The Annotated Firebird Trilogy Contest Winner
The entries have been gathered and the numbers have been randomized. It's our pleasure to announce that Nathanael Greene is the winner of an autographed copy of The Annotated Firebird Trilogy!
Nathaneal's 100 word essay on why he loves speculative fiction was randomly picked out of the many entries we received.
Here is Nathaniel's entry:
Speculative Fiction is an escape from the present into the never-present and the always-present. A good speculative fiction novel is timeless in the truest sense of the word. It is outside of time; it is beyond time. A Tale of Two Cities is appreciated for what it says about a particular time in a particular place. The Lord of the Rings is appreciated for what it says about every time and everywhere. Man might become a citizen, a comrade, or a soldier, but he will never become an elf. Men, everywhere, in any time, in any world, are still men.
We received a number of great entries to this contest. Below are some of our favorites.
To me, speculative fiction is a way of casting off the limiting bonds of modern society to look deep into the limitless potential that exists in our universe and beyond. It gives the capacity to visit upon themes and concepts unattainable within the scope of traditional literature, enabling the readers to consider things far beyond the day to day lives of themselves and the people around them. It brings within reach the strangeness and freshness of the new: a chance to see into worlds unknown, worlds born in the fires of our mind and summoned with the power of words.
— Jonathan
Speculative fiction takes imagination to a whole new level. Contemporary fiction takes what we have and sets an original idea in it; speculative fiction creates a new world to explore and an original idea to boot. Speculative fiction brings ideas into reality. I love the way the author is free to turn a notion upside down, inside out and on its head to fit it into the plot or world. While good science fiction or fantasy is original and fresh in its otherworldly qualities, it also takes those qualities close to home. Speculative fiction is a mirror for real life.
– Elizabeth
What appeals to me most about speculative fiction is that through it we can see old truths in new ways. No matter what changes we imagine, some things will always remain – redemption, sin, justice, the sovereignty of God and the finiteness of Man. We can explore these, with power and ingenuity. Every theme of hope, power and honor in fantasy comes from our own hearts and our own world. Every moral dilemma of sci-fi is just an old dilemma recast; it will all come back to the ageless questions in the end: Who is God, and who are we?
– Shannon
Worlds that exist in the mind. Heroes defying all odds. Heroines reaching within to overcome the overwhelming. Where ultimate good clashes with ultimate evil. A story that retells the redemption story without being preachy. Speculative fiction brings to life the mythical, reveals the biblical. Lessons are learned in dangerous quests. These elements join together, forging speculative fiction into a genre that breaks down barriers to the Gospel. Whether it's over the rainbow or through the Shire, Speculative fiction brings to life the issues of our day and exposes the weakness of the human heart. Plus it's just fun to read.
– John
I love speculative fiction because it gives me the opportunity to explore the outer reaches of the universe without leaving the comfort of my house. I can dig deep beneath the earth's crust, or visit new lands, even planets that extend far beyond the scope of my imagination. Writing speculative fiction allows me to exercise my own creativity, to let my wild imagination run away without always having to restrain my thoughts to fit into the laws of physics. God designed us to be creative, and speculative fiction is a perfect example of the awesome creativity He's bestowed upon us.
– Talia
Speculative fiction unhinges the walls of my imagination and flings wide the doors of my heart, introducing me to worlds and characters I might not have otherwise met. Reading speculative fiction offers me another view into the hearts and minds of future characters and stories waiting in my own repertoire. Most of all, speculative fiction tests the energies of my own creative juices, pushing me to discover an even more adventurous voice and tale for my characters. Without speculative fiction, I would not have felt compelled to write a fantasy saga that portrays our spiritual power as a magical energy.
– Nona
From the time I was very young and my mother read me fairy tales I’ve come to enjoy fiction that is vastly different from ordinary life. I’ve also come to realize that what inspires me most is experiencing other people’s ways of life. A well-written speculative story can be an especially great way to walk in someone else’s shoes for a while because the people and places that speculative writers create provide experiences that can’t always be found in reality. Being allowed to shatter conventional ways of thinking and approach things differently also makes speculative fiction more interesting to me.
– Melissa
There are a lot of reasons why I love speculative fiction. First and foremost, there's the unbridled creativity. In other genres, you are bound to humans and to this world. Not so with spec fic. A reader can be transported to distant realms and meet fantastical creatures. In fact, it's almost expected. Not only that, but speculative fiction allows for us to explore deep philosophical and theological questions. What makes someone or something truly sentient? What should the limits of genetic engineering be? We can wrestle with those issues in a fictional arena before they become reality. Speculative fiction rules!
– John
As with all fiction, the reader puts himself in the shoes of characters dealing with difficult decisions. Speculative fiction takes this experience to a new level, because it removes the traditional constraints of time, place, and natural law. The imagined world, peopled by imagined inhabitants, is the ideal place for scenarios experimenting with the affect of evil on orphaned hearts, and the unrelenting love of God. Spec-fic addresses many deep emotions which are seldom articulated elsewhere. Among these, the desire to find one's calling, and to taste the "powers of the age to come".
– Ian
Speculative fiction is so addicting because it explores the far reaches of the imagination. For me, it touches the spiritual craving for things beyond the physical or present, as C.S. Lewis explained our culture's fascination with fairy stories. I love speculative fiction because it is heroic and adventurous. It can be romantic or realistic. Eloquent or eccentric. Profound or entertaining, or both. It teaches deep truths about humanity even if humans are nowhere to be found in it. And best of all, it is always fun.
– Jessica
I love speculative fiction because it's like exotic, spicy, stimulating food for the mind. Universes, rules and species I have never dreamed of are exciting to discover and become immersed in. There are speculative universes which are more real to me than my own! Christian speculative fiction is, of course, a special treat because these special writers create universes that honor our Heavenly Father. God enjoys when we create for He made us with this special capacity. Speculative fiction stretches the current boundaries of my mind and brings me a new level of insight about life. It’s such a thrill!
– Julie
Speculative fiction is so addicting because it explores the far reaches of the imagination. For me, it touches the spiritual craving for things beyond the physical or present, as C.S. Lewis explained our culture's fascination with fairy stories. I love speculative fiction because it is heroic and adventurous. It can be romantic or realistic. Eloquent or eccentric. Profound or entertaining, or both. It teaches deep truths about humanity even if humans are nowhere to be found in it. And best of all, it is always fun.
– Jessica
I love Christian speculative fiction for the freedom. Writers are unfettered, able to create worlds of their own making. Where else could you explore the vastness of space and simultaneously learn from its Creator? Elves, dragons, and fairies pepper other worlds, teaching valuable lessons. Questions can be asked that would be met with uncomfortable silences or be considered blasphemous elsewhere. God, who gave us our imaginations and expects us to make good use of them, can be glorified no matter where our words take us. Truth – in any universe and in any dimension – is still truth, and must be shared.
– Kathryn
I love speculative fiction because although my feet may be on the ground, my head has always been in the clouds. Because in the clouds, visions can shake me with the presence of God, heroes walk on the light, and battles play out in the realms of reality-not-quite-seen-here-but-known, known deep in my heart, known in imagination where more true things dwell than I see around me. I love speculative fiction because it shows not just who we are but who we could be. And because I am not alone. Others love the beauty and the strangeness. Others love the truth.
– Rachel
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