Grasping for the Wind

Must Read Essay

Everyone in any sort of artistic endeavor, those who think of themselves of artists, or those who think Harry Potter is actually a Great Work (notice the capitals, I mean those of you who put it on par with Aristotle, Twain, or Shakespeare) need to read this essay on aesthetic taste by Laurie Fendrich.

Must Read Books for Writers

Mental Floss has a list of 4 Must Read Books for Writers. If you are a writer, I recommend you take a look.

How to Choose a Summer Reading Book

Summer is just around the corner, and its time to find that summer beach reading. Picking that book that you carry with you to the beach, the park, on vacation, and to visit the relatives can actually be surprisingly difficult. You have a limited amount of time, and you want to be sure to use your time wisely. So do you read a book recommended to you by a friend? Or do you read that latest New York Times bestseller? Do you take the bookstore's recommendation and read a book that they list as excellent beach reading? What has been your success rate with such methods?

It is not as easy a choice at it seems, as I have found to my detriment more than once. I thought I might presume to share with you some of the things I have learned about choosing a summer reading book.

Pick a book in a genre you like or by a favorite author.

This is of paramount importance. Summer reading is meant to be fun and pleasurable, and if you are reading a big fat biography of Winston Churchill, or trying to reread a classic that was assigned to you in grade school, you might find yourself not getting the relaxation that is one of your primary goals in taking a book with you on vacation or to the park. This does not necessarily mean that it should be a work of fiction or some book that is pure entertainment. If you can't decide, try picking a book from suggested summer reading books at your local bookstore or library in a genre you generally read. But it is important that you read a book that will help you relax and that will easily keep your interest.

Choose a book with short chapters or has regular breaks every few pages.

Summer is a busy time, and you are going to get distracted. Your kids will come up to you at the beach and ask you to swim with them, or you need to keep your eye on them in the pool. You will want to be able to poke your nose out of the book regularly, but not have to break the flow of the narrative in an unnatural place. Books with short chapters or short sections allow this to happen easily. Terry Pratchett's later works don't even have chapter divisions, but simply have the occasional break as he moves from one scene to the next. This suggestion does not mean the book has to be short itself. I just finished reading Tad William's Shadowmarch and it is a hefty tome at 600+ pages, but he breaks his narrative often enough to change scenes that you can look away or put the novel down without having to stop reading in awkward places.

Buy a book only if you don’t mind letting it get beat up.

You will most likely be traveling with this book, and believe me it is very likely to get damaged in some way. Either you will drop it, spill something on it, or the natural wear and tear of being taken in and out of a bag will bend the edges. You might get sand in it at the beach, or dirt at the park. No matter what you try to do your book will be damaged. I've tried everything, believe me, I'm one of those strange folk that doesn't bend mass market paperbacks far enough back to crease the book. I like my books to look brand new all the time. I know, I know, I'm a freak. :)

This is a great time for you to become a customer at your local library (they build wear and tear into replacement costs) or visit your local used bookstore for a copy of a book you don't mind seeing destroyed. Both will appreciate your business, and you don't have to feel guilty should your book be lost or significantly damaged. I have even bought books I already owned because I like the proprietor of my local independent bookshop and want to give him business, but didn't want to damage my good copy. DO NOT borrow from a friend, unless your friend is OK with that book being a mess when it is returned. Be sure to ask.

Pick something that reads quickly or that you can put down and return to after a long period of time.

This is related to the first suggestion above, since if you pick a book in a genre you like it will most likely read quickly or be a book you will want to return to.

We all are very busy during the summer. Looking at my own travel schedule for summer, I will be traveling for nearly a month at different times June through August. That's a lot of travel, and most likely, your schedule is even worse than mine - I'm a homebody at heart. During that time you will probably be spending most of your times seeing sights, visiting theme parks, carousing with friends or reminiscing with family. Combined with travel time, that leaves little time for reading, no matter how much you enjoy it. So a book that reads quickly is useful for picking up at odd times, or only getting to at night or early morning when every one else is asleep.

Or you may be so busy that although you brought your book, you don't get to it over the entire course of your vacation, even though you had started it on the first few hours of your road trip or plane ride. A week can be a long time to put a book down and then try and return to it, so if your book is something you will want to return to, that you enjoy, you will be able to pick it up more easily after a hiatus and will also not abandon it, thereby wasting the money you spent on it. (If it is a library book of course, money is not a consideration, but do consider the time invested.)

Your summer reading should not be your child's summer reading.

