McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Christian influences in Fantasy writing
Shecky:
--- Quote from: areid2 on April 12, 2012, 05:30:50 PM ---Yeah I am a strong atheist but I have always totally hated it when books start to sermonize on the values and wisdom of atheism. Characters can have the values. The story is there to entertain not convert.
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Well said.
mdodd:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on April 12, 2012, 01:53:51 PM ---Supposedly, The Lord of the Rings has strong Christian overtones, but I don't see it, myself (I didn't even get the Narnia connection until someone pointed it out to me, but in all fairness I was about seven at the time.) Also, The Golden Compass was apparently written as a deliberate anti-Narnia, but as I haven't read it, I can't comment.
Basically, any protagonist who is sacrificed for the greater good (they may or may not be brought back to life through magic) can be percieved as a Christ figure, or at least a Dying God archetype. If you want to incorporate a Christian theme into your writing, I would suggest picking a New Testament story that has particular resonance for you, and creating a Dark Fantasy metaphor around it. Finding the proper balance will be the real trick--too overt and it will turn off less religious readers, and too vague and no-one will get it.
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Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy Northern Lights/Golden Compass (depending on which part of the world you inhabit),
Amber Spyglass and Subtle Knife goes to some weird and wonderful places, I am glad I read the trilogy but not something you want to read while feeling depressed or listening to Leonard Cohen.
Lanodantheon:
Much of what what I think (Don't get preachy/soapboxie and don't just retell bible stories) has been voiced already, but on this matter I do have some thoughts:
1. Whatever reason you are writing about, make it engaging. Give us compelling characters, stunning imagery and scenes that resonate. From there, adding a message is much easier.
2. Incorporate the Themes/morals into the action seamlessly.
The last thing I want to see in a book that has a deliberate message is a scene that sounds like this: "Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn, tell us the lesson that we should learn."
Make the theme a part of a character arc or maybe make the moral the solution to a character's book-long problem. Done too heavy-handedly this can fail (see: the wheel of morality), but if done subtly enough it works wonders and it makes the moral invisible food for thought.
3. Because you are writing "Dark Fantasy", figure out where the genre and the message meet. What does "Dark" mean to you and how can it include your message? How dark do you want to go?
Paynesgrey:
I think it's pretty much been covered already, but basically, don't sermonize or even try to create remotely biblical parallels, just tell a story where the values and ideals you wish to promote shine through, and where the dilemmas people trying to live up to those values bite in a way the Average Reader can relate to. That'll let you tell a good story rather than preach a sermon, and maybe demonstrate that there's some common ground between your belief system and the belief system of others who share those common ideals if not common theology. Compassion, courage, integrity, etc. Make characters who people can respect and admire, that people can see as living, breathing examples of the type of behavior normal people can achieve if they really set their hearts on it. A character who is a good example does far more to convey a theological, ethical, or moral idea than any story or lecture.
The Deposed King:
--- Quote from: Nickeris86 on April 12, 2012, 07:40:10 AM ---So I am a Christian and have resiliently gone through a spiritual reawakening which has done wonders for me personal level. I have been trying to figure out where God wants me and what he wants me to do with my life rather than what I want to do. I believe that God me my gift for writing and creating a story but I am not sure if what I have been writing is working towards Gods goals for me.
What I am trying to ask is does anyone know a good way to incorporate Christian themes and morals into a dark fantasy novel. The only example I have of a fantasy novel with strong Christian influences and messages is The Chronicles of Narnia. Are there others out their and I just don't know about them?
Your help is much appreciated.
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I know its not a book series. But did you watch the TV show, Kings? It was based on teh david versus goliath story. And focused a lot on the King that had power before David. Might give you some ideas.
The Deposed King
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