.
In my fantasy, it's changed my writing style dramatically and I've found myself stepping out and saying I'm not going to be ashamed for writing like secular authors do because the truth is, they align more with the Bible than christian authors do. So here I am, writing a prelude to a book I've already written but isn't published. I'm writing on substack just to see if I can gain an audience before the book is finished. And this online story is wild, uncomfortable, and I'm sure no publisher would ever touch it cause it's too christian and too secular and too in your face graphic. So I'm doing it for fun and seeing where it takes me. And a central scene in the story will be The Image of God and the true nature of spiritual warfare. It's a game changer and will be used. My MC is furious with God and demands an explanation for the depravity and hate and death so where is He, where is this love He talks about, why doesn't He do something. And it's the second session of Heiser's Supernatural Seminar that I use to answer. Because it blew me away and has stuck with me ever since.
I owe a debt of thanks to Doreen Virtue for waking me up to the dangers of yoga and the Enneagram, but her false witness hit piece on Dr. Heiser was shameful. And ironically, it was her YT show that introduced me to Dr. Heiser and Unseen Realm in the first place.
The DCW doesn't change the gospel, but I think it expands it. That Jesus died for our sins is major, but it's only a small part of the story and a watered down version of the gospel that doesn't mean anything to a generation that's been raised with no concept of sin or unrighteousness. But Jesus died and rose again to abolish death, defeat the little-g gods who've enslaved humanity and completely nullify their power over us and any legal claim they have on us? And make the way for US to become Sons of God? That'll preach! And it's definitely changed how I view the world and how I do spiritual warfare.
I started my current WIP a few months before I discovered Dr. Heiser, already feeling led to write an urban fantasy style series depicting the realities of spiritual warfare. Circumstances led to me putting on the back burner for a few years, but I think that was providentially arranged so that I could learn all about the DCW and incorporate that into my world building. And yeah, like you, my story is much to dark and violent and true to life for mainstream Christians who want sanitized fiction and who think The Chosen is the pinnacle of Christian storytelling.
Your series sounds amazing. I can't wait to dive into it!
I want to reply more to this but it's late and so just want to say I appreciate really good stories by Christians who aren't afraid to step out of the norm. The findings are way too far and in-between. I rarely read Christian books and is the main reason I got into writing years ago. Hated everything I read by Christians and decided, hey why not write my own story?? I still didn't like my own stuff cause I thought I had to be a good Christian and write churchy stuff, filtered and clean. Then I read Heiser and my brain exploded and experienced freedom!! LOL!! Now I write with a DCW worldview and very not squeaky clean scenes that will get me in trouble 😁 Oh well. My conscience is clear before God
I never did get 'Christian Fiction' as a term. I just...tell stories to my readers.
Been doing it all my adult life, and never had an issue. I'm not here to teach the faith. I'm here to simply entertain without being what I deem vile. I'm a dad first and always. So my 'meter' is if I wouldn't let MY kids read it, you won't find it in my writing...that's about it.
Sure, you could call that 'Christian', I guess,...but I just call it good taste.
At the same time, hey, write what you want to write...and if it finds an audience, good on you.
I might not read it, but that's the nature of things.
There are definitely too many Narnia clones. But there is also most definitely a market for supposed fiction among Christians, because we consume a ton of it. BTW, I make Christian supposal fiction in novel and comic book form, and it's definitely not for kids.
