Matt McKinney (Untold Podcast 20 - The Saving Thunderclap) recently uploaded his latest episode of POS: TOS, which explores some of the worst Star Trek episodes in existence.

Matt asked me to suggest an episode and I chose one from The Next Generation. "Up The Long Ladder." This is bottom of the barrel Star Trek here.

Matt and Kim rip this episode apart (in their hilarious way) but also make some rather deep philosophical observations as well. I had recalled some of the bad ideas in this episode, but Matt and Kim point out some morally abysmal things I had forgotten about and missed the last time I watched this.

It takes intelligence to strip down a story's philosophy. It takes genius to do so with humor!

I also have a brief cameo in the beginning.

Take a look.
(Note: This is your obligatory salty language warning.)

I purchased the trade paperback version of the Valiant Entertainment title, Unity, last week at my local (and awesome) comic book store.

As I opened up the book, the words "Geeks of Doom" caught my eye on the back cover. To my surprise, the publisher quoted my review I wrote for the Geeks of Doom!

I'm thrilled Valiant thought well enough of my review to reprint a part of it on such a great title!

You can read my original review here!

Summary: The brutal pale-skinned Angleni have made a truce with the peoples in the land of the three tribes. Their arrival has left the three tribes battle-worn and willing to do almost anything to avoid conflict. The Angleni's hateful desires are not satisfied with the truce, though. And their lusts and religion are prophecied to one day take over the whole land.
None of this is on the minds of young Loic, a general's son, and Satha, a woman from a poorer clan whom Loic chases after. But in the midst of their growing relationship, forces far more powerful and deceptive than the Angleni sweep the couple into a physical and spiritual struggle that threatens to change everything.

Review: Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell is an absolute masterpiece of literary fantasy fiction.

The author has built a world filled with people groups, supernatural entities, clans, theology and intrigue that is at once alien while still feeling very familiar.

More than the world, though, McDonnell's characters drive the story and give it a heart. One of our protagonists, Loic, is a passionate, yet tender-hearted young man. He says whatever is in his heart, which at times is commendable, but often is embarrassing. Satha, our other protagonist, in many ways complements Loic's zeal, but carries a deeper wisdom than her suitor.

This book isn't for everyone, though.

Human sexuality drives a good portion of the story. Thankfully, fantasy tropes help the story talk about the male sex drive in rather frank ways without being too specific. But in Wind Follower we see the beautiful, the ugly and even the pathetic aspects of the sexual drive.

This isn't always easy to read. By no means. There was one point that upset me to my core, and I didn't return to the book for two weeks. Now, I'm not a sheltered reader. I did my undergraduate work in Creative Writing at SUNY New Paltz. I've read stories featuring depravities and injustices. But what makes McDonnell's story so compelling, and even devastating at times, is her deep characterizations. I couldn't help but feel the pain of her characters as they endured the wickedness of others.  But McDonnell, unlike many other writers of great literature, does not leave us in the dregs of human ugliness, but she also shows the beauty of real life.

I am also indebted to the author for showing how a group of people can follow a theology brought to them by a hateful people. In this case the message matters more than the messenger. And the truth is the truth, no matter what kind of people know it.

Wind Follower is literary fantasy in all its splendor.

Rating: 5/5 (I Loved It!)

Find it here on Amazon.

Last week I released the eighteenth story on the Untold Podcast!

I am pleased with the direction this podcast is taking. Our listenership is increasing and the stories I'm able to tell are consistently great!

This last episode was also a crossover episode featuring Ben Avery from the Strangers and Aliens podcast. In it, he and I talked about the importance of Christian storytelling. The conversation continued onto his show, where we talked about some great Christ artists who are making artwork out there.

I learned so much from this conversation and I am greatful for Ben Avery's perspective, wisdom and grace.

Give a listen:

Untold Podcast 18 - The Spigot

What Makes Christian Fiction Good? (CROSSOVER feat. Nathan James Norman) — SA111

Crossover Nexus Podcasts Crossover Nexus Podcasts

Summary: Generations ago a group of Amish travelled through the stars to settle the planet of Alabaster. Once there, they continued to live their simple life. But when Jebediah Miller discovers that Alabaster’s sun is dying he uses forbidden technology to call for help. The transport ship that picks the group up seems to be their salvation. The ship, though, is also transporting something else. Something dark. Something that would make Jebediah Miller and the rest of the Amish wish they had stayed on Alabaster.

Review: It all began as a joke.

