DragonsAreAwesome!Snuffles the Dragon here. Deej over there, apparently on "request" from a reader, wants me to talk about some novel or other for some Blog Tour or other, and I was right at a cliffhanger (will Miaka and Tamahome ever get back together?), so I'm a little grumpy.The book on tour is none other than Donita K. Paul's DragonLight, volume 5 of the Compound Nouns that Start with Dragon S
Today I’m stopping at -lieutenant-sharon-gold-novel-by.html. I’m particularly pleased with the comments added to the review on Bookfoolery because these “conversations” are what Web 2.0 is all about. And as a special promotion for my book MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL -- Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour or $25 Amazon gift certificate to one luc
Regular readers know I'm off fiction for now, so I can do little besides introduce this month's blog tour, which is the novel The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley.The book's website is here.The author's blog is here.Your blog tour is here:Brandon BarrJim BlackJustin BoyerGrace BridgesJackie CastleCarol Bruce Collett Valerie ComerCSFF Blog TourGene CurtisD. G. D. DavidsonChris DeanneJaney DeMeoJeff DraperApril ErwinMarcus GoodyearRebecca Grabill Jill HartKatie HartMichael HealdTimothy HicksChristopher HopperHeather R. HuntJason JoynerKaitCarol KeenMike LynchMargaretRachel MarksShannon McNearMelissa MeeksRebecca LuElla MillerMirtika or Mir's HerePamela MorrissonEve NielsenJohn W. OtteJohn OttingerDeena PetersonRachelleSteve RiceAshley RutherfordChawna SchroederJames SomersRachelle SperlingDo
This month, we're featuring the e-zine, Wayfarer's Journal. Today, I'm criticizing an essay in the journal, Tom Hohstadt's "Are You Ready for Science Fiction Clergy?"Upon seeing the title of his essay, I hoped Hohstadt would discuss gun-toting cyborg priests. Alas, nothing so intellectual is on his mind. What he calls "science fiction clergy" appears to be a version of the Emerging Church Movement. Personally, The Sci Fi Catholic is offended to see the venerable term "science fiction" applied to something as half baked as the Emerging Church.Hohstadt gets off to a good start by telling us that "new realities are emerging." Well, that's news to me; I suppose if new realities are emerging, we really will need science fiction clergy to cope. I don't know about Hohstadt, but I'm in the same reality I was in last year. If he's really skipping from one parallel universe to another, I suggest he see a doctor.Be wary of any writer, especially a religious one, who tells you reality is c
This month, we are featuring the e-zine, Wayfarer's Journal. Below is the press release and tour list, and we'll be back tomorrow with a review!Science Fiction with a Spiritual Dimension featured in new E-ZineWayfarer's Journal (http://www.wayfarersjournal.com/), a new science fiction e-zine, was launched in February. The publication focuses on publishing science fiction stories with a "spiritual dimension""By spiritual we don't mean preachy," comments Wayfarers editor Terri Main. "We mean stories which not only project the reader into the future technologically, but see how those changes impact the morality, ethics and spirituality of believable characters"Main notes that spiritual issues are often not addressed by secular science fiction publications, and that many religious publications are reticent about publishing science fiction or fantasy."This shying away from the spiritual aspect of humanity in science fiction is foolish. A look at any newscast will show
Yeah, it's Snuffles again. Deej calls me up again and we have the following bizarre conversation:D.G.D.: Man, this project's really takin' it outta me. I feel like I've been dancin' with Mr. Brownstone.Snuffles: Knowing you, you're probably unaware that that phrase refers to shooting up heroine.D.G.D.: I've always liked stories with strong heroines. Maybe you can blog something about that.Snuffles: You want me to blog something about what you like?D.G.D.: Would you? I'd really appreciate it. Catch ya later.And then he hangs up on me. So I'm sitting here with vague instructions and no new content. All I can say is, don't use strong heroine or you'll end up like Deej.Anyway, I figure we might as well take a mosy around this so-called "blog tour." That way, instead of coming up with my own content, I'll just borrow other people's. In case you forgot, the tour has to do with this book called Scarlet by this guy named Stephen R. Lawhead.To start out, we have Mirtika, who I assu
Snuffles the Dragon here. Deej calls me up from some motel room, tells me he's real tired and doesn't want to post today, and then asks me if I'll say something nice about some book called Scarlet by some guy named Stephen R. Lawhead. So anyway, here's the second day of the blog tour--Snuffles Style.Now, I'm pretty sure Lawhead doesn't draw comics and doesn't hail from Japan, so I don't know why anyone thinks I'd know anything about his book. Though I think I once saw Deej with a copy of Search for Fierra, I haven't read any of Lawhead's work. My first thought was of course that Scarlet must be a sequel to Gone with the Wind, but it turns out it's actually a sequel to Hood, the first volume of the Raven King trilogy, which draws on the legends of Robin Hood, among other things.Though I don't know very much about Lawhead, I do know that Michael O'Brien in his A Landscape With Dragons considers Lawhead's writing morally questionable because Lawhead's characters sometimes
We are back at it this morning, heading to meet up some Posties in ATL. We will be at the CNN Center at noon and the Varsity at 7PM. We spent last night at a Travelodge, on of our sponsors for the tour. You all know that I travel a lot. I've stayed at some of the world's nicest hotels and some of biggest dumps you can imagine. The Travelodge is hotel that pleasantly falls somewhere in between.
Our stay ran $45 for one night, not bad considering most hotels I book are in the $100 range. The room was clean, stocked with a microwave and fridge, decent tv and the little niceties like soap and shampoo. They offered free breakfast which included fresh waffles, cereal, donuts, juice, coffee, etc. I have stayed at $250 a night hotels in New York that can't claim the same... ah hemm "The Jefferson". The rooms in The Jefferson were about 1/2 the size of our room and I didn't want to touch anything.
Another thing I like about the Travelodge is that they are pet friendly in some loc
And the blog tour continues.This month's tour features The Return, book 3 of the Mars Hill Classified series by Austin Boyd. I, um, haven't read it. I'm hearing good things, though.Blog on:Trish AndersonBrandon BarrJim BlackJustin BoyerGrace BridgesAmy BrowningJackie CastleValerie ComerKarri ComptonLisa CromwellCSFF Blog TourGene CurtisD. G. D. DavidsonJaney DeMeoMerrie Destefano or Alien DreamJeff DraperApril ErwinBeth GoddardMarcus GoodyearJill HartKatie HartSherrie HibbsChristopher HopperBecca JohnsonJason JoynerKaitKarenDawn KingTina KulesaRachel MarksKaren McSpaddenRebecca LuElla MillerEve NielsenJohn W. OtteLyn PerryDeena PetersonRachelleCheryl RusselChawna SchroederMirtika SchultzJames SomersSteve TrowerSpeculative FaithLaura WilliamsTimothy Wise
And the blog tour begins.This month's tour goes out to The Return, book 3 of the Mars Hill Classified series by Austin Boyd.In other news, the Spirit of Vatican 2 "Catholic" Faith Community has weighed The Sci Fi Catholic in the scales and found it wanting. As a result, it has officially and unceremoniously banned this blog forever, for the following reasons:Phariseeism, Funny Languages, Intolerance, Republicanism, and Offensiveness. I was hoping for a Neocatholic (NC) rating and a Bells and Smells (BS), but apparently I didn't quite squeak by. Not sure what the "Republicanism" thing is about.You will find me caught beneath the landslide of a Blog Tour Supernova (I'm running out of these things!):Trish AndersonBrandon BarrJim BlackJustin BoyerGrace BridgesAmy BrowningJackie CastleValerie ComerKarri ComptonLisa CromwellCSFF Blog TourGene CurtisD. G. D. DavidsonJaney DeMeoMerrie Destefano or Alien DreamJeff DraperApril ErwinBeth GoddardMarcus GoodyearJill HartKatie HartSherrie HibbsCh
The swashing and buckling just won’t stop!This month's Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour is featuring The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka. You can read Polivika's blog here.Today, in honor of Polika’s high seas pirate adventure novel, we have a pirate short story!The Ballad of Ichabod the Scourgeby Ichabod the ScourgeThis is the sorriest bunch o’ land-lubbers I e’er laid eyes on in me life! But we’ll make real piratey pirates out o’ ye yet! I’m here to tell ya a story that’ll put real hair on yer chests! It’s called “The Ballad o’ Ichabod the Sailor and how he became the nastiest meanest, low-downest, dirtiest sailor ever to ply the seven and a half seas.”Arrgh, once upon a time, the nastiest, meanest, low-downest, dirtiest sailor e’er to ply the seven an’ a half seas was Rupert the Scum. And Rupert had a snivelly, wet-nosed young lubber of a cabin boy by the name o’ Billy.Now, one o’ the pirates’ favoritest past-times is a-r
If you blog tour it, they will come.Post is early today because I’ll be in the field all day tomorrow. By the time I have a chance to post again, the blog tour will be pretty much over.This month’s Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour features Sharon Hinck’s novel, The Restorer. See Sharon Hinck’s blog here.Yesterday, I discussed Hinck’s use of the female warrior motif. Today, I indulge myself by hanging a brief essay from a few sentences in the novel. I promise it will be very brief.At the end of The Restorer, on page 447, the protagonist, Susan, looks back on an earlier worship experience in Lyric’s temple (called a “tower”) and wonders, “Would I ever again feel the presence of the One in such a tangible way as I had on the Feast day?” (p. 447).The society of Lyric is meant to be similar to that of Israel before Christ. Hinck is writing this as an Evangelical. Here she seems to be indicating that the tangible presence of God, “God with us,” is something
The blog tour of (female) champions.This month’s Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour features Sharon Hinck’s novel, The Restorer. See Sharon Hinck’s blog here.Yesterday, I reviewed Hinck’s novel. Today we’ll discuss its central conceit, the Woman Warrior.The Restorer, as previously discussed, is loosely based on the story of the judge, prophetess, and warrior Deborah from Judges 4 and 5. In Hinck’s alternate universe, the soldiers, forming something like a looseknit formal militia, are known as “guardians.” Female guardians are common in Hinck’s world, which tends to mask the uniqueness of Deborah’s role and that of Hinck’s protagonist.Though women riding into battle were not a mainstay of ancient oriental warfare, the story of Deborah and her counterpart Jael have a thematic relationship with the stories of other women in the Old Testament:After Barak and Deborah ride to war and rout the forces of Hazor, the Hazorite captain Sisera flees to the tent of Ja