There's a lot of insight and interesting observation here. I strive to realize as well as I can the work that has been gifted me to envision over time. Of course, one desires readers, but when creating, I'm not primarily thinking about that. Like many Christian writers, I've been greatly influenced by Lewis, Tolkien, and MacDonald, for me. Yet I can't say what I need to say if I limit the scope to what is safe for homeschoolers. Flannery O'Connor said that one writes what one is gifted to write. There's not much good in chastising readers, but most of her contemporaries were not prepared for her fiction. It took time for an audience to become adept at reading her work, and recognizing its apocalyptic humor. Lewis rightly considered speculative fiction uniquely suited to synthesize symbolic depths, narrative sweep, and eschatological meaning. Ready audience or not, a Christian poet, any poet, for that matter, must honor the complex, mysterious reality that speaks to the receptive person humble enough to listen to the names that are discovered, rather than invented whole cloth by a nihilist will-to-power. I can't help thinking that Christians would benefit from an expanded imaginary. A speculative fiction that doesn’t do this is somehow lacking. If we are called to be saints and spiritual warriors, this is never properly the result of rote learning. The Church should encourage the need for discovery; otherwise, the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are dead abstractions. Christian art should offer the resources for bold invention and nuanced understanding required to face the evils of the day. And this means stories that both entertain and demand effort and interpretive finesse. The God is simple in Goodness, but for us, that requires dexterity, paradox, and patience with mysteries that do not vanish by dogmatic fiat.
I try to craft things earnestly. Sometimes that means the story goes a direction I wouldn’t condone, and I don’t mean to champion those themes by expressing them. But I would be disingenuous if I wrote only what encourages at face value; the Cross is at once the most violent, degrading thing and the most beautiful, redemptive thing. Hiding from hurt or neglecting it in our stories doesn’t help anyone, because the struggle over such things is the best mechanism to convey the Cross in narrative form. I want people to read something I wrote and be struck by its rightness, to some degree, if not by its honesty. I have a lot to learn to get this down, but it’s a goal.
Hm… I’m a practising Catholic and I write spec fiction (blood, non-graphic sex scenes, violence, horror), and I don’t do intentional moralising. How does that work with me being Christian? Well, first of all, I think my values show in my work inevitably - the good guys win, the evil get punished. All the best, timeless themes are also core Christian themes - pure love, self-sacrifice, friendship, brotherhood, courage, family, etc. Secondly - I am a professional visual artist. It means I had to draw nudes from nature. The whole history of Christian art is full of depiction of nudes, violence, blood etc. Take Adam and Eve. David chopping off Goliath’s head. Etc. Creativity is a gift from God, and if I listen to my conscience (which is deeply influenced by Christianity) I am free to create, as long as I don’t corrupt. Thirdly - the sex scenes. God has given us the beautiful ability of manifest our love through physical nearness. I want to make it beautiful again. Not diminish it to ugly physicality. In my stories, often the couples go through some kind of Marriage ritual. If not, often they face some unpleasant consequences. So, you can write fantasy. Even brutal, dark fantasy. Even as a Christian. Just make sure it has the moral grounding in Christian values. As for horror? I try to write poetic and symbolic horror which also raises questions about the motivations of characters. I do not show the villains in good light, but I do like to mess with the readers head.
My point is - Christians can and they do write readable spec fiction (at least judging by my work, and there are plenty other good Christian authors on Substack).
All of this! Also, historically, for most of the last 2,000 years, Western art has been primarily Christian. Tolkien and Lewis didn't market their books as Christian fantasy - they were simply fantasy. And I recently re-read Dracula after many years and was shocked at how blatantly Christian that book is. Categorizing art and fiction as Christian vs. Secular is a very recent invention, and it's resulted in a lot of terrible art perpetrated in the name of Christ that's aimed more at pleasing the kinds of readers in the article than at glorifying God. Which is all why I've always identified as a Christian who writes fantasy and horror, not a "Christian fantasy and horror writer."
This.
I came to this realization 3 years ago. The Christian market doesn't want anything new or challenging. They want pap that's been mentally sanitized into worthlessness. Salt without savor.
There isn't enough serious Christian fantasy that isn't apologetically infantalized for my tastes. I don't want the Veggietales level of fantasy. That's good for children or newcomers to the faith learning the basics. It's milk when I need meat. I also don't want renamed allegories for Jesus and the parables or stories from the Bible. I'm sorry, I'd rather go to scripture. Reskinning the story of Moses is BORING! Even with a sci fi veneer. Especially when the author often does not have enough understanding or skill to create an engaging narrative that isn't transparent as glass.