While it is important that you read some of the things your children are reading, you are not going to get the relaxation you need from books written for young children or even high school students (unless that is a genre you like). You need to read for yourself, and your summer reading book or books should be for you. This is a good kind of selfish. It will also have a trickle down effect to your kids. Because you are more relaxed, your relationship with your kids will be more relaxed, and you will both have more fun. (This is actually applicable all year.)

Have fun.

Summer reading has the connotation of "fun in the sun" to it, and you should be sure to enjoy yourself, however you define that. My hope for you is that you enjoy your reading, I know I will.

These are just a few suggestions, by no means comprehensive, and you may have more of your own. I'd like to know what you do to pick some summer reading. Tell me your suggestions and or anecdotes in the comments below.

Baby Got Book

Remember Sir Mix-a-lot's "Baby got Back"? Of course you do, you saw Shrek and Friends. Well creative Cheryl Klein has rewritten the lyrics and given us "Baby Got Book". Hilarious!

HT: Eos Books Blog

Lulu Titlescorer

Have some time on your hands and want to have a little internet fun? Try putting in the titles of some of your favorite books into Lulu's Titlescorer to see how likely they are to become bestsellers. Here is a list with score of some of the books I have read recently.

The percentage is their likelihood of becoming bestsellers.

The Name of the Wind - 69%

Goblin War - 35.9%

The Blade Itself - 26.3%

Empress - 35.9%

The Hidden City - 10.2%

Rolling Thunder - 79.6%

Phytosphere - 35.9%

Small Favor - 69%

Try it with your favorites! Obviously other factors go into a book being a bestseller, such as existing author notoriety, genre, marketing, etc., but in a vacuum, this holds some weight. ;)

Booklamp.org

I know, I know, the title of the post makes you think that I've found some site that sells lamps made of books, or perhaps reading lights designed to make reading easier.

But Booklamp.org is much more awesome than that. A program/site that is currently in beta testing, booklamp.org is like Pandora for books. Their website explains it well.

BookLamp.org is a system for matching readers to books through an analysis of writing styles, similar to the way that Pandora.com matches music lovers to new music. Do you like Stephen King’s It, but thought it was too long? The technology behind BookLamp allows you to find books that are written with a similar tone, tense, perspective, action level, description level, and dialog level, while at the same time allowing you to specify details like... half the length. It’s impervious to outside influences - like advertising - that impact socially driven recommendation systems, and isn’t reliant on a large user base to work.

The geeks have once again been visionary. I'd love something like this. I mean how many times has a reviewer (and I'm in this category) or a friend misdirected you in suggesting you read something that they liked. You ended up hating it. This new site will try and take the guesswork out of that. Watch the video to watch it in action. It's about thirteen minutes long, but its worth listening to the idea.

I signed up for the free beta test and tried it out myself. I put in GRRM's Dying of the Light and got recommendations for Kate Elliott (56%) and Lester Del Rey (56%). I put in Michale Moorcock and got Ben Bova as the best match (78%). I'd say that is a pretty good match of writing style. Of course, there are only 179 books in the database right now, all science fiction novels, so right now it is imperfect and gives back comparisons that might not make a lot of sense. But the more books there are, the better the system will work.

I think this is an awesome idea, and I hope these guys can make it work. Help them out by testing it out for yourself.

HT: Provocative Church

Bookshelf or Art?

Well, why not both?

I've been watching this blog for some time now, and I have to say, I am ga-ga for some of these shelves. My one an only disappointment is that I have yet to find a bookshelf that is designed to hold Mass Market Paperbacks.

I'm looking for a specially designed Mass Market Paperback bookshelf because I am a collector of the Forgotten Realms novels, and the majority of those are published only in mass market format. But no matter how I lay them out, they never really fit well on standard bookshelves, or they are stacked one on top of the other.

I would like to see a bookshelf where I can set my mass market paperbacks upright and next to each other so that the titles on the spines can be read clearly, I can put series together, and still looks classy. Anybody out there ever come across such an animal? What do you do with your mass market paperbacks? How do you stack them if you keep them?

PS: The photo is from when my wife and I first moved into our house about two years ago. Non of these shelves are empty now, and their are more books both on top and on the floor. And these are only the bookshelves in one room of our 2,300 square feet! We have shelves of comparable size in every other room but the two bathrooms. The books on these shelves are my wife's.

Pile o' Shame

Taking a cue from Aidan, I thought I might share with folks a few of my books from the Pile o' Shame, those books I just haven't gotten around to reading, but that everyone says I should.

When a woman wins a Nobel Prize (even if she acts poorly about receiving it) and has written some science fiction, I think that perhaps I ought to read some of her work. I picked up a cheap (but new!) copy of this at my local BJ's wholesale club.

