Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Infodump and Identification: Thinking about Fantastic First Pages with Anne McCaffrey

Posted on August 15, 2017 by

I’m having trouble getting into the (sort of) second Dragonriders of Pern book, Dragonquest. I loved Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonsong, caught up by the protagonist’s heartsore struggle to express her creativity in a world of martial law. In dire threat of the biological terror of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, On Writing, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

WANTED: Fantasy/Science Fiction/Pop Culture Preceptor @SignumU

Posted on August 3, 2017 by

The Department of Language & Literature at Signum University is currently seeking preceptors to join the faculty team in our Imaginative Literature concentration. What Does a Preceptor Do? The purpose of the position of Preceptor is to support the instruction of language and literature … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Between Mars and Malacandra, Fantasy and Real Life (A Friday Feature Visit to the Vault)

Posted on June 23, 2017 by

This is a post from 5 years ago that I still quite like. What interested Lewis about planets as a literary backdrop was not their physical properties but their mythical properties—both how they worked in classical and medieval mythology, and how … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

20 Years to 8 Children in Narnia with Author Jared Lobdell

Posted on June 14, 2017 by

I encountered Jared Lobdell’s work because he was one of the few critics to make C.S. Lewis’ WWII-era science fiction–what I call the Ransom Cycle–a study of its own. His 2004 book,  The Scientifiction Novels of C.S. Lewis: Space and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Guest Blogs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

2017 Mythopoeic Awards Finalists and A Review of “The Chapel of the Thorn” by Charles Williams

Posted on June 12, 2017 by

The Mythopoeic Award shortlist is out (see here). I’m not often at the same table as the cool kids on the newest and hottest fantasy lit–I’m just now reading Patrick Rothfuss, and wondering what I have done with my life … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

“Between the Altar and the Stars: Science Fiction and Catholic Storytelling” by Stephen Kotowych

Posted on April 21, 2017 by

One of my favourite events to attend–and the talk I have perhaps most enjoyed giving–is our local Theology on Tap. Hosted in the taproom above an Irish pub in Charlottetown, we get a diverse perspective of Christian theology, sponsored by … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Stephen King on the Supernatural

Posted on April 20, 2017 by

On Tuesday I spent time thinking about my Stickin’ Huge Awesome Novel Winter Awesome Read (SHANWAR) read for 2017, Stephen King’s The Stand. As the snows of winter pen me in, I want a big, long, great book that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments