Speculative Fiction

Charity Bishop

Thornewicke

Sent to visit an aunt she’s never met, and

faced with her increasing magical

abilities, nothing has prepared Evangeline

for the Northern Woods.

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Charity’s Other Books:

Watching The Lord of the Rings With God:

Kindle & Paperback Add on Goodreads

I, Claudia: Kindle & Paperback Add on Goodreads

Ghosts. Werewolves. Vampires. Magic.

Even Zombies can be fun.

What is it?

Anything that spans multiple genres, anything wild, wacky,

and a little bit ―out of this world.‖ Speculative Fiction can

be anything from Star Trek (the ―sci-fi‖ side of the genre) to

Sleepy Hollow. It is ―alternate history,‖ Steampunk, and the

brothers Winchester. If a ghost is ―done in‖ by ghost-

hunters, a vampire wins over the girl instead of eating her, a

werewolf is caught up in angst, a Vulcan tries to find his

way in a feelings-dominated world, or a historical figure has

a really cool made-up night job… that’s Speculative Fiction.

Our culture is packed with it at the moment. And I’m cool

with that. XOXO, Charity

Want to contribute?

femnista@charitysplace.com

This publication is a product of

www.charitysplace.com

A.G. Porter

The Shadow

Rayna is seeing things she can’t explain

and a dark being she calls The Shadow

haunts her dreams, which are coming

true...

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Add on Goodreads

Read more about author A.G. Porter on

her Goodreads profile and her blog.

Info on further books in her Darkness Trilogy is coming soon!

Nov 13: Hannah P. Nov 28: Camille Dec 30: Veronica

2

The Raven 3 Star Trek 4 Parasol Protectorate 5 Vampire Hunter 6 Early Edition 7 Going Postal 8

FROM OUR (CHRISTIAN) AUTHOR-WRITERS

I was born to read speculative fiction.

Orphan Black 9 Horatio Lyle 10 Vampire Diaries 11 Warm Bodies 12 Elysium 13 Once Upon a Time 14 Lisey’s Story 15 Dresden Files 16 Invisible Man 17

Editor’s Note: Many of the movies, shows, and

books featured in this issue contain elements of

violence, sensuality, or bad language. Please use

parental discretion in taking them as outright

viewing and reading recommendations.

A n 1849 column in the

Richmond Weekly

Examiner proudly

boasts of receiving permission

from Mr. Poe to furnish their

readers with ―the only correct

copy ever published.‖ Poe

revised the original purchased

in bookstores but which had

been long out of print.

Interestingly, Poe frequently

gave a performance of reading

The Raven after he lectured on

the ―Poetic Principle.‖ If only I

was alive in 1849 to attend his

lecture I might have learned

and cherished his instruction on

poetry. Alas, you my 21st

century reader, are left to the

musings of a devout literature

lover but a novice in poetic

forms.

The Raven is a clear work of art

but it was not always revered

highly by critics. They were

irritated with the impression the

poem left on them but couldn’t

quite pinpoint or explain it.

They poured over it to find

some allegory, some moral

hidden meaning, and were

disgusted to find no value on

which to expound beyond the

story it told, a narrative of

simple events. Thankfully

today poetry is valued not only

for fine construction, but for

fact that it ―ministers to the

sense of beautiful in human

minds.‖ The greatness of The

Raven is its fantastic, yet

strange, imagery and its

troubling repetition. It is a

classic because of its grave,

supernatural tone, a tune that

haunts the ear long after

reading. I speculate that this

line did not help the disturbed

sense a person had after hearing

the poem:

“Leave my

loneliness

unbroken! — quit

the bust above my

door! Take thy

beak from out my

heart, and take thy

form from off my

door!”

Quote the Raven

“Nevermore.”

The reader I am

sure was jolted that

a writer would

dare speak of a beak inserted

into one’s heart. I remember

reading this poem as a youth

and since I was quite concrete

in thinking, I thought the bird

did indeed attack this man.