Give me Piretti (despite him often doing what I'm about to say next). I want stuff that's going to convict my soul and not have a neatly trite resolution where a simple sinner's prayer or "Road to Damascus" moment saves the day. It's insulting. That's why I write my fantasy in a much darker vein that 90% of Christians will accept, because the same percentage have never stopped sucking on spiritual milk and refuse to try and chew the meat that would make them strong in their faith.
This is why Christian fiction is a sliver of a fraction of the market, and even that sliver of a fraction is turning up their nose at anything that isn't a 30 year old IP. I was at RiseUpCon this year with several other big names in Christian fiction. The public spurned us all. They only wanted celebrities from old IPs, or collectables of the same.
So now, I'm giving up marketing to Christians. Too many of them want sermons, not stories. That's not me. I'm marketing my books to the lost instead. The people who don't want to hear the name Jesus but need Him in a way they can understand. People who need characters that are broken and fallen just like them. The lady's church muffin societies who have no spiritual strength but a lot of feelgood rhetoric and moralistic theraputic deism to throw around like chicken soup at a cold don't want these sorts of questions put to them. The conviction of the spirit is too painful to confront. They're no longer my target audience and I'm fine with that, now. There's almost no money there to keep me writing anyway, and I'm not doing this as a charitable donation or hobby. Let someone else who can speak to their hearts and evangelize to them.
So to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, "I didn't leave the Christian Spec Fic community. They left me."
Again, Christians... your lack of content is the fault of your lack of engagement and I have no sympathy for self inflicted wounds. If you find my caustic view of this stings your spirit, then perhaps that is a prick of conviction to your spirit by the truth.
Exactly how I operate, my work is Christian in nature and yet I try not to have sex scenes, and can only point to one work that hints at it (Chute) and the other works lack it entirely and sure they have blood and fighting but they are always kept to the Howard/Tolkienian level of things so to speak.
I think a lot of Christian (and tbh indie) fantasy suffers from a quality problem. People don't really put in the work to become good at what they do. On top of that, some Christian writers have the attitude of "well, I was Called, so God will take care of me despite the [bad cover/poor editing/insert other indie author pitfalls here]."
Besides that, tbh, a lot of Christian fantasy is...boring. It's always got to have the Christ figure, the faith-that-somehow-resembles-both-Protestantism-and-Catholicism. It feels like you can't stray between set lines and that things always have to be neatly wrapped up and the hero's Pressing Theological Questions get answered with a little bow on top.
When Christians focus less on the "I must write Christian Fiction" thing and more on the "I must work at my art and improve as much as I can because I owe it to God to be the best I can be", THEN things get interesting.
I am a Christian pastor and write fantasy stories and have done so for years. I am from the Tolkien/Lewis camp, especially the former. In these days, I believe Christian fantasy needs to be more like Tolkien and less like Lewis. Tolkien wrote fantasy with Christianity (in his case, Catholicism) deep in its bones rather than on its skin. I've read or listened to a lot of fantasy stories that come from Christian writers, and it always strikes a sour note when the Christianity and moralizing are just too blatant. So, I try to write stories that keep overt mentions of Christian things to a minimum (I do have a religion in them that calls its deity "the Shepherd," but its doctrines are vague, and it is not Christianity). So, like Tolkien, I try to write a good story with Christian themes first and let the reader find them (show, don't tell).
Oh, it's fine to talk theology in fantasy. Please do let characters argue over the meaning of life, or the purpose of beauty, or why evil exists. But DONT HAVE AN ALTAR CALL. That's it. Let characters live their faith but don't turn and talk to the readers. "Sonic says, drugs are bad, kids!"
I think the problem lies deeper. Fundamentally, fantasy and science fiction are not Christian genres. No, this has nothing to do with dragons or space ships. It has to do with the nature of the genres. A genre is a contract between the writer and the reader that the book will adhere to certain principles. These principles run deep and if the book violates them, the reader may not know why, but they will feel something is fundamentally wrong.