Talked about as one of the best books of last year, Mark J. Ferrari's (such a cool last name!) The Book of Joby has been on everyone's recommended list. Even a Christian magazine I respect thought it was pretty good. However, it is very long and I have other books of more immediate interest.

My youngest brother picked me up a copy I had requested for Christmas, but for all the hubbub surrounding Steven Erikson, I just haven't wanted to pick it up quite yet. Part of it is that fact that it has been so talked up that I'm afraid that I won't like just becasue everyone else seems too. (ridiculous, isn't it?) And although it may not seem like it, I do like to read books not everyone is reading.

I love Neil Gaiman's writing. It's fresh, innovative and unusual. But I suffer from the conscientious reviewers problem. Since I ma fortunate enough to get some books for free from publishers, I feel an obligation to review books sent to me first, books I buy second. I in part deal with this by interposing a book I buy between those sent to me for review, but that leaves me with a pile of books I am glad I own and can't wait to read, but that will have to wait their turn.

You may have noticed that I predominantly read fantasy here. I like scifi a lot, but I prefer fantasy works. Yet a good buddy of mine has really, really encouraged me to read Vernor Vinge. He's the kind of guy who likes his books to provoke him and make him think, as well as be based in good science, rather than pure speculation. And his all-time favorite is Vernor Vinge. I got Rainbow's End on the cheap as a used library copy, and want to read it, but it suffers from the same problem as Gaiman's above.

That ought to do for now. I could probably list another ten to fifteen books on my pile including a few *GASP* Forgotten Realms books I haven't gotten to yet (I am really ashamed of that, I used to breeze through those highly enjoyable books in a weekend, now I haven't touched one in months). Maybe I'll give you another list in a few weeks.

Still, they say that confession is good for the soul, and I feel a little better for having told you about those books I know I should read, but haven't gotten to just yet.

He likes what writer?

Great essay at the NY Times on the effect of literary differences in the dating game.

I know I make it sound boring, but it is quite an insightful little piece.

(HT: Worldmagblog)

Book Review: Henry V by Classical Comics

* Genre: Graphic Novel, Literature, Drama
* ISBN: 1906332002
* ISBN-13: 9781906332006
* Format: Paperback, 144pp
* Publisher: Classical Comics
* Pub. Date: November 2007

Depending on how you look at it, most of us were forced or fortunate enough to read many of the greatest works of fiction in junior and high school. I’m sure you remember breezing through the novels you loved and slogging through the books you hated. If you are young enough, you likely remember trying to find the video version as well.

But perhaps most difficult of all these classics of literature we read was the works of Shakespeare. AS an Elizabethan writer, his English was archaic, and while teachers assured us it was filled with innuendo (or maybe it was fellow students?) we never could quite get the story. Many times, this was due to the fact that we were reading the work of a playwright, but were unable to see the work actually performed. Sometimes we might be fortunate enough to go to a Shakespeare festival, and maybe we say one on microfilm or VHS, but that was one class in a quarter, and never allowed us to engage the dry text before us.

Enter Classical Comics. This UK based publisher has done what others have been unable to do. Namely, give us a visual representation to go alongside the text of the Great Bard’s plays. Using the graphic novel format, Classical Comics gives teacher and students (plus those of us who love good literature) a fun and interesting way to enjoy the works of Shakespeare.

You might say that this has been done before and I agree it has been tried for all sorts of classics. But most of the time, they use abridged versions, dumbed down to fit on the page and leave more room for artwork. Not so Classical Comics. They give us not one version, but three. There is the unabridged version, best for the high school student or adult, the plain text version, which uses modern English to give us the gist of the Bard’s meaning, and the quick text version, which is a great way to introduce potential lovers of the classics, especially elementary age children.

For Classical Comics first book, they chose Henry V, probably the most action packed and inspiring of Shakespeare’s plays. Obviously, most readers will be familiar with the play itself, so I won’t go into detail here, but suffice it to say that its words are as awesome as ever.

Classical Comics has really done a good job translating the words into images. (Unfortunately, this example doesn't have the text, but you can look at more complete versions in pdf format at the website.) Although the artwork is a little bit on the cartoony side (rounded edges, not much in the way of sharp lines, it reminds me of early Disney films) it is well laid out, and the text is never crammed into the panels. And yet the full text is there.

The marriage of artwork and text is important, especially when so many students are historically illiterate. They have difficulty picturing how some of the characters may have dressed or what the country side might have looked like. Classical Comics recreates these things as best they can, allowing students and readers to see with their eyes as well as their minds.