Having been terrorized by

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic

movie The Birds didn’t help

any in my ability to see this as

a literal possibility. I can well

imagine the gasp of the

dignified ladies in the audience

displaying a ghastly reaction to

such a horrible image. It was

probably Poe’s intention to

taunt this social disingenuous

response. He understood that

within us is the ability to

―enjoy‖ horror no matter how

much we deny it. We like the

thrill of horror, as long as it is

not real.

You can see from these few

quotes the haunting words

building a gloomy picture

before the young man, nursing

his broken heart and missing

Lenore, has an emotionally

distraught conversation with a

Raven that only says

―Nevermore.‖

In the second half, the young

man is tormented by his words

as he becomes emotionally

unglued. ―Nevermore‖

reinforces his own madness at

losing his love. It’s a fact that

we’re often tormented by our

own thoughts and words that

we don’t take captive to Christ

Jesus. (As we’re told to do in 2

Corinthians 10:5 ―…bringing

into captivity every thought to

the obedience of Christ.‖) We,

as Poe’s character, talk to

ourselves and mull over and

over (in repetition) our deepest

regrets and fears. We haunt

ourselves.

This poem is a classic because

a broken heart is a universal

experience and the dark drama

that follows is equally shared.

If one wants to know love one

must be willing to feel the pain

of loss. But we can find a safe

place in the everlasting

unconditional love of our

Father who will even walk with

us in the depths of our aching.

One can only wish that Poe had

found solace but like all

mortals, it is during our brief

life on earth that we must

answer God’s call or forever

enter into an eternity of

―Nevermore.‖ ♥

I love the pure

imagery of words

perfectly chosen and

the mysterious levels

to which poetry can

speak. Edgar Allen

Poe in The Raven

uniquely places his

meaning clearly

before his audience:

a heartbroken man

disturbed by his

own agony as he

projects it into a

conversation with a

visiting bird that

parrots back one

word: “Nevermore.”

3

Once upon a midnight

dreary, while I pondered,

weak and weary, As of

someone gently rapping,

rapping at my chamber door,

Only this and nothing more.

Ah, distinctly I remember it

was in the bleak December;

and each separate dying

ember wrought its ghost

upon the floor, From my

books surcease of sorrow—

sorrow for the lost Lenore,

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad, uncertain,

rustling of each purple

curtain, Thrilled me—filled

me with fantastic terror

never felt before, Here I

opened wide the door,

Darkness there and nothing

more. Deep into that

darkness peering, I stood

wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams

no mortal ever dared to

dream before.

By Lindy Abbott

T hen I read how a rather

jolly group of people

made a TV show about

present-day problems set in a

futuristic world on a beautiful

spaceship against the backdrop

of fascinating cultures and

thrilling adventures, how

friendships formed between

three utterly diverse characters,

and how an epic battle for

survival was fought between

the network and the fans.

Somehow, I was hooked on

Star Trek after reading a book

about it. My family didn’t have

a television so instead of

watching Star Trek, I read the

series of novelizations of the

episodes written by James

Blish and everything else I

could get my hands on about it.

My imagination supplied all the

visuals I needed in those pre-

Internet days, so no 1960s

hokiness dampened my fervor.

What was it about Star Trek

that changed my perceptions?

First it was the characters.

Their friendship drew me. Kirk,

Spock, and McCoy, now a

classic combination, were the

glue to bind the often ridiculous

plotlines together. The two

opposites, the cerebral and too-

logical Spock and the fiery, too

-passionate McCoy, might

never have gained respect and

liking for each other if not for

the man who tempered them

both, the strong, intelligent,

compassionate leader Kirk. The

three never really agreed about

anything; their varying

viewpoints created something

stronger and better than any

one of them by himself. They

would have died for each

other—and did die for each

other, with a frequency worthy

of Doctor Who. When I think

of the greatest friendships in

fiction, I think first of Kirk,

Spock, and McCoy.

Star Trek was a futuristic

vehicle for morality tales… …

following a long line of

tradition dating back to ancient

Greek plays and probably to the

first time someone told a story.