One of the most powerful parts of the contract of a genre is what we might call its defining virtue. The defining virtue of a western is rugged individualism. Of a war story, it is courage and ambition. Of a romance, it is devotion. The defining virtue of science fiction is competence, and that has become the defining virtue of fantasy as well. A fantasy now must have a magic system which the protagonist must master and use. They will triumph by attaining and using competence.
LOTR may have spawned the fantasy genre, but it is not itself a fantasy. It is, as Tolkien himself described it, a fairy story. Fairytales are a distinct genre and their defining virtue is virtue itself. Not the boring middle class respectability that passes for virtue in so many Bowdlerized Christian romance and fantasy novels, but the grand high drama of virtue, the virtue of the knights of the round table and the quest for the holy grail. (LOTR is itself a grail quest, but with an anti-grail that must be destroyed, rather than a holy grail that must be recovered.)
It's not that Christian readers are all longing for fairytales and stories of the high romance of virtue. Many of them doubtless want the tales of competence that the culture has taught them to expect. But Christianity does not graft easily onto tales of competence. Do you make prayer and grace instrumental forces to be wielded like a sword or a wand? That is not a Christian idea, nor is it a satisfying form of competence.
There is nothing wrong with tales of competence. Competence is a good thing. But it is not a distinctly Christian virtue, and you cannot convincingly craft a spiritual competence story, because spirituality is not concerned with competence but surrender. You can, however, craft fairytales with a thread of spirituality running convincingly through their tales of high virtue, as Hans Christian Andersen did so brilliantly.
You can certainly write Christian fairytales, therefore, but Christian fantasy and sci fi is at war with its own genre. It's not going to work without fundamentally subverting the genre.
This is an AMAZING response. I may have to quote you in a follow-up article.
I have to agree with the assessment that Christians like safe stories, at least in my case - I drop anything, whether in film or a book, that starts getting suggestive. I’m always confused when I pick up “Christian” stories and find them full of inappropriate scenes or violence. We need to use our God-given gifts to create beauty: we need clean, pure works that are an escape from the darkness around us, not another plunge into it, yet it needs to have a compelling plot.
I’m not sure I entirely agree with Christians wanting “safe” stories as adults. I’ve heard it the other way as well: Christians don’t want to read safe Christian stories because they consider them “Hallmark” bits, boring and shallow. I certainly fit in that camp. I think most secular people automatically assume the same—so it’s hard for a story labeled “Christian” to ever break out into a larger market.
I’m a Christian writer and reader—and I am very specific about what I want. I want a compelling and deep struggle between Good and Evil, wherein the hero is bloodied but does not Fall.
Most modern secular fiction and film veers into sadism and various non-Christian values and perversions, and their stories do not condemn these evils, and the hero always is tainted by them in the end. Christianity has something profound to offer that is different: A hero who faces dark evil, including the darkness within himself—and emerges still holy, and victorious.
I do not think all fantasy readers want pure escapism, where they can avoid the evils of everyday life—although we all enjoy a story like that from time to time. Rather, I think people (Christians and otherwise) crave a vision of how to respond to evil, and the inspiring hope that our own dragons can, indeed, be defeated.
Yeah, I think you're right, but it really depends. For instance, Christian men really crave the deep philosophical action stuff, like Rage of Lions by Matt Barron. But when it comes to women, it's the fairytales and fluff all the way down. And it's weird, because women make up the majority of the Christian reader market, so that's the way it all seems to slant. As I hang around Christian groups and eavesdrop on the talk, that seems to be all they read.
Very true. I am a newer Christian, so my experience is probably a lot more limited than yours. My current group of women like “happy” stories, but they won’t turn down a decent Good versus Evil showdown, either.
However, as a semi-outsider coming into the fold, I do see a lot of good signs for Christian storytellers in the culture.
1. There’s a revival happening. A lot of people are coming to church who either left or never came before.
2. The secular culture has gotten so bad even atheists are seeking alternatives.
3. A lot of skepticism exists about the “religiousity” in the church. There’s more and more room for—something new. These people are looking for truth, not religion.
