Final day for the Blog Tour during which we are featuring the Edenstar Books and Games website for Christian-themed SF/F. Wednesday is also my first day to post over on the team blog, Speculative Faith, a group of bloggers who write about all aspects of reading and writing Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, instead of working on that post this afternoon I've been wrestling with my computer and the Internet instead. I've been visiting that blog for weeks, no problem. Then, starting Sunday, I couldn't get on. I thought the page was down (since that's what the error message said). Turns out it's not. I tried removing and reinstalling the updates I got recently, cleaning out my caches... nothing. Then my son called and had me unplug and replug in the cable modem and router and voila. It works. How weird these computers are. He said sometimes the routers make decisions about things they shouldn't be making. Hmmm. Reminds me a bit of Prey.So, since I've spent most of my post-writing time fooling with the computer, I decided to just give a bit of a commentary on my explorations of Edenstar today.
When I was growing up, I sure don't recall very many fantasy books. But looking through the site I was reminded of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. A combination of fantasy/sf, actually. I read all three of the books. I'm not sure when I read them, but I'm pretty sure I was too young for them, because the main thing I remember about them is that while I liked them... I don't think I had a clue what was going on. In fact, when I read the little blurb about it at Edenstar and then on Amazon I was amazed. I don't remember anything like the story they described! In fact, I couldn't have told you what it was about had you asked me. I see I shall have to read it again now that I may have a chance of actually understanding it.
I also read and liked The Phantom Tollbooth, which is not mentioned on Edenstar, owing, most likely to the fact it's not explicitly Christian. But I recall having liked it better than the L'Engle books. Maybe I need to reread that one as well...
When homeschooling my son, I discovered Five Children and It, by E. Nesbitt, which I think maybe deserves a place with the others on Edenstar. It's not explicitly Christian, but it is a wonderful story of what happens when you get what you wish for -- it's not usually what you expect, and often not at all what you like!
Hmm. George MacDonald's Lilith looks interesting. I've not read any of his work, and him being regarded as one of the classic fantasists, I feel that I should. Or maybe I should read Phantastes. Charles Williams looks kind of interesting, too, though I confess to being somewhat put off by occult stuff.
Turning to more contemporary authors -- I've already read Lawhead, Myers, Peretti, Dekker, Faller, Gansky, Graham... ah, but here's James Beausigneur. Haven't read any of his yet. Maybe I'll try one of those. And someone said that L.A. Kelly's Tahn was good... hmm. James Byron Huggins. I've heard about him, too... Leviathan looks interesting, given my fascination for komodo dragons. Cain, too, though. Well, here I am, already having more than I can read when I have my own book to finish writing and another to get started on... Best quit this now before I get really frustrated! Besides, I still have that Speculative Faith post to write.
Happy Reading (those of you blessed enough to have time for that sort of thing!)
Karen