Additionally, the work contains historical background at the end of the volume on Shakespeare, the Globe Theater, the time period as well as a discussion of just how they transformed the work from dry, dusty page to colorful, interesting comics. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Says Patrick Stewart, skilled Shakespearean actor and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: TNG fame, “I find them gripping, dramatic and, although for me the original Shakespeare is always my reason for turning to these plays, I think that what you are doing in illuminating and making perhaps more lucid, especially for young people, is clever and meaningful.”
Need any more be said?

For me, this really revived my interest in the works, and if I were still a teacher, I would have been sure to use it in my classroom. I would even recommend giving these books out as the text to use. Having a picture to go with the words, and having the ability to access a plain English text is of inestimable value to the teacher and the student.

If you want to read the classics, but are afraid after bad experiences in your youth, Classical Comics has the solution for you. Their next volumes include Macbeth, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, as well as works by Charles Dickens and Mary Shelley. Although the longer novels will be abridged versions I’m still looking forward to all of them, especially since I know that Classical Comics will give me interesting artwork to go with the story.

I highly recommend reading Henry V as one of the greatest epics of all time, and I recommend these particular editions from Classical Comics as the best for understanding the plays, short of seeing it them performed live.

You can read samples at their site in PDF format, to get a taste of what the books look and read like.

Joshua Palmatier's Plot Synopsis Project

Spend some time today looking over Joshua Palmatier's Plot synopsis project. Many of my favorite authors are posting, as well as at least one that I have found dissenting.

This will be a useful tool for all writers whether you write SF or not.

Participants are listed below, but I suggest you read Palmatier's intro, it helps set the stage, as well as giving useful tips and tools.

# Patricia Bray: http://www.sff.net/people/patriciabray/synopsis.html

# Chaz Brenchley: http://desperance.livejournal.com

# Mike Brotherton: http://www.mikebrotherton.com

# Tobias Buckell: http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/

# S.C. Butler: http://scbutler.livejournal.com

# Barbara Campbell: www.barbara-campbell.com/inside.htm

# David B. Coe: http://davidbcoe.livejournal.com

# Jennifer Dunne: http://jennifer_dunne.livejournal.com

# S.L. Farrell: http://sleigh.livejournal.com

# Diana Francis: http://difrancis.livejournal.com

# Gregory Frost: http://frostokovich.livejournal.com

# Felix Gilman: http://www.felixgilman.com/wordpress/

# Jim C. Hines: http://jimhines.livejournal.com

# Jackie Kessler: http://www.jackiekessler.com/blog

# Mindy Klasky: http://mindyklasky.livejournal.com

# Misty Massey: http://madkestrel.livejournal.com

# C.E. Murphy: http://mizkit.livejournal.com

# Naomi Novik: http://naominovik.livejournal.com

# Joshua Palmatier: http://jpsorrow.livejournal.com

# Irene Radford, P.R. Frost: http://ramblin_phyl.livejournal.com

# Maria V. Snyder: http://blog.myspace.com/mariavsnyder

# Jennifer Stevenson: http://smokingpigeon.livejournal.com

# Michelle West: http://msagara.livejournal.com

# Sean Williams: http://ladnews.livejournal.com

Reading in Public

Ever wonder about people reading in public? Ever wanted to approach someone reading a book you read before or would like to read and talking about it with them? Well, one brave blogger does just that.

My wife pointed me to this neat little blog where the author approaches people reading in public on the streets and in the buildings of San Francisco and asks about their reading.

Without giving names, the blogger takes two pictures, one of book in hand and the other of the person and in between inserts information learned about that person and the story of their conversation. It is fascinating how the blogger delves into the mind of these people. It also reminds me how reading is both a communal and a solitary occupation. And of course, it helps that some of the books noticed were fantasy. scifi. Just looking at the first two pages, I saw Mark J. Ferrari's Book of Joby and a Kim Harrison novel. And many folks mention C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien as favorite authors.

Check it out, its a really neat and creative idea.

On Selling Myself

Recently, an author acquaintance of mine suggested that I start submitting my reviews and other thoughts to various e-zines and other trade magazines devoted to spec fic. But as I think about it, and do a little research on payment types and methods, I’ve come to the conclusion that it really isn’t for me.

I didn’t start this blog with the intent to find work. I have a very good paying job with benefits that I really like. Not only that, it is a job that, while making me a capitalist pig, also lets me have plenty of free time, during work, to write posts for this little hobby.

Nor is this blog an attempt to promote my own fiction writing. I have no training in creative writing whatsoever (except for a few classes in my undergrad studies, and they were just for fun). I am a trained elementary teacher for goodness sake! The best I can come up with is, “See Spot Run,” and even that is pushing it. I have no agenda here other than the gratification of myself. (I know where you just went. When you stop giggling, read on.)

