Christian Fantasy...after Tolkien and Lewis

[dunadan1963]

For many of us, the fantasy genre really pulls us in with history, adventure, romance, stark and clearly defined good versus evil. But, where does one go after the big names like "Tollers" and "Jack"? I look for overtly Christian themes and messages as many others here probably do. I'd like to share two of my finds in this genre and ask others to share theirs! Tell us a little about them, why you liked them, and what kind of themes or messages you liked from a Christian viewpoint!

Here's a couple of mine, both self-published but can be had on internet sites like Amazon:

"Heroes Of Old" by Jay Young - it's an unban fantasy with X-Men like characters. The difference is that the heroes are temporary. There is a new "Faction" in every generation. It is about the struggle between good and evil that covers thousands of years. The author weaves a tale joining Biblical events of the past with a "secret history" (Biblically based) of "The Faction" that has waged a war against evil from the time of Noah. I enjoyed the secret history of the faction and how it tied into past events and thought it very original. I thought it was pretty good, but teens would probably like it more.

"In My Master's Hand" by Joseph Gore - a Tolkien-esque traditional fantasy. A land conquered from within by an alien people - the overlords who conquer the leaders of the land by corruption, greed and sensual pleasure (sound like any place you know?). An invincible warrior-type still fights the "Darkness" even though he has no chance of winning. He finds, as the story goes on, that he has been called to fullfil a destiny. There were a lot of things I liked about it. Action: lots! This is definitely a masculine book with a character who is armed to the teeth and kicks lots of butt - rare for Christian books which are all too often wimpy! But, the main character is also a mentor and protector. There is no swearing or sex (although there is romance) and magical elements are very well done (the wysard and the bears provide a little comic relief). The main theme is servanthood and surrendering to God's purpose instead of doing your own thing.

Who else has recommendations? :D

 

[dunadan1963]

No fellow fantasy fans here? There's got to be a few!

 

[Carpathian]

No fellow fantasy fans here? There's got to be a few!

I are Fantasy FAN!!!

Has anyone read books by Ted Dekker? The circle trilogy is good, so I've heard. Twilight (depends on opinion) isn't christian, nor is it directed at our particular demographic, however it does have christian themes, such as Redemption, the idea of a life after death, a feeling of adequacy and the teenage approach to life and faith in something. I also know of the starwars and the Lord of the rings.

 

[Tissue]

Harry Potter has fantastic Christian themes.

His Dark Materials should be required reading for any mature Christian.

Thus Spake Zarathustra, for sure.

 

[handy]

I enjoy fantasy as a genre. One of my favorites is the Belgariad by David Eddings, a series of five books. It's a classic good vs. evil tale, with a lot of very fun, very likable heroes and dark and nasty villains.

As for being "Christian" I'm not sure how "Christian" they are, but as I say, they are good vs. evil and how good men must work against evil, stand up to it and seek to conquer it. They are morality tales.

The Mallorean, another series of 5 with most of the same characters, comes after the Belgariad, but I found it to be a little disappointing. There is a reason why the Mallorean takes place, it does answer some unanswered questions, the chief of which is who is the little boy "Errand", but I found it to be too much like the Belgariad. The Belgariad though, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

 

[inhopeofglory]

David Weber has done some excellent fantasy, the Bahzell series. It has a pantheon of gods, although it's primarily about the "Champion" of one particular "good" god against the minions of one or more "bad" gods, but it does have a very strong "good vs evil" theme. He doesn't shrink from portraying the absolute evil of the dark gods' servants in certain (just a few) scenes, so those bits may be best skipped. Well recommended though - Weber is an excellent storyteller.

 

[azlan88]

His Dark Materials is anti-Christian literature written by an atheiest. Please get your facts straight before you recommend books. Organized religion is portrayed as "evil", the fall of man is said in the book to be a part of man's maturity, and the "heroes" kill a mighty God-like being called "The Authority." You can find examples of the book's criticism at this wiki link. Scroll down to Controversies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_dark_m ... troversies

 

[jasoncran]

tissue no longer posts here, azlan.

 

[azlan88]

Really? It's still important that I debunk what he said. He might not have meant any harm, but His Dark Materials is a venomous series.

 

[jasoncran]

I was just informing you of that. he felt unwelcome and was a little to the left of the spectrum as far as christian beliefs and the voting spectrum.

 

[izzy]

How about some fantasy before Lewis and Tolkien? Ever read George Macdonald? He was at one time more popular than Charles Dickens and he wrote some very insightful stories. The one that is more for adults is Phantastes, but the "children's" stories also had amazing depth. I especially liked The Lost Princess, Photogen and Nycteris, On the Back of the North Wind, and the Golden Key. These are more like fairy tales and parables, though, and not what would be considered modern fantasy.