The farce is retold in the novel’s introduction. Kerry Nietz took the title Amish Vampires in Space and ran with it, though. When I first heard the name of the book, I naturally assumed it was a satire of the over-abundance of Amish romance titles.

It’s not.

Nietz took the satirical title and wrote a serious novel. And he succeeds. Big time.

I became familiar with Nietz’ work through his excellent Dark Trench Saga. I’d categorize his stories as hard science fiction, and he brings that same attention to detail into this novel. He writes about Amish culture effectively and accurately (I’m moderately familiar with Amish society). He has also crafted a future that is quite believable.

The story feels like very natural, in that, I believed that a group of Amish had once purchased a ride to a new planet to colonize with their way of life. I believed the conditions that caused Jebediah Miller to violate the rules against using technology. And I found the situation that led to the vampires on the space ship well grounded.

Amish Vampires in Space is almost equally character and plot driven. The plot takes slight precedence in the story, but the characters (both “Amishers” and “Englishers”) are likable and relatable.

This is a great novel. There are clashes of worldview. Conflicts within both the ranks of the Amish and the space-farers. Explorations of rules versus grace. And, of course, lots and lots of vampires to worry about. (And how do the pacifist-Amish respond to the violent outbreak?)

The only problem with the novel is one of its strengths… the title. Every time I have mentioned the book to someone, I’ve had to add, “but it’s a serious book.” Indeed, the first time I heard the title I thought it was a farce. Reading the history of how this book came about, though, the title makes sense, and I can’t imagine another title.

Amish Vampires in Space is a solid stand-alone novel. (A few loose strands have left open the possibility for sequels.) So who should read it? Science fiction fans should certainly pick this up. Especially fans of hard science fiction. Readers who also enjoy Amish novels will also find much to enjoy in this book… even if they’re not terribly interested in science fiction. Finally, readers who want to read something completely and utterly unique need to check this out.

Rating: 5/5 (I Loved It)

So,  I’m now a contributor over at Geeks of Doom! So far, I’ve done reviews on comics and trade paperbacks. I’m really excited to be a part of this community of writers from all sort of walks of life.

I write over there under the name “RevN4” (because I’m a Reverend AND I have four Ns in my name)!

But there are weightier issues to be considered… like, what exactly do they mean by “Geeks of Doom?”

Being the hyper-mediocre Greek student that I am, I know enough that this is in the genitive-form and that this translation “of Doom” is the simplest of possible understandings. So, what does the “of” mean?

Here are some options:

Geeks characterized by Doom

Geeks described by Doom

Geeks belonging to Doom

Geeks possessed by Doom

Geeks family relationship to Doom

Geeks whom are a part of Doom

Doom Geeks (Attributive Genitive)

Geeks made out of Doom

Geeks consisting of Doom

Geeks full of Doom

Geeks containing Doom

Geeks whom are Doom

Geeks destined for Doom

Geeks produced by Doom

Geeks who produce Doom

Geeks away from Doom

Geeks out of Doom

Geeks originating from Doom

Geeks related to Doom

Geeks in association with Doom

I, for one, prefer the “Geeks originating from Doom” interpretation myself.

Head on over to Geeks of Doom to see what it’s all about.

Summary: King Silas of the modern-day kingdom of Balboa struggles to keep the peace as the voice of God turns against him and a heroic young captain, David Shepherd begins to capture the hearts of Silas’ subjects. Following the biblical narrative of Saul and David, this short-lived series explores the story in a present-day setting.

Review: More-so than any other prematurely cancelled series (I’m looking at you Firefly) I wish this series lasted beyond the thirteen produced episodes.

The portrayal of the Silas/Saul character by Ian McShane alone is worth the price of admission. McShane perfectly captured the emotionally volatile character of Silas/Saul. His constant flip-flopping between loving and hating David would have seemed ludicrous if portrayed by a lesser actor, but McShane brings the biblical character to life. We, at once, love and loath this king.

The rest of the extensive cast is equally stellar. So much so, the show feels more like an epic film rather than a weekly series.

The setting of the show is utterly unique. It is a modern-day, absolute monarchy, surrounded by other monarchies. The show-runners went all-out creating a believable setting, and wove modern-spins into the biblical narrative.

For instance, just like in the Bible, mid-season we see Silas meeting David for the first time (unknown to Silas), playing a piano that soothed Silas in a flashback that occurred after David destroyed a “goliath-tank.”

The spiritual center of the story is Reverend Samuels who used to be a friend to the king, but because of the king’s corruption has now become his enemy as he gives Silas oracle after oracle of God’s displeasure.

Christian authors need to take note of this series because, with only a few exceptions, the way conversations with God, prayers and theology is handled in this series is very effective and powerful. There were several moments throughout the series where goose bumps formed on my arms as I listened to words of Silas, David and Reverend Samuels.

There are, of course, imperfections in the show.

The Jonathan/Jack character is portrayed as a closet homosexual (a decision based on a very poor exegesis of the text). But the show seems to both identify Jack’s homosexuality as his core identity, while simultaneously communicating that Jack, at the same core, is a very dark person. It is a very complex situation… at the very least worth pondering even if you don’t agree with the show’s view (whatever that is). Additionally, Jack is neither David’s friend, nor heroic at the beginning of the series.

Another imperfection is the sexual ethic of the world. Mid-way through the series, the ethic seems to be “sex is good if you love the person” but later on, Reverend Samuels seems to say that two characters were married long ago because of their depth of their love (or perhaps recognizing they belonged together). So, the sexual ethic is odd to say the least.

Despite these issues, Kings is a marvelous achievement. Each and every character is imperfect and must work through their imperfections under God, or be destroyed by their own sins. Even Reverend Samuels finds himself disobedient to God mid-season and needs to repent.

Wonderful storytelling, great sets, great locations, near-flawless acting and top-notch writing combine to re-tell a timeless story.

Discerning individuals should watch this show. It is, by no means perfect theologically, nor line-by-line faithful to the text… but it is faithful at its core.

I suggest reading the biblical text (1 Samuel 1-21… or 8-21 if you’re in a hurry) in conjunction with watching the show.


Rating: 5/5 (I Loved It!)

2007 saw the release of the motion-capture computer animated Beowulf directed by Robert Zemeckis. Along for this adaptation were superstar writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary. Armed with the digital acting abilities of actors Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich and Angelina Jolie, the film looked like it was going to be a hit on all levels.

What I Didn’t Like

• Hrothgar is a weak-minded, drunk, Bacchus-like character. Unlike the Poem, he has no sons and no heirs. This simply doesn’t work, though. To be an effective king in Denmark in those times, he needed to have physical strength and mental prowess. This Hrothgar should have been deposed long before the film begins.
• The Grendel design is more disturbing than monstrous (see comic below).
• Unferth is portrayed as a Christian and he is an abusive, weak, conniving and imbecilic man.
• The film is verbally, and visually aggressive against Christianity.
• Some of the animation (especially of arms and hands) was particularly choppy.
• The script tries really hard to get the “story behind the story” of the original Poem instead of just trying to tell the excellent story that already exists.
• The script tries to “marry” the third act of the story to the previous parts. In doing so, the historical narrative of the Geats and their ultimate fate at the hands of the Swedes is obliterated.
• Beowulf chooses to fight Grendel naked. It feels like a bad SNL skit as the camera tries to hide Beowulf’s parts behind various objects (vases, swords, etc.).
• (Also, in what universe does fighting a monster nude make any sense?)
• The film is obsessed with nudity while trying to maintain a PG-13 rating.
• Grendel’s Mother is portrayed as a seductress instead of a monstrous she-demon.
• The focus of the narrative is on the sexual sin of leaders. This theme overshadows the heroic aspects of the story.

What I Liked

• Grendel only speaks in Old English. That was cool!
• Some of the computer animation, even six years later, is amazing!
• Beowulf’s overall demeanor is spot-on. He’s bombastic, prideful, boastful and focused on glory-getting!
• This film has a pretty good pronunciation of “Hrothgar.”
• The soundtrack is amazing. It is at once energetic, then becomes touching and moving.

I am conflicted here. On the one hand, I don’t like this film as a Beowulf story at all. It is a deconstructed parody of the original poem. While it portrays the tension between paganism and Christianity, the latter is (illogically) shown to be the weaker of the two worldviews. Furthermore, Beowulf’s heroism is mostly a farce in this story in light of his sexual sins.

But here’s where I’m conflicted. Here’s where I’m torn. Whereas the “Big Idea” of the Poem is, “When you have great abilities, you should train others so they will be equipped when you’re gone,” the big idea of this film is “Avoid sexual sin because it destroys much more than just yourself.”

The film actually has a phenomenal message embedded within it! A message our whole culture needs to understand. (Don’t believe me? Just ask any foster parent! Our private, sexual decisions affect the entire culture!)

[Spoiler Alert: It humors me to no end that the filmmakers brag about how original it was to have Hrothgar father Grendel. I’m pretty sure the Christopher Lambert version beat them out by at least eight years!]
 
Rating: 3/5 (I Reluctantly Liked It)

Find it here on Amazon.

There have been a number of graphic novels based on Beowulf. While I could easily have dedicated several months to reviewing these, I’ve chosen to write about the best of the best. Among these is the 2007 release written by Stefan Petrucha and drawn by Kody Chamberlain.

What I Didn’t Like

• The closing narration line of the book is oddly out of place for the book. It sounds like a modern philosophical musing and the tone doesn’t fit with the rest of the story.
• (I can’t believe I’m writing this) The Grendels are too massive and monstrous.
• There is very little design difference between Grendel and his mother. A bit more variety would have been great.

What I Liked

• Hrothgar is portrayed as a strong and good king!
• The art is wonderful.
• The writing is great.
• The story faithfully follows the Poem, while translating it for  a modern audience.   
• There is good tension between the pagan concept of “wyrd” (fate) and the Christian God’s sovereignty.

This is a great volume to get a hold of. It is among the best adaptations of the Poem out there. It’s a great resource both for those who don’t want to read the Poem, or for those who want a great visual expression of Beowulf.

Rating: 5/5 (I Loved It)

Grab a copy over at Amazon.

A 2005 independent film release, Beowulf and Grendel starring Gerard “Before He Was Leonidas” Butler as the title character.

While some commentators have described this adaptation as a naturalistic interpretation of the Poem, I disagree. The film is a more naturalized version of the legend, but it doesn’t demythologize the story entirely. Grendel looks much more human, but he is still monstrous. His mother is even more monstrous. A witch possesses divination ability (with somewhat legitimate results). And a brief vision forebodes the death of one of our characters.

Take a peak at the trailer.

What I Didn’t Like

• There is a pervasive anti-Christian theme running through the film. Christians are liars, exaggerators, and impotent. Brennan, a missionary, is portrayed as absolutely insane, weak, profane, petty and vindictive.
• With such a negative view of Christianity, it makes no sense that Brennan is able to baptize a number of people.
• The script does not understand the gospel, nor how it would have historically been presented. The gospel in the film is a modern mischaracterization, translated into the past.
• Hrothgar is, once again, portrayed as a powerless and incompetent king.
• They call mead “beer” throughout the film. Mead is made from honey. Beer is made from grain.
• The constant profanity and vulgarity in the film. It didn’t offend me, but it just didn’t fit.
• Clunky and inconsistent dialogue. The film went from poetic and archaic language, to modern idioms constantly.
• Gross sexual dialogue in two instances and one scene (divided in two) of a particularly disturbing sexual encounter. What’s further disturbing is that this scene is interpreted as rape by most viewers, but some of the filmmakers don’t see it that way.
• The film fails to distinguish the difference between murder and killing. There is a moral difference between killing a person in cold blood, killing someone out of vengeance and killing in the midst of warfare to protect oneself and one’s home.
• The story departs from and openly mocks the Poem.
• The story structure does not work.

What I Liked

• The cinematography is beautiful. Both the locations and the way they were filmed are breath-taking.
• I like how they portray Grendel in the film visually (calling him a “troll”).
• There is an anti-vengeance theme in the film and they correctly portray the vicious cycle of vengeance.
• Tony Curran, one of the thanes in 13th Warrior was also a thane in this film.
• The acting is really good.
• Gerard Butler’s presence is great.

Beowulf and Grendel is a film I desperately want to like. The cinematography is unbelievable. The film was shot entirely using natural effects. There’s no computer graphics to be found here.

Beyond the grotesque moments of the film and the clunky dialogue, what I think really injures the movie is the filmmaker’s obsession with mocking Christianity. It hurts the story and actually makes no sense. They acknowledge that Christianity eventually takes hold of the pagan world, but they give us no reason to believe that it would. Not for one second. The Christian religion is portrayed as a weak, vindictive, incoherent faith presented by a man who is mentally insane. Why would it triumph over paganism?

Furthermore, the anti-vengeance theme of the story comes from an outcast, pagan witch, not the Christian characters. But, once again, history paints a different picture (especially in the Northlands). It was this message of love, forgiveness and not taking vengeance that the pagans found as weakness. And it is one of the reasons Christianity was initially resisted.

Even without this weirdness (fueled by anti-Christian sensibilities) the story still doesn’t quite add up.

There was so much potential in this film. Even with the divergence from the Poem, it could have been an amazing film. But misfire after misfire leaves this film only watchable for the cinematography.

Rating: 2/5 (I Didn’t Like It)

The cinematography can be found on Amazon.