I like to think. You know, that thing your brain is for? And to be honest, since giving up television (except for movies and boxed TV shows through Netflix) I have time on my hands that can be put to a purpose. Sure, I could volunteer at my local hospital, but I’d be the ugliest candy-striper you ever saw. People would die just to avoid my entrance into their room. Honestly, I know sci-fi and fantasy. It’s what I enjoy. So I blog about it. (Not that I don't still volunteer for charitable organizations, I just don't pour all my time into them, or seek positions of responsibility in them.)

And of course, there is the fact that selling your writing is a full-time job. It’s a lot of work, as any freelancer will tell you, and it lacks any real security, something my oldest child obsessive personality cannot handle. I need security, and I’m not ashamed to say so. I looked at some of the requirements for publishing writing at various e-zines and trade mags, just for my own information, and it’s tough to get them to accept your work. I have to say, I really respect those folks who can do it.

Would I like to write a novel in my lifetime, see my name in print for my non-fiction or short stories? Sure, that would be nice, but am I willing to make the sacrifice necessary to make that happen? No, not really, and I’m mostly okay with that.

I’d rather pour my energy into making this blog better and better, so that you can enjoy what I enjoy, without feeling like I’m selling you something. My opinions on books are as honest as I know how to make them, and though I am rarely disappointed, I will let you know when I am, with no apologies to whoever sent me the book to review.

I just don’t see myself as someone who needs to go through the effort of publishing my material. If someone wants to borrow and republish what I have written with my permission, more power to them. (SF Crowsnest has done this a few times already.) And if I get paid for it, even better. But I am not going to seek these folks out.

I get paid well at my job, I like what I do for a living, and the mediocre amounts of money that could be produced by trying to put my name into print are so pitiful compared to my salary that it just isn’t worth it to me in terms of money.

I’m just a speculative fiction fan with a critical mind who likes to apply it to the thing he loves. I seek neither money, nor glory (although that would be nice, I won’t deny it) just an open forum to express my thoughts and opinions, a good way to meet authors I respect and whose writing I enjoy, and a useful tool for those of you trying to decide what book to read in your spare time.

I hope I’ve met those expectations in the last six months since this blog took off, and I plan to meet or exceed them in the future.

The Six Word Story

A long time back, before this blog had any readers whatsoever, I posted a little link to a story in Wired, that had a bunch of science fiction and fantasy authors (including Charles Stross, Robert Jordan, Cory Doctorow, David Brin, Gregory Maguire and Frank Miller), as well as others copying Hemingway's famous short story of only six words. They also added a slide show where the stories are put into pictures which is a must view.

Well, I had thought that such a thing didn't really constitute a story, more of an advertisement or promo and it seems Nicholas Lezard at the Guardian agrees with me.

It's worth a look at both articles, the first for the fun, the second for the critical opinion.

Weaving the Colors: An Interview with Jeffrey Overstreet

In one of the most enjoyable and well-answered interviews I have ever done, Jeffrey Overstreet has covered the gamut of topics from his debut novel Auralia's Colors to Christians in fiction to review writing methods. (Here is my review of his debut novel.) I hope you enjoy his thoughts as much as I did. For more of his thoughts, check out his oft posted to blog.

Grasping for the Wind: How did you become a fan of fantasy fiction, and why did you choose to write in this particular genre?

Jeffrey Overstreet: Do you remember those “long-playing records” that Walt Disney produced for each of their movies? You’d put the needle to the record and listen to a narrator tell the story, while excerpts from the movie’s soundtrack gave the characters distinct voices. That’s how I learned to read — listening to those records over and over again, on a plastic Mickey Mouse turntable. The needle was right under Mickey’s index finger on this plastic arm.

Most of those Disney stories were fairy tales. My family didn’t watch much television, and we didn’t go out for entertainment. So I found drama sitting in my room and listening to Pinocchio and Winnie the Pooh and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Around the time I turned seven, my neighborhood librarian took me up to the next level, introducing me to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain. Then came Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (I’d read it through more than once by the time I was 10), and Richard Adams’ Watership Down, which remains my favorite novel.

I write fantasy today because those stories — whimsical and wild as they are — continue to speak meaningfully to me, as much as any more “realistic” or sophisticated art. Fantasy explores spiritual mysteries through metaphor, giving shape to ideas that we can’t easily express with everyday stuff. We invent fairies, monsters, elves, trolls, dragons, and magic beans to give shape to ideas and virtues and fears and wonders. And that helps us live more fully, engaging with realities beyond what we can see and hear and touch.

GFTW: Before writing Auralia’s Colors you were widely acclaimed for your movie-going memoir Through a Screen Darkly. Why did you choose to write a book about the simple pleasure of going to the movies?

