Robert E. Howard is renowned among fantasy fans as the creator of such memorable “Sword and Sorcery” characters as Conan the Cimmerian, Kull of Atlantis, and Solomon Kane. In fact, his stories have been hailed as “some of the most influential fantasy writing of the twentieth century, second only to J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord […]
Robert E. Howard and the Adventures of Conan Read More »
Philip K. Dick, born 1928, was an American science fiction writer. Active from 1951 to 1982, PKD produced 44 novels, 121 short stories, and 14 short story collections. While he was best known for writing in the science fiction genre, PKD wrote several literary novels, only one of which was published while he was alive.
Philip K. Dick’s Search for God through Fantasy Read More »
What we today herald as literary “classics,” the fruits of a Christianized Western culture, offer us a creative approach to finding God in our lives and to cultivating virtue. They often present us with the struggle of good versus evil, or – at least – they borrow the imagery and symbolism of a vestigial Christianity.
Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Fixation with Moralistic Tales Read More »
https://anchor.fm/voyagepodcast/episodes/The-Voyage-Blog-cast-The-Parables-and-Proselytizing-of-George-MacDonald-e2b52r0 The power of storytelling ignites something deep within us. A primordial spark rising like the morning star in our hearts that awakens our intellects and emotions and leads us to ponder the things that matter, those things that can bring us joy, and the things that make us who we are. Fine works of
The Parables and Proselytizing of George MacDonald Read More »
When I was younger, Mom once retrieved an old, chunky copy of The Divine Comedy from the bookshelf. It was one of those “classics” which many have heard of but not everyone has read. At the time, my family fell into the category that hadn’t yet read the poem. So, Mom fancied reading it. As
How Dante Must Conquer Lust in ‘The Divine Comedy’ Read More »
John Bunyan was born sometime during 1628 and was baptized on November 30 of the same year in Bedfordshire, England. As a child, he attended the local grammar school in Bedford but was eventually pulled out in order to learn his father’s trade. His father was known as a “tinker” who traveled around fixing things
John Bunyan and the Christian’s Pilgrimage Read More »
The works of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien have fascinated the world of fiction and fantasy since the publication of The Hobbit, followed by his monumental The Lord of the Rings. Since then, a trilogy of movies has been made for both of these books as well as numerous games and a recent controversial TV show
How Catholicism Influenced the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien Read More »
Middle-earth and Narnia are the two most iconic fantasy realms of all time. They were imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, respectively. These two writers and academics were good friends and both devout Christians; Tolkien a Roman Catholic, and Lewis an Anglican. Although in various details Middle-earth and Narnia are very distinct fictional worlds
The Music of Creation in Middle-earth and Narnia Read More »
Whenever one treats Gandalf as a “Christ-figure” in The Lord of the Rings, they often point out his sacrificial death on the bridge of Khazad-Dûm and his resurrection as Gandalf the White. There are, however, many other parallels between Gandalf and Jesus. There are also parallels between Gandalf’s mission and the ministry of priests. Incarnation
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The world was blind, the boughs were bent, All ways and paths were wild: Then the veil of cloud apart was rent, And here was born a Child. (From Tolkien’s Poem “Noel”) The Christmas season is one of great joy and happiness. It calls us to remember that Jesus Christ came into this world in
Tolkien’s love of Christmas Read More »
