Lost Genre Guild 3: Deep Enough; Let's try to Get Back Out

In our previous thrilling episode, Murray the Alchemist, from the Light at the Edge of Darkness story "At the Mountains of Lunacy," and Allen Peters, or Tachyon, from League of Superheroes, were examining the homepage of the Lost Genre Guild when they discovered evidence of hacking by the Chicken Booksellers Association. Allen decided to investigate...

Allen/Tachyon: These Chicken Booksellers are a desperate bunch. Watch out for fowl play.

Murray the Alchemist: Are you sure that wasn't my line? It sounds like--

Mysterious Figure: Don't move! My robots have my Chickenizer aimed at you!

Rod/Titan: We're not chicken! Who are you?

Mysterious Figure: Oh, no--you first. Which one is Bond? No one? Huh. Superman? Scarlet Pimpernel? Mary Poppins?

Rod/Titan: We're the League of Superheroes--yes, plus Murray, thanks for reminding me. I'm Titan, that's Tachyon--

Mysterious Figure: I am called "Guildfinger."

Rod/Titan: "Guildfinger"?

Guildfinger: Yes. I finger guilds our Association doesn't like: point-point-pointy-point! I even poke them a bit. Right now I'm targeting the Lost Genre Guild.

Rod/Titan: That doesn't sound too serious.

Guildfinger: It isn't. Such groups are a lost cause anyway. We at the Chicken Booksellers succeed precisely because people don't really want change: they yell about it, but they vote in the guys who've been messing things up for a couple years already. Sequels are always a safe bet. People won't buy real change: they're too chicken to read Christian spec-fic, and we're too chicken to print it, unless the author's well established.

Rod/Titan: Then why not leave the LGG alone?

Guildfinger: It's the lack of principle of the thing. The sky could fall on our heads from an unexpected quarter or even dime. So we're out to undermine the LGG.

Murray: Even I wouldn't stoop to mining someone's unders! You should be ashamed!

Guildfinger: No, you can be ashamed! Try our Chickenizer, League of Superchickens!

[Sound Effect: At least the second-loudest buckaw you ever heard]

Rod/Titan: We're chickens? Okay, that's just stupid. I knew having Murray along would drag us into his kind of story.

Allen/Tachyon: Very funny, Guildfinger. Do you expect us to squawk?

Guildfinger: No, Tachyon, I expect you to fry!

Murray: That explains the robots with the chef's hats and "Kiss the Cook" aprons.

Allen/Tachyon: But I'm still Tachyon!

[Sound Effect: Several reversed buckaws nearly superimposed on each other, together with the normal one]

Guildfinger: Squawk!

Allen/Tachyon: Now the feather's on the other wing, Guildfinger! It doesn't take much compressed time to reverse your ray's effect on us and give you a dose of your own medicine.

Murray: Funny--he doesn't look like a chicken so much as... Well, isn't someone else going to say it? Fine! I'm not afraid of any bomb, even in dialog: "I guess if a chicken sticks his neck out too much, he cooks his own goose!" There, I said it.

Mysterious Figure #2 (Okay, really this is the first one from yesterday, so Guildfinger was #2, and this is #1, and... Oh, figure it out for yourself!): Not so fast!

Murray: Okay, but it's not the kind of line you want to linger over.

Rod/Titan: So who are you? You're stroking a cat--are you Frank Creed, star of book signings and LGG offshoots?

Allen/Tachyon: No, Frank looks more like Scott Morris. Come to think of it, have you ever seen them together?

Murray: This guy looks like Donald Pleasance on a bad face day.

Mysterious Figure (etc.): Really? What about Telly Savalas? Now, then, which of you is Bond?

Murray: Again with the Bond bit?

Mysterious Figure: All right, then, how about Bagginses, my Precious?

Rod/Titan: Nope.

Mysterious Figure: Astroboy? Professor Hyde-Whyte? Mary Pickford? Gumby?

Rod/Titan: Check a mirror on that last one. We're the League of Superheroes. You would've known that if you'd been paying attention.