Overstreet: Movies, like fairy tales, have had an enormous influence in my life, shaping ideas, inspiring questions, giving me an appreciation for beauty, and helping me understand how the world looks to my neighbors (who have often had very different experiences).

I grew up in a rather conservative community in which moviegoing was viewed as a suspicious, dangerous, “worldly” activity. But I also came to see that when we cut ourselves off from art for fear of “contamination,” we lose one of the greatest gifts humanity has to enjoy, something that helps us understand each other, something that humbles and inspires us.

So I wanted to share my own story about how movies have changed my life, how conversations with moviegoers, movie makers and movie stars have taught me a great deal about art and life. It was also a way to write a thorough answer to those who send me emails demanding to know how I can call myself a Christian and still be an enthusiastic fan of filmmakers like Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and Krzysztof Kieslowski.

GFTW: Auralia’s Colors, your debut novel, is a fantasy with echoes of the traditional fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. Like their stories, your story is also an allegory. What moral or cultural truth are you trying to convey to your readers?

Overstreet: I’m glad you find echoes of fairy tales there. I suppose that’s inevitable, since I grew up on those stories.

But I don’t consider Auralia’s Colors to be an allegory at all. I did not intend to teach moral lessons or write a commentary on culture. I imagined a different world, threw in some characters, and then I started asking “What if?” The characters then led me into a story I hadn’t expected.

Now, that doesn’t mean readers won’t find anything meaningful in the story. The story reveals all kinds of things—and that just goes to show that art sometimes knows more than the artist. The characters in Auralia’s Colors are struggling with questions about freedom, responsibility, power, faith, and art. But I didn’t conspire to put any lessons in there. I discovered them after I stood back and thought about the story I’d written. I keep hearing from readers who are finding implications in the story I’ve never considered. That’s exciting.

I get bored with stories that can be boiled down to a simple meaning. In an allegory, characters are really just symbols. And the reader starts solving the puzzle: “Okay, so this character represents Jesus, this one represents Satan, this one represents a Christian, this one represents Judas, etc.” Allegories are like algebra. I’m more interested in storytelling. I do not have any characters that represent Jesus or God or anybody. Certain characters might behave in a Christ-like manner, or in a devilish way, just as many different characters in everything from The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter to Buffy the Vampire Slayer have moments of Christ-likeness. But Auralia isn’t Jesus. The Keeper isn’t God.

GFTW: Much of your prose reads like poetry. A lot of the book is given over to descriptions of sight and sound, smell and touch. Why did you focus so much on the sensory aspects of your tale?

Overstreet: I grew up reading stories that had musical, poetic language. Literature wasn’t just meant to be read — it was meant to be read out loud. I want to write paragraphs that taste good and sound good.

Also, I’ve learned that natural beauty can make even the most ridiculous movie worth watching. I believe that nature “speaks.” I believe that the things God made mean something. It makes a difference if Auralia is running through a forest instead of a field or a canyon. And it matters what kind of forest that might be, what trees are there, what they smell like, and what colors are in their leaves.

When I read a story in which the author has paid attention to those details, I feel a much more powerful sense of immersion within that world. I’ve read a lot of forgettable fantasy novels. But I go back to Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, Patricia McKillip’s The Book of Atrix Wolfe, Richard Adams’ Watership Down, and Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale, because I feel like I’ve lived in those places.

GFTW: You are a vocal Christian who is unafraid to make your beliefs known. What effect has this had on the reception of Auralia’s Colors both in the Christian and secular marketplace?

Overstreet: It’s too early to say, I think. I’m encouraged, because I’m getting mail from all kinds of readers, all ages, and very different worldviews. Some Christians write stories to “present the Gospel” or “convey a message,” but I don’t. Some people write for Christian readers; I don’t. I want to write books that I would have enjoyed reading, and that I think others will enjoy. I think everybody likes a good story. People are drawn to excellence.

If there is some truth to a work of art, or some beauty, poetry, and passion — that’s can give the audience an encounter with God, even in the artist doesn’t believe in God. I’ve read an awful lot of Christian books that were poorly written, derivative, boring, and sloppy. That doesn’t do me any good. And my faith has been encouraged and transformed by artists who would never call themselves Christians. It doesn’t matter much who is writing the story — it’s the story that matters. It doesn’t matter what color that candle’s made of — it’s the light and the heat the draws people in. You’ve probably heard it said, “All truth is God’s truth.” I would add that all beauty is beautiful because it reflects God’s glory.

I hope that Auralia’s Colors has enough in its pages to give people an engaging and meaningful experience. We’ll see what happens.

GFTW: What effect does your Christian faith have on your writing?