A television series in the 1960s

couldn’t bring a Black woman

or a Russian man into an

everyday setting unless it was

sci-fi. Star Trek told stories of

ethnic diversity, war, scientific

responsibility, gender roles, and

altruism, cloaked in rollicking,

pseudo-science-y, sometimes

completely ridiculous and very

moving storylines. It was much

more than just the monster-of-

the-week and an entertaining

story. Star Trek meant

something.

Even more important, I think,

for me at the time was the

adventure and the scientific

nature of it. The crew went out

to explore, meet strange people,

learn new things, see utterly

new sights. The goal was to

learn. The fantastic nature of it

drew me, and so did its utterly

homey and personal nature.

They went out in a space ship,

used amazing, futuristic

used amazing, futuristic

technology like phasers,

tricorders, and warp cores, and

met aliens, and yet that ship

was their home and their fellow

crewmembers were their

family. It was at once fantastic

and familiar, a beautiful

combination.

Discovering Star Trek changed

my life. I’d always looked to

the past for my mental

stimulation, to classics and

historical novels. Now I looked

to the future and my mind

expanded with the idea of

possibility. My imagination

grew, my interest in science,

and my interest in what might

be and what never can or will

be grew. I love sci-fi because it

can do anything. You can

invent cultures, languages,

technologies, ways of being.

You can change the past and

the future or make up a

universe that never was. You

can take an old plot that’s been

told a thousand times and make

it utterly new but with a core of

the familiar. Star Trek gave me

possibility, and I’ve been

writing science fiction ever

since. ♥

I met Spock when

I was 14 years old.

It was in a book in

my school library:

Star Trek Memories

by William

Shatner. I read

how Star Trek was

made and fell in

love with the

characters,

particularly Spock.

Until then, my

experience with sci

-fi was negative. I

saw part of the

Original Series

episode “Day of

the Dove” when I

was younger and

was traumatized

when Klingons

tortured Chekov.

It formed my

opinion of sci-fi as

unpleasant and

frightening, akin to

the horror genre.

4

By Christy McDougall

husband’s pack, while she also

learns about her father by

traveling to Italy. Finally,

Alexia visits the ancient

supernatural place of Egypt,

gleaning more on her special

condition as a preternatural.

Alexia is intelligent, strong-

willed, stubborn, and brave.

Her modern sensibilities make

her relatable and easy to root

for. Conall is a distinctive

character, masculine and

perhaps the most dynamic in

the series. There’s also

memorable and likeable

supporting figures like Lord

Akeldama, a terribly old and

flamboyantly gay vampire, as

well as Ivy Hisselpenny, who

has a taste for ugly hats. Ivy is

especially good for a laugh.

There’s Conall’s second in

command, Prof. Randolph

Lyall. These characters are a

major part of the enjoyment of

the series. The Parasol

Protectorate entertains with its

engaging setting, plots, and

characters.

Steampunk can now be found

in action and YA genres in

addition to paranormal fiction.

This series is firmly a staple in

the Steampunk world. ♥

class. An

interesting

twist is that

these

vampires

and were-

wolves

have their

abilities

due to an

excess of

soul.

Alexia

herself is a

rare preter-

natural,

which means she has no soul.

This causes her to ―steal‖ an

excess soul when her skin

comes into contact with the

aforementioned supernatural

creatures. (Unintentionally!)

This makes the vampire or

werewolf human for as long as

she is touching them. Carriger

crafts her worlds carefully, with

many details. A group of

vampires is called a hive and a

group of werewolves is a pack,

while Queen Victoria has a

Shadow Council made up of

one advisor from all three types

of supernatural (vampire,

werewolf, and preternatural),

each with their own title.

The paranormal trappings of

the story are deftly

incorporated into the plots

throughout all five books. The

romance between Alexia and

Lord Maccon, a werewolf, is

center stage in Soulless and

occupies a lot of page time but

there is also always some sort

of supernatural mystery to

solve. Usually it entails Alexia

or Queen Victoria’s lives being

threatened, but there’s a lot of

time spent with Alexia

gathering knowledge about

different supernatural topics.