Just my 2 cents. I think the market is there, and it’s growing right now. It’s just that the “Christian” label has gotten a bad reputation, and the gatekeepers of Christian fiction have painted themselves into an overly religious corner.
Personally, I want to always write with Christian conviction, but I’ll never use the Christian label. I’m not writing for Christians. I’m writing for *people*—and the people I most want to reach are those like me 5 years ago. Non-Christians, who are yearning for truth and enjoy good *stories*. I think Christians will also enjoy works like that, but the irony is that you can’t write to them as a primary audience.
Thank you very much for this post and the discussion!
Thanks for writing that. I needed to hear all of that.
Spot on. It's the same with music, it's the same with movies. They don't want rock-n-roll, they want "Worship" music. It's why bible-thumpers shunned Stryper as much as the metal underground did. They don't want nuanced mature dramas, they want PureFlix (just look at the glut of grievance fiction like God's Not Dead, which is on its FIFTH FILM). As someone who recently started spearheading his own Solomon Kane-styled pulp hero from a largely secular perspective, I found out told that I had created one whose overt faith was quite rare. I think writers have to give up any pretensions about imposing ideas upon their work, and simply have to go where the work is needed. At some point, if you can't preach to the choir, maybe it's best to bring the good news elsewhere. If Alice Cooper can spread the word while still delivering on his Grand Guignol theatrics and hard rock legacy, sky's the limit on reaching secular audiences.
I'm Christian and I both read and write fantasy and sci-fi. Maybe you mean that Christians don't read Christian Fantasy and/or Sci-fi. That would depend upon the Author and content. @heatherelaine writes fantasy and sci-fi. @thereseJudeana writes Christian based fantasy and sci-fi.
In my experience, any kind of literature that is labeled as "Christian (fill in blank)" is just not that great. Not to say that there aren't exceptions, but the Church hasn't been very kind to artistic expression over the years. This can be said for literature, music, art, etc. If there is "Christian Art" it's usually very bad. I'd rather read a secular author than a Christian one, because I've been disappointed by Christian art over the years. I'm a Christian who writes fantasy, I'm not a Christian fantasy author. Here's to hoping that our Brothers and Sisters can come to make better art in years to come, and that it glorifies God and reaches the lost.
Creative people tend to be creative in their lifestyles as well, so they drift away from rigid theology. At one point, we may have struck some kind of balance between one class dictating the metanarrative and another class being expressive and explorative within it. It would be nice to achieve that balance again, if it's possible.
See, that's the key word: balance. Creative expression without compromising the Word of God. It seems to me that too many Christians are afraid to delve into those dangerous waters where Beauty might be found. That's why Christian art is often "goody-goody" and uncompelling, because the artist only wanted to play it safe.
I agree to a lot of what you said but the last part, no. Write adult fiction without morals? Even secular authors write with morals. It's part of the art of fantasy. It's the cheering for the underdog who does what is right despite the immense obstacles. What I've come to see in recent years is the absolute need for morals. We're drowning in a world of immoral virtues that are literally causing suicide with no hope. George MacDonald, a famous 18th century pastor, defended his writing fantasy as a vehicle to explore hard issues without the constraint of real life.
That said, I have a little different approach to fantasy than other Christians. I know enough of the Bible to know a lot of it is graphic, even the parts that talk about sex. Song of Solomon isn't the only place it talks explicitly. Ezekiel quotes God describing Israel in one of the most over the top graphic depictions of a prostitute to the point when you read it in Hebrew, your face will turn beet red. That book alone should be Rated R. My take is that if God was quite fine in being graphic about sex, plus according to church fathers and biblical scholars, the bible aligns more closely to how fantasy is written than the church lets on, writing fantasy as a Christian isn't a crutch but a bonus. We have an insight we can draw on that places fantasy closer to reality. I'd say start with Michael S Heiser, watch your mind explode as the biblical text make sense as it did church fathers we refuse to quote on certain subjects, and wonder how in the world you never saw this before. Greek mythology and the Bible have much more in common than most would ever dream. I'm not claiming polytheism of any sort but a divine council worldview, gods (spirits) legitimately ruling nations (gen 11, deut 32, dan 7, psalm 82, Eph 6 where Paul describes spiritual warfare in cosmic geographic terms). I think as Christians, we've allowed ourselves to be duped by the world and dumbed down our own view of the Bible that in effect, killed our ability to express truths in writing.