Overstreet: Because I believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after we killed him, I believe that there’s hope, even hope that death does not have the final word. I believe there’s meaning in the world around me. I believe that there are, as Hamlet said, “powers in heaven and earth” that we cannot fathom.

If I believe those things, how can I write a story that isn’t hopeful? I would have to tell a lie. I can’t help but write stories in which there are powers greater than the characters, powers in conflict.

But no, I don’t deliberately write “Christian stories”, just as I don’t bake “Christian cookies.” I just want to write a good story. And I think all good stories draw us because they reflect God’s glory… even if they’re shelved somewhere outside the “Religion” section at Barnes and Noble.

GFTW: Your novel lacks any clearly defined “evil” characters or clearly defined “good” characters. Why did you avoid the standard good vs. evil theme of fantasy?

Overstreet All of my favorite stories avoid dividing their characters into false categories of “Good Guys” and “Bad Guys.” I don’t believe in “Good” and “Bad” people.

I believe that all of us were designed by God, in God’s image, and that we have “eternity written in our hearts.” That means that everybody will give evidence of goodness in some way, even the worst villains.

But I also believe that we are all broken, deceived, and depraved in our appetites. Thus, even the best heroes will have moments of doubt, make mistakes, and sometimes behave irresponsibly.

When we insist on stories in which there are “bad people,” and suggest that the solution is the elimination of those “bad people,” that can carry over into devastating behavior in the real world. We live in a culture that perpetually abuses labels and categories for the sake of judging other people. Genocides begin with the idea that we can divide people into the “good” and the “bad.”

Now, in stories for small children, I think it’s useful to have simplistic “good guys and bad guys” because you are giving children figures that represent fears they must overcome, or virtues they should strive to imitate. But when storytelling becomes more sophisticated, it’s important to discourage any interpretations that will cause people to judge others and exalt themselves.

GFTW: My favorite quote from the novel is on page 254. “You want a gift from the king? Hear this: if you allow Abascar freedom, some people will choose what they shouldn’t. … But take away that freedom, and no one has opportunity to choose what they should.” Why is having a choice so important?

Overstreet: Wow, that’s a question that would take a book to answer! Here are a few thoughts:

In Auralia’s world, the king and queen of House Abascar take away their people’s power of creative expression. And they also forbid them to tell certain stories. The people of Abascar become resentful, because they are not able to ask certain questions, investigate mysteries, and express the mysteries within themselves. They can’t be human.

The king tells them that the world outside is dangerous, so he makes them stay inside the walls. And the world is dangerous. But if the people are forced to obey the king, without any choice in the matter, they have no chance to develop discernment. And worse, when they become afraid of the world around them, they become starved for beauty. Sure, they might be safer from some dangers inside of Abascar’s walls, but by walling themselves off from the world they’re creating an enclosed space, and new dangers will arise and flourish within that space. Worse, the people remove their chances of making a difference beyond the walls, so the world outside just spirals out of control.

It reminds me a bit of my own experience growing up. I was taught to avoid the world beyond the church because there were so many temptations out there. But as a result, my Christian community became rather isolated and had very little effect on the surrounding culture. We talked about “loving our neighbors,” but in truth, we were repulsed by our neighbors and we tried to create a society in which we could live apart from them. And guess what? Temptations and sins of all kinds festered within that community, so we were fooling ourselves by thinking we could withdraw from “the sinful world.”

We need freedom. And yes, freedom is dangerous, which is why we also need to be responsible and discerning.

GFTW: The ale boy, one of your primary and perhaps most interesting characters, lacks even a name. Why did you choose to make him nameless throughout the novel?

Overstreet: The reason is rather simple: I liked the sound of it.

It kindled my curiosity. And while some storytellers like to solve of the mysteries for the reader, I prefer reading books that leave mysteries, big and small, for me to ponder. This is one of those small mysteries in Auralia’s world.

As I began to write Auralia’s Colors, the ale boy was a minor character. My friend Danny Walter is an actor who pays close attention to characters and their voices. He started asking me questions about the ale boy. I started exploring possibilities, and realized that the ale boy had a much bigger part to play in the story.

I’m finishing the sequel, Cyndere’s Midnight, and I’m still discovering more about the ale boy. He has a particular call that he’s following, and it’s leading him into some rather horrifying places.

GFTW: What has been your favorite reaction to Auralia’s Colors from a reader or critic?

Overstreet That’s a tough question. I’ve been bowled over by the enthusiasm in the letters I’m receiving.

I thought I had made up the name “Auralia.” I experimented with combinations of letters from other names and words I like: aura, Laura, Leah. But then I received a letter from someone named Auralia. She bought the book simply because her name was on the cover! She informed me that the name means “golden lion of God.” That kind of freaked me out. I had no idea.

