Last night was the long-awaited season premiere for The Walking Dead that answered the question: Who was Negan going to kill? I won’t include any spoilers here, because I know there are probably some readers out there who haven’t seen the episode yet, and I hate it when that happens to me. But on top … More It’s the Kobayashi Maru All Over Again
I am the faculty sponsor of the Rough Writers, the student creative writing club here at Southwestern Adventist University. We’re pretty open and loose about what people can bring to the group to be critiqued, and inevitably there is at least one or two writers in the group whose favorite genre is fantasy. Many would-be … More When Nonfiction Becomes Fiction…and Vice Versa
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King. 251 pages. Simon and Schuster. To fully appreciate The Gunslinger (as a fellow writer) you have to read the introduction by the author and realize that this book was originally written when Stephen King was in college. The version I read had been subject to a … More Review: “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King
“Why did God make us all so different if he wanted us all to be the same?” — Mary, Saved One of the things the students in my Editorial Techniques class learn is that when you’re an editor–and a serious writer, for that matter–you never stop looking for story ideas. And so it was that … More Diversity vs. Control: The Great Conflict
I’ve been playing around with scenarios leading up toward the new book series that I am planning, much of it hinted at in the short story and film “The Price of a Free Lunch.” Here’s another take, which may end up being part of a prologue, entitled “The Shadow People.” I hope you enjoy. … More Short Story: “The Shadow People”
Let me begin with a disclaimer. Book reviews are a highly subjective thing. What strikes my fancy might not strike yours, and vice versa. With that said, I was introduced to Christopher Patterson by a fellow author who is also trying to find his path somewhere between sci-fi/fantasy and Christian fiction. Shadow’s Fire leads more … More Review: “Shadow’s Fire: A Chance Beginning” by Christopher Patterson
“Storm Front” by Jim Butcher. Roc Books. 372 pages. I have a student named Andrew that is also a colleague in our student-led campus creative writing group, The Rough Writers. He has been going on and on about Jim Butcher and especially about the Dresden Files series. And so I got a good deal at … More Review: “Storm Front” by Jim Butcher
About a dozen years ago, I was invited to team-teach an Honors class at our University entitled “Christianity and Science Fiction.” Some of my colleagues suggested that it should be called “Christianity vs. Science Fiction,” but that was not the point. From my perspective, both inspirational fiction and science fiction deal with the same challenge: … More Why Not Christian Science Fiction?
This is the fourth and final episode of “A Hole In the Sky.” If you would like to see the complete story in one place, and read other stories by me, make sure you pick up A Hole In the Sky and Other Stories, which will be available in ebook form today or tomorrow on … More “A Hole In the Sky: Episode 4”
Here is Episode 3 of four parts. The last part will be posted tomorrow. The Crae A few weeks later, with a scattering of snow on the ground, Sani’s tribe was ready to continue its trip north to the Craeia Mountains. Webb and Eleanor had forsaken their Aeryan clothing for Sinti garb, which at this … More “A Hole In the Sky: Episode 3”
The Great Adventure 