Mysterious Figure: Hah! Well, I am Ernie Scarecrow Blogfeld, terror of bloggers everywhere. We are disrupting your pathetic blog tour, and you can't stop us!

Rod/Titan: We don't have to. This is the last day of the tour, and I think this is the only blog you "disrupted."

Blogfeld: There are others?

Rod/Titan: Duh! Look at the list below. Can you guys even read?

Blogfeld: Curses! Look, over there! It's Elvis!

Rod/Titan: Get a life!

Blogfeld: It's Frank Morris and Scott Creed fighting over a cat!

Rod/Titan: Research isn't your strong point, is it?

Blogfeld: It's the pizza delivery guy!

Rod/Titan, et al.: What? Where?

[Sound effect: High-speed clucking fading into distance]

Rod/Titan: Drat! He got away!

Murray: Well, someone needs to give the people today's moral in a poetic, witty way, so it figures I'll have to do it. Friends, don't let the Chicken Booksellers win! Get involved in Christian spec-fic today! Or did they already zap you with the Chickenizer? That's no way to live! Get out a good book, like my Guide to Homemade Explosives, available at a bombed-out bookstore near you, and-- Hey! Knock it off, Titan, or I'll--

Well, wasn't that riveting? Remember to support Christian spec-fic and give the chickens one in the giblets. And in the meantime, check out these other fine blogs, probably free of Blogfeld interruptions...
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Courtney
Frank Creed
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Joleen Howell
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Lost Genre Guild
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Mirtika
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Timothy Wise

Lost Genre Guild 2: Going Deeper

Yesterday we began our blog tour of the Lost Genre Guild with Murray the Alchemist, from the Light at the Edge of Darkness story "At the Mountains of Lunacy," and Rod Davies, or Titan, from League of Superheroes, examining the founding concept of the LGG. Today we'll add the other superheroes to the mix, especially Allen/Tachyon, who will hack his way into the mysteries of the LGG Website.

Allen/Tachyon: You heard the man. Let's have a look at their homepage. Hmm. A bit flat for speculative fiction. I was expecting some garish illustrations at least, but no dragons, spaceships--

Murray the Alchemist: No alchemists.

Allen/Tachyon: Way to find the upside, Murray. Now let's look at the other pages. Hey, they've even got a link to the home page on the home page! I guess Frank's into self-referential humor. "The Guild Review" is a group of short reviews of Christian spec-fic. "Bookshelves" showcases Frank's attempts at recycling cardboard boxes--okay, no, it's a list of books and stuff by LGG members. "Media Room" sounds scary, but they don't actually have any reporters in there. It's just PR for some Christian spec-fic titles. "Resources" is pretty much a links list for other LGG sites and similar groups. "Catalogue" is exactly that: a promotional listing of LGG-related projects. "CONTACT" is pretty much what you'd think, too, unless you're thinking about starting an old plane. Whatever spins your prop. And "ABOUT" tells you what it's all about, even if you aren't Alfie.

Murray: Okay, so are we done?

Allen/Tachyon: Anyone could get all that! No, I'm going to hack into the horrifying underbelly of the Guild itself!

Rod/Titan: Sounds gross--and there could be kids reading this.

Allen/Tachyon: Yes! As I suspected, there's a missing link the casual visitor wouldn't spot!

Rod/Titan: Wow! Is that what's inside Frank's head, or is Steve just showing off his inability to use a paint program again?

Allen/Tachyon: Actually, it's somebody else's work. But I think it shows there's more to LGG than you might think...

Meanwhile and elsewhere, a mysterious figure sits in the gloom, stroking a cat.

Mysterious Figure: Drat. Those meddling kids may be on to us! I shall have to contact Number Two and tell him to try harder.

Meanwhile again, back at the blog...

Allen/Tachyon: Well, let's see what other hidden links I can find... Wait! A worm from the Chicken Booksellers' Association! Let's follow it!