For myself, I have a few rough drafts written already for a fantasy book series that revolves around spiritual warfare, cryptids, a storyline derived from a Castlevania influence with the Belmont family being part of the church. My aim isn't really to draw in Christians because I have a suspicion most won't like my content because they live in a church tradition that doesn't conform to the Bible's worldview. So I'll write dark fantasy with Christian elements and a clear distinction where I stand. It's a good vs evil and the evil is extreme. I use to have major problems writing anything dark cause I thought it was bad. Now, I have a freedom to do just that and show the contrast, the war, and those involved without an ultra-squeaky clean christian story. Cause lets face it. The Bible is anything but that
Yes sis! I've always said that if it's in the Bible, it's fair game to include in my writing (and having just read Judges 19 today, I'm reminded just how dark scripture can go). And fist bump for the DCW and Dr. Heiser reference. My current WIP, Flesh and Blood, is all about that Genesis 6/Deuteronomy 32 worldview.
Oh yeah.... Judges 19-20 is seriously messed up. I like how it says at the end of chapter 20 "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." So you're a Heiserite too??? *returns fist bump* LOL I don't care if it was meant as a put down originally. People who try and shame for agreeing with him misquote so bad it's so cringe (Doreen Virtue). I was super hesitant when I first heard him on an interview and thought that guy's a quack! Why are you interviewing him on a Christian program? Then I discovered his podcast and well....that was it. I got a nice college education with that. And it changed me. I'm often asked what's the use of this view if it doesn't change the gospel? My response is me. I changed. I think clearer and have so much more appreciation and awe. And it's heightened my awareness of everything around me. It's become mythical (the way academia describes it). I have since written several articles on it that informs the current state we're in, the rise of paganism, witchcraft, and how the church MUST respond instead of turning a blind eye. The DCW gives us the tools to fight back but are too afraid of the big bad "GOD" idea not being what we think in english.
In my fantasy, it's changed my writing style dramatically and I've found myself stepping out and saying I'm not going to be ashamed for writing like secular authors do because the truth is, they align more with the Bible than christian authors do. So here I am, writing a prelude to a book I've already written but isn't published. I'm writing on substack just to see if I can gain an audience before the book is finished. And this online story is wild, uncomfortable, and I'm sure no publisher would ever touch it cause it's too christian and too secular and too in your face graphic. So I'm doing it for fun and seeing where it takes me. And a central scene in the story will be The Image of God and the true nature of spiritual warfare. It's a game changer and will be used. My MC is furious with God and demands an explanation for the depravity and hate and death so where is He, where is this love He talks about, why doesn't He do something. And it's the second session of Heiser's Supernatural Seminar that I use to answer. Because it blew me away and has stuck with me ever since.
*sir
I owe a debt of thanks to Doreen Virtue for waking me up to the dangers of yoga and the Enneagram, but her false witness hit piece on Dr. Heiser was shameful. And ironically, it was her YT show that introduced me to Dr. Heiser and Unseen Realm in the first place.
The DCW doesn't change the gospel, but I think it expands it. That Jesus died for our sins is major, but it's only a small part of the story and a watered down version of the gospel that doesn't mean anything to a generation that's been raised with no concept of sin or unrighteousness. But Jesus died and rose again to abolish death, defeat the little-g gods who've enslaved humanity and completely nullify their power over us and any legal claim they have on us? And make the way for US to become Sons of God? That'll preach! And it's definitely changed how I view the world and how I do spiritual warfare.