I had to chuckle when a fellow at Amazon gave the book a low rating because it reminded him of the writing of George Macdonald. Hey, I’ll take that as a compliment!

But my favorite responses have come from two extraordinary artists whose work has not received the kind of attention it deserves. They both wrote to say that they felt related to Auralia, because of her relentless creativity and her frustrations at how others take what she does for granted. That made the whole project worthwhile.

GFTW: What can you tell us about the sequel to Auralia’s Colors, Cyndere’s Midnight?

Overstreet: You could call it my version of Beauty and the Beast. But my version has two beauties and a whole pack of beasts.

Auralia’s Colors focuses on House Abascar. Cyndere’s Midnight takes you into a world of monsters — the ruins of House Cent Regus, where people have fallen under a curse that turns them into murderous beasts. You’ll catch glimpses of these beastmen in Auralia’s story, and you’ll learn about the mysterious monster who crept into Auralia’s hideaway in the first book.

It’s also about House Bel Amica, the wealthy and powerful society beside the sea. You’ll meet the heiress to the throne, Cyndere. Cyndere has the scandalous idea that there is a better way to deal with the beastmen than just hunting and killing them.

Things get out of control quickly when Auralia’s Colors bring together the heiress and a beastman, as well as the ale boy, Cyndere’s beautiful helper Emeriene, an ambitious soldier named Ryllion, and that dreamer from House Abascar named Cal-raven.

GFTW: Beyond the usual authors recommended (like Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Madeline L’Engle) whose works would you recommend that fantasy enthusiasts read?

Overstreet: When I first read Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin, I was enthralled. And I ended up marrying the woman who first recommended it to me. It’s set in New York, but it’s a New York so richly imagined that it’s a whole new wonderland. Helprin writes so beautifully that it could make you want to just give up writing.

I love the way Guy Gavriel Kay tells a story. In books like Sailing to Sarantium and The Lions of Al-Rassan, he imagines new worlds, but they’re firmly rooted in the details of actual human history. He gives us many different perspectives on a single world, from the rich to the poor, the young to the old. That is not only creative, but it’s compassionate. It trains us to consider other people’s perspectives, which is good for our hearts.

I also recommend Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast, for his exaggerated, spectacular descriptions; Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow, a powerful work of “theological science fiction”; and a little-known story by Michael Ende called Momo, which is a fairy tale just waiting for someone to turn it into a fantastic feature film.

GFTW: As a professional movie critic, what advice would you give to people (such as myself) on the best way to critique a work of art like movies or literature?

Overstreet: I spend quite a few pages in Through a Screen Darkly telling stories about what I’ve learned about writing film reviews. And I’ve included a guide there for movie discussion groups. I highly recommend starting a movie discussion group. We learn a lot about each other when we compare our responses to a work of art.

There are a lot of questions to consider when watching a movie, or reading a book for that matter: Don’t just ask, “Did you like it?” Talk about what worked and what didn’t. Ask what the artist’s intentions seemed to be, and then weigh whether you thought those goals were achieved. Consider the film’s intended audience: Who are they, how old are they, and will this film serve them? Consider the technical aspects of the film: Whose performance was memorable, and why? What did the filmmaker’s choices regarding color, design, editing, and music do for the film? Did anything in the work draw too much attention to itself?

But I’d also encourage people to examine their own feelings about the film. It may have been powerful, but did it reveal anything true? If it was disturbing, why did it disturb you? Was it a film condoning evil, or was it exposing evil so we can understand both good and evil better? Did it make you feel good? If so, how? Was it sentimental, or honest? Was it telling us what we want to hear, or was it telling the truth? Did it preach its message, or did it show us something and let us think for ourselves?

GFTW: Any parting thoughts or comments?

Overstreet: If anyone is interested in discussing Auralia’s Colors… or movies for that matter… everyone is invited to visit me at LookingCloser.org. That’s where you’ll find my archive of film reviews, and my blog, which I update almost every day.

GFTW: Thanks for taking the time.

For more, read Fantasy Debut's Interview with Jeffrey Overstreet.

This post is part of the CSFF blog tour for January 2008. Read posts from these other participants in the tour:

Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Jackie Castle Carol Bruce Collett Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Timothy Hicks Heather R. Hunt Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Carol Keen Mike Lynch Margaret Rachel Marks Shannon McNear Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here Pamela Morrisson Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Deena Peterson Rachelle Steve Rice Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachelle Sperling Donna Swanson Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac Laura Williams Timothy Wise

(Photos © Fritz Liedtke or Jeffrey Overstreet)