Oh, my! Whatever will happen next? Tune in tomorrow to find out whether the Chicken Booksellers' Association is litigious. Meanwhile, have a relaxing dose of comparative sanity with these other CSFF bloggers::
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Courtney
Frank Creed
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Joleen Howell
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Lost Genre Guild
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Mirtika
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Timothy Wise

Lost Genre Guild 1: Get Lost!

To begin our blog tour of the Lost Genre Guild, I thought I'd turn things over to a couple characters who have appeared in "lost genre" type works and are familiar with Frank Creed, who founded LGG. So today's guest hosts are Murray the Alchemist, from the Light at the Edge of Darkness story "At the Mountains of Lunacy," and Rod Davies, or Titan, from League of Superheroes.

Murray the Alchemist: So I guess we have to talk about how Frank founded the Lost Genre Guild. Or found it. Maybe he should find a book on grammar instead.

Rod/Titan: Different words, Murray. Cue the language geek...

Tom Reilly/Darklight: Romance and Germanic roots, yes. You see, "found" is related to "foundation," which--

Rod: ...is more than anyone wanted to know. Thanks for calling. Anyway, Murray, shouldn't you give the link for LGG?

Murray: No, because we've already seen it, so who cares, and why should I tell someone how to find a group that wants to be lost? Besides, if it's Christian fiction, why's it the "Lost" Genre Guild? Shouldn't it be the "Saved" Genre Guild? It makes no sense!

Rod: I think it means "undiscovered" or something--thank you, no language geek interruptions this time!

Murray: Anyway, Frank Creed began the Lost Genre Guild when a sudden inspiration hit him. You can still see the bump if you look hard...

Rod: Wrong bump; that was another inspiration, and I thought we were steering clear of that one.

Murray: What are friends for? Or enemies, whatever. Anyway, Frank looks around and doesn't see much Christian speculative fiction coming out, and suddenly it hits him like ears to the head: people can ignore several individual Christian spec-fic writers, but gather them all in one place, and people can ignore them all at once! Frank's into efficiency.

Rod: I think it's more like getting a bunch of Whos to yell "We are here!" together so they don't get boiled.

Murray: And here I thought it was the other kid who was into Literature! Take it from me: getting everyone together in one place just makes it easier to blow you all to the Moon! Ka-Boom!

Rod: What I wonder about is the statement on the main page: "CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE SHELVES ARE NEARLY BARREN OF SPEC-FIC." Okay, your bookstore may vary, but CSFF has had lots of Christian spec-fic over the last year. If they aren't on the bookshelves, they're available through online bookstores. Why the drama? I'd like to call in an even greater mind to figure this out.

Murray: Something smarter than you? But my athlete's foot can't go on! It hasn't shaved!

Rod: No, I mean Genie.

Genie: Marketing matters are not within my usual bailiwick, Rod.

Rod: But as a matter of simple logic, what's the deal, here?

Genie: A swift perusal of prior CSFF and CFRB posts indicates that most Christian spec-fic authors are either self-published, published by a small press, or already well-known in some other field. Thus, if Donita K. Paul hadn't started out with romances, she probably wouldn't have been able to publish her Dragonkeeper books. And last month we saw that John Olson had to team up with an established writer to get published. So it's accurate to say that the status quo hinders new writers. The Lost Genre Guild helps new writers get noticed and read, even though it isn't a publisher itself.

Okay, problem solved. Join us tomorrow for a look inside the Lost Genre Guild. I bet we'll encounter a strange man stroking a cat and muttering to himself...