I started my current WIP a few months before I discovered Dr. Heiser, already feeling led to write an urban fantasy style series depicting the realities of spiritual warfare. Circumstances led to me putting on the back burner for a few years, but I think that was providentially arranged so that I could learn all about the DCW and incorporate that into my world building. And yeah, like you, my story is much to dark and violent and true to life for mainstream Christians who want sanitized fiction and who think The Chosen is the pinnacle of Christian storytelling.
Your series sounds amazing. I can't wait to dive into it!
I want to reply more to this but it's late and so just want to say I appreciate really good stories by Christians who aren't afraid to step out of the norm. The findings are way too far and in-between. I rarely read Christian books and is the main reason I got into writing years ago. Hated everything I read by Christians and decided, hey why not write my own story?? I still didn't like my own stuff cause I thought I had to be a good Christian and write churchy stuff, filtered and clean. Then I read Heiser and my brain exploded and experienced freedom!! LOL!! Now I write with a DCW worldview and very not squeaky clean scenes that will get me in trouble 😁 Oh well. My conscience is clear before God
I love seeing all these Michael Heiser readers coming out of the closet. It really does change you!
Wonderful post.
I never did get 'Christian Fiction' as a term. I just...tell stories to my readers.
Been doing it all my adult life, and never had an issue. I'm not here to teach the faith. I'm here to simply entertain without being what I deem vile. I'm a dad first and always. So my 'meter' is if I wouldn't let MY kids read it, you won't find it in my writing...that's about it.
Sure, you could call that 'Christian', I guess,...but I just call it good taste.
At the same time, hey, write what you want to write...and if it finds an audience, good on you.
I might not read it, but that's the nature of things.
There are definitely too many Narnia clones. But there is also most definitely a market for supposed fiction among Christians, because we consume a ton of it. BTW, I make Christian supposal fiction in novel and comic book form, and it's definitely not for kids.
Supposal, not supposed. Autocorrect strikes again.
There's a lot of insight and interesting observation here. I strive to realize as well as I can the work that has been gifted me to envision over time. Of course, one desires readers, but when creating, I'm not primarily thinking about that. Like many Christian writers, I've been greatly influenced by Lewis, Tolkien, and MacDonald, for me. Yet I can't say what I need to say if I limit the scope to what is safe for homeschoolers. Flannery O'Connor said that one writes what one is gifted to write. There's not much good in chastising readers, but most of her contemporaries were not prepared for her fiction. It took time for an audience to become adept at reading her work, and recognizing its apocalyptic humor. Lewis rightly considered speculative fiction uniquely suited to synthesize symbolic depths, narrative sweep, and eschatological meaning. Ready audience or not, a Christian poet, any poet, for that matter, must honor the complex, mysterious reality that speaks to the receptive person humble enough to listen to the names that are discovered, rather than invented whole cloth by a nihilist will-to-power. I can't help thinking that Christians would benefit from an expanded imaginary. A speculative fiction that doesn’t do this is somehow lacking. If we are called to be saints and spiritual warriors, this is never properly the result of rote learning. The Church should encourage the need for discovery; otherwise, the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are dead abstractions. Christian art should offer the resources for bold invention and nuanced understanding required to face the evils of the day. And this means stories that both entertain and demand effort and interpretive finesse. The God is simple in Goodness, but for us, that requires dexterity, paradox, and patience with mysteries that do not vanish by dogmatic fiat.
I try to craft things earnestly. Sometimes that means the story goes a direction I wouldn’t condone, and I don’t mean to champion those themes by expressing them. But I would be disingenuous if I wrote only what encourages at face value; the Cross is at once the most violent, degrading thing and the most beautiful, redemptive thing. Hiding from hurt or neglecting it in our stories doesn’t help anyone, because the struggle over such things is the best mechanism to convey the Cross in narrative form. I want people to read something I wrote and be struck by its rightness, to some degree, if not by its honesty. I have a lot to learn to get this down, but it’s a goal.