White American suburbia + swordfighting = really bad science fantasy.This month’s Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour features Sharon Hinck’s novel, The Restorer. See Sharon Hinck’s blog here. My review of her novel follows:The Restorer by Sharon Hinck. The Sword of Lyric, book 1. Navpress (Colorado Springs): 2007. 477 pages. $14.99. ISBN-13: 978-1-60006-131-8, ISBN-10: 1-60006-131-1.According to Alberto Manguel in A History of Reading, Henry Miller claimed that James Joyce’s Ulysses is best read in the toilet. If so, then Sharon Hinck’s The Restorer is best read in the bubble bath. And with a total of 477 sluggish pages to get through, I burned the midnight aromatherapy candles to ensure you had this review on time.The story begins with the innocuously named narrator, Susan Mitchell, who has developed a serious case of homemaker ennui, not because her family is dysfunctional or her life is in tatters, but because her family is perfect and her life is mind-numbingly d
I promised thorns, so here they are. This for Day 2 of the Karen Hancock blog tour. Scroll down for my official non-spoiling review of her latest release, Return of the Guardian King!!! And so, now that I've gushed gooeyness all over everyone, following are the Ten Things that really BUG me regarding ... well, read on and see for yourself.1. Back cover copy that tells too much of the story. I'm talking about Karen's first book here, Light of Eidon. It says something along the lines of "Prince Abramm will soon be next in line to the throne, but he is sold as a slave and becomes a gladiator in the Games!" But, um, that's a summary of oh, two thirds of the book!For years now my mother-in-law has been pressing CBA fiction into my hands with a, "You'll just Love this!" Sometimes I have, Francine Rivers for example, and sometimes I haven't. I was so SO SOO excited after reading Karen's first book to finally have something to hand off to my sweet mother-in-law. "You will LOVE this!
It is the first day of Lent in the Western tradition, beginning a time to reflect on the year, remember the mercy of God, and do penance in preparation for the celebration of Easter. This is a special time of year for me, particularly, since just last year Lent meant gearing up for my induction into the Church. In particular, that involved participation in the Scrutinies, a set of scripture readings read at Mass for the benefit of the Catechumens, intended to inspire soul-searching in preparation for the sacraments of initiation.Ash Wednesday involves marking a cross of ash on the forehead, in rememberance of our mortality. Sometimes the ash is made with the burnt remains of the palm fronds from last year's Palm Sunday.Don't forget to check out Where the Map Ends. Since we're all about books here, take a look-see at the books page, which has an extensive list of Christian (presumably mostly Protestant) sf/fantasy authors and their work.Ash WednesdayProudly bringing more Protestants
Today is Phat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This day is also known as Carneval, "Farewell to Meat," or as we like to say it here, "Hasta la vista...meat." In other words, it's a day to finish off all the stuff you aren't going to eat during Lent, like meat. So for dinner, I'm having some leftover microwaveable chicken wings, a quarter pound of hamburger, sixteen slices of lunchmeat, and a leftover steak. Ugh. I'm feeling kinda...woozy.But while I'm chowing down, pop on over to Where the Map Ends. You can see he has a page dedicated to cool artwork.See below for the rest of your blog tour. And add to that list Nicole.
Welcome to The Sci Fi Catholic. We're dedicated to discussing the relationship between speculative fiction and religion. If you've never been here before, have a look around. We love angry, confrontational comments so much, sometimes we write our own. This article and this news item have gotten good plugs from other bloggers, and I'm fond of this review.But enough about us. Have you been to Where the Map Ends? If not, why not? Check out the awesome stuff there. This website is all about Christian sf, and it's got cool graphics, too. In particular, notice the extensive advice for aspiring writers. Some of the suggestions are unusual and unusually cool. For example, this site directs you to, among other things, random map-generating software for lazy writers who like much of their world-building done for them. Whatever happened to the good old days when writers sketched their ideas on legal pads?Okay, okay. I'm not convinced all of that is healthy. I mean, do your own homework. But