In the meantime, see what the rest of the CSFF has to say on this vital topic:
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Courtney
Frank Creed
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Joleen Howell
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Lost Genre Guild
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Mirtika
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Timothy Wise

Never Ceese 5: Blood New and Old

Uncle: We are calling in a couple of experts from outside our series to discuss Sue Dent's Never Ceese. Ladies first, or order of birth? Oh, let's begin with Heather Blair, an aethereal serving as one of the Sons of God, as featured in the Changelings series. With her is Martin--I didn't catch the last name?
Martin: People don't, for some reason.
Uncle: Anyway, Martin is a Herald; his origin story is "Credo," from Light at the Edge of Darkness. He confronts and destroys demonic strongholds, including the occasional werewolf or vampire.
Martin: However, Ceese and Richard are not the kind of creatures I have dealt with. In the short story "Death Trap," I did visit a vampiric man in hopes of turning him to God, but he was an anomaly. Most are like the creatures in "Sheep Among Wolves": demons animating bodies. And most werewolves are like those in the same story, preferring the power of their curse over true freedom. But freedom is available for any who are willing to submit to God.
Heather: That's been my experience too. Although we usually leave such matters to Heralds, since the demons are almost always former daimones--minor angels under our authority--we sometimes deal with them ourselves.
Uncle: That leads to my question, then. What is missing in Never Ceese?
Martin: By the lady's leave, I would venture my opinion first. There is a curse without anything to empower it. Would you agree, Miss Blair?
Heather: "Heather" is fine, sir. Yes, the curses aren't curses--at least as they are described.
Uncle: That is what I wondered about. Why aren't they curses? What is missing?
Heather: A curse is an attempt to change reality--to bind it in some fashion, usually against God's design, unless it is simply an appeal to Justice, as in Jotham's case in Judges. As such, it requires a binding force. In the case of something that warps the image of God as both lycanthropy and vampirism do, that will be a demonic force--and a very powerful one.
Martin: And yet there is no demon in Never Ceese. The cursed people are estranged from God, and that is typical, but a spiritual problem requires a spiritual solution, and that doesn't seem to happen here.
Uncle: Not even with prayer?
Martin: Prayer is important, but our Lord believes in work. Usually a habit of years shall not be conquered in a moment. Besides, if there is a demonic component, demons are intelligent, so a minor circumlocution such as "not unholy" for "holy" wouldn't fool it for a moment. No, this is treated more like a physical law than a demonic manifestation; yet it must be the latter, not the former.
Heather: There's also the matter of who prays. Modern Christians, especially in the West, assume that everyone has the same authority in prayer. There's some truth to that, but not everyone has every gift. As a Herald, Martin has authority to cast demons into the Abyss at will. As a Guardian, my authority is similar. But that doesn't mean just anyone can do it--at least not so swiftly. A demon powerful enough to bring about the curse--actually two demons--would not go quietly, in my experience, or at least not without the intervention of an Apostle, a Herald, or a Guardian. And even our Lord has some noisy exorcisms.
Uncle: Final comments, then. Did you enjoy Never Ceese, and would you read the sequel, Forever Richard, due out later this year?
Heather: I prefer older fiction.
Martin: As part of my call, I don't read fiction much. Bunyan is good, though, except for his reflexive anti-Catholicism.
Rod/Titan: It was pretty good for the most part. I'm a bit curious how the ending is explained in the second book.
Allen/Tachyon: I mostly liked the book, but it was like the ending set up for another book but also closed the door on it. Besides, if Rod reads the second book, I'll hear all about it anyway.
Clarice/Goodcheer: If Mom and Dad wouldn't let me read the first one, they sure won't let me read the second one.
Tom/Darklight: I don't see how the thing Rod got bleeped over last time can be resolved properly. I'd kind of like to see Heather or Martin go after the bad guys in the second story, but that won't happen.
Charlie/Micromegas: Sue Dent is a great writer, and I hope the next story will be even better. I wish she'd pay more attention to God: he's always the center, so if we get him right, everything else comes into focus.
Genie: Like Martin, I don't read much fiction, though I am looking forward to finishing the Chronicles of Narnia. And I'm working on the Ultimate Suits for the League. I know it's overkill, but I'm thinking of implementing complete quantum encryption for the systems. Even a demon couldn't figure that out.
Uncle: I wouldn't be too sure. I'll look at the next book. If it's any good, I may simply buy the Writer's Café Press; it would be a reasonable investment in Christian literature.
Rod/Titan: Will you change the name to the Troika's Café Press?
Uncle: There is no Troika, Titan.


Other participating blogs:
The Christian Fiction Review Blog
A Frank Review
Susan Kirkland
Melissa Meeks @ Bibliophile's Retreat
Geralyn Beauchamp @ The Time Mistress
Cathi Hassan @ Cathi's Chatter
Caprice Hokstad @ Queen of Convolution

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness 3: The Bad Stuff

So what's the downside of Andrew Peterson's On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness? There are a few:

1. Needless vulgarity. The story practically opens with someone doing a face-plant in manure. That's a sign of things to come, though it isn't as constant as I feared. But the Fangs have disgusting taste in just about everything, and we do get to read about it all. Do we really need to?

Someone's bound to call me hypocritical based on my short story "At the Mountains of Lunacy" in the anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness, because it does feature a vulgar running gag. However, the gag is integral to the story: I can't imagine how to set up the situation otherwise, and it only occurs on-camera (so to speak) once, and even then in a non-graphic way. (I'll also admit that it's at the edge for me.) Here, the gross stuff adds to the atmosphere and characterization, but it's not truly necessary.

2. Disobedience. The kids apparently respect their mom and grandpa, but the boys in particular tend to disobey them in sneaky ways. They come close to getting eaten a time or so, but overall the results seem to justify the actions.

3. Bullying. If I had been reading this on my own, I probably would have quit about halfway through. Why? Because Podo, a generally likeable rascal, turns bully and begins abusing someone he must certainly know will not fight back. Your mileage may vary, but for me that's well over the line. It's true he has an irrational dislike for the character in question, but that doesn't even come close to justifying his own actions. (In fact, eventual revelations made his victim seem far superior to him.) I found myself hoping that Podo would expire, which should give you some idea how odious I found his behavior.

Theology. Those who are familiar with my reviews are probably wondering about the theological points. There aren't many. The Good Guys acknowledge and revere the Creator, and they do pray. There isn't a lot happening here theologically, but such as occurs is good. (In a story of this sort I think we can allow a low bar, especially for the first in a series.) Perhaps later installments will improve on that--I admit the theology of multiple sentient species is tricky, and I do wonder about the nature of the Fangs: are they more or less demons--the designated damned? Or can they be saved? And what is salvation here anyway? (The humans evidently derive in some way from Adam, so they do need a savior.)

But I can wait for more information. What is said is accurate, even if there isn't much of it.

So where am I on the story? I would suggest that a parent get the book and read it first. If that doesn't raise any problems, the next step is reading it to the kid(s). (Quit whining, you big baby! It's good for both you and the munchkins.) I will say that I'd be willing to read the next installment.

Other links on the tour:
Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Green
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

The Shadow and Night 4: The Postmill Setting

I've had a few postmill characters, and in one of my stories--the only "End-Times" novel I've written--there's even a postmill movement called Millennium Now. Unfortunately, MN was split: the ordinary people who went around evangelizing in its name had a very silly, simplistic view of its teachings, while the actual teaching tended to be known only to the more scholarly. I liked the real version, though only the silly version actually cropped up much in the story. (The token brain stated clearly that the zealots were ill-informed and easy to beat in an argument, while the real MN people were far better informed and much more formidable in debate.)
Similarly, a proposed alternative history series features a postmill inventor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

But in general we don't have characters who are that far removed from our own theology. In my upcoming series "The League of Superheroes," I do have a couple Catholic characters and an Episcopalian who are all amill, but eschatology doesn't really come into the stories much. The theological differences are somewhat important--the Catholics see things in a way that most Protestants wouldn't, for example, and a Baptist character is likewise fairly typical for that group except that he gets on well with the Catholics and doesn't serously try to convert them.

But having characters from other denominations and doctrinal positions is one thing; do we actually represent another view as fact, at least within a story world? I did so in my short story "One Taken, the Other Left" in the anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness, where I posit an odd twist to the usual pre-trib Rapture scenario. (One reviewer accused me of putting "bad theology" in the Lord's mouth, but he couldn't be bothered to explain what was bad about it. From my knowledge of the reviewer in question, I would put my knowledge of theology and the Bible up against his any time. And for the record, the points attributed to the Lord in the story are actually quite standard theology; I just applied them where most others would for some reason make an exception.)

But the question remains: do our settings have to reflect our doctrinal positions? I don't see that they must, so long as the views are either standard doctrine (as postmillennialism is in some circles) or minor tweaks on them. This is speculative fiction, after all, and weirder matters arise. (It's worth noting that Chris Walley's The Shadow and Night doesn't have any alien races, which at least eliminates that problem.)

Once in a Full Moon

I admit I'm not into werewolves, though I've used them in some of my stories, including "At the Mountains of Lunacy" in Light at the Edge of Darkness. It's an interesting idea and all, but it usually has a hyper-Calvinist angle that annoys me. As the Universal movie put it,

Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright.

So you're pretty much toast if you're "infected" with lycanthropy, though more recent stories have introduced cures. In my own short story "Sheep Among Wolves," Martin, a man called to confront and destroy outposts of demonic power, is threatened by a werewolf, currently in human form:

“What would you do if I scratched you or bit you?” the old man asked.
“I believe I would eject you from the camp.”
“You’d try. But what else?”
“I’d probably bleed a bit.”
“Yeah, but what about tonight? What would you do when the moon is full tonight?”
“I would use it to read the Bible and proclaim God’s Kingdom to you and your masters.” Martin paused and chuckled softly. “I am not afraid of your so-called curse. ‘The curse causeless shall not come.’ You should know that. It must be accepted, and unlike many of your victims, I refuse to accept it.”

I find that theologically more acceptable. But there is theological value in the werewolf idea as a metaphor for escaping the curse of sin. For in that case, we are stuck: we are born into sin, like it or not, and we shall die from it, like it or not. But there is definitely a cure.

One example of a Christian werewolf novel (which I admit I have yet to read) is Sue Dent's Never Ceese.

Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic

The Wikipedia article on Biblical Speculative Fiction mentions two stages in its history (at least in the evangelical Protestant sphere): the early phase in which a salvation message is spotlighted, though it is technically not necessary to the plot proper, and a later, more miraculous, phase in which divine intervention is fundamental to the plot. (The example given for the latter is Frank Peretti's work.)

I would suggest a three-part scheme--Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic--not relating to the theological distinctives of those groups but to their style. Thus,

Baptist--emphasis on a formalistic, scripture-intensive presentation. God answers prayer, but he acts in ways that appear mostly coincidental. No miracles, thank you! The spiritual dimension mostly explains character motivation, so the story could technically be re-written as a moral, secular piece.

Pentecostal--more emphasis on the individual's experience of God, though doctrinal issues are still important. God answers prayer, even if it involves direct, miraculous intervention. Demonic forces are also more vividly portrayed. The spiritual dimension is crucial to the story.

Charismatic--less emphasis on the specific teaching of a specific denomination, more openness to other views, especially Catholic. Unity of the Body of Christ is often a theme. Again, the spiritual aspect is fundamental to the story.

As an example of this most recent phase, in the anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness, not only is one of the writers (Steve Doyle) Catholic, other writers, such as Adam and Andrea Graham and Stephen Rice (yeah, that's me), offer positive portrayals of Catholics that probably wouldn't have occurred in earlier Protestant fiction.

Another example is the increased cooperation across denominational lines in promotional efforts. Thus, Karina L. Fabian, one of the editors of the Catholic sci-fi anthology Infinite Space, Infinite God, has helped promote various Christian authors, especially through her chatroom interviews on FabChat. A quick Google of her anthology will show how many other groups have returned the favor. Would that have happened even ten years ago? I think not.

The question is, will this truly prove to be a new phase, or will we return to the more insular writing of the past? That question remains unanswered, but in Biblical Speculative Fiction, there is always hope--Light at the Edge of Darkness.