She ends up in Scotland and

learns about the past of her

O ne successful example

of steampunk is the

Parasol Protectorate,

a series with the plot, setting,

and characters necessary for an

entertaining franchise. It begins

with Soulless, written by Gail

Carriger. Alexia Tarabotti is of

genteel birth but considered

past the marriageable age in

Victorian England. Her father

is a deceased Italian so Alexia

must deal with a strict mother,

a stepfather, and two half

sisters. She meets Lord Conall

Maccon and their adventures

occupy the remaining books:

Changeless, Blameless,

Heartless, and Timeless.

The Parasol Protectorate is

true steampunk! Alternative

technology fills its pages. Air

travel is common and done by

dirigible. Occular devices

called glassicals appear.

There’s even a complicated but

ingenious invention of a sort-of

telegraph allowing written

communication to travel across

great distances and involving

the steam-powered engraving

of very thin metal scrolls. Also,

Alexia’s favorite weapon is a

tricked-out parasol. Those are

only a few examples. There is

more to the setting than just

that, however. One of the

clever ways Carriger creates a

unique tone is in taking social

conventions from that time and

using them in humorous ways.

For example, at one point in

Soulless, Alexia and Conall are

taken captive by scientists,

forcing them to be alone

together which is just not done.

The most integral element of

this world, though, is the

paranormal aspect. Vampires,

werewolves, and ghosts are an

accepted part of society,

sometimes even it’s upper

Recently, a unique

trend in books has

slowly grown in

popularity and

entered popular

culture. It’s not a

new genre, though

it has enough

distinguishing

characteristics to

define it in a

reader’s mind.

The feel and

underground

beginning of this

trend is suggested

by its name:

steampunk,

usually identified

by its setting

(often Victorian

England). It

qualifies as

“alternate

history” by being

set in a world in

the past where

technology

developed along

different lines,

such as steam

power instead of

electrical, hence

the name.

5

By Rachel Sexton

E ven though Abe isn’t

directly a ―spiritual

warrior‖ on-screen, his

weapon is fortified by silver

(lethal to vampires due to its

associations with Judas

Iscariot) and he is pitted against

an iconic representation of

Lucifer in Adam, an ancient,

cruel vampire responsible for

much of the loss and misery in

Lincoln’s life, and his friend

Henry’s fall from grace and

vampirism. Adam has seen the

evil of the ages: the Israelites

beaten in Egypt, Christians

thrown to lions in Rome, and

Africans sell each another into

slavery. Adam feeds off his

slaves.

The symbolism seems apparent

at first with vampirism being a

metaphor for slavery, but a

discerning Christian can look

deeper and see the spiritual

themes. It isn’t the southern

slave owners who are ―most

evil,‖ but Adam, who enables

them to continue such cruelties.

While Adam directly does very

little, his influence reaches into

the lives of all the characters in

different ways. Without Adam

making vampires, Abe’s

mother would be alive, he

wouldn’t be forced to kill

vampires, and Henry would

have lived and died naturally.

Henry reminds Abe that real

power comes not from hatred,

but from truth. For a time, Abe

is consumed with the idea of

avenging his mother and killing

the vampire responsible for his

death. But he soon learns there

are bigger concerns than his

own desires as he takes a long,

hard look at slavery. He ―puts

aside childish things‖ and

packs away his axe, turning his

attention to politics. Little does

he know that he’s about to

engage in ―a war for the soul of

the country.‖

In a powerful scene, Adam tells

Abe ―we’re all slaves to

something.‖ He intends it as

justification for his evil but it

becomes a motivation in Abe’s

life, to liberate his nation from

slavery and the threat of

vampires; the two have become

inseparable in his mind,

because the latter is a metaphor

for the former in the mind of

the audience. Slavery

(vampirism) is a blight on the

South and to gain freedom for

his nation, Abe must destroy

his ancient enemy, much as

Christ defeated Satan.

Most movies about Lincoln

focus on his later years, his

struggle in the Civil War, and

his death. This is the first to

introduce him as likable and

fully human, an idealist more at

ease with vampires than in

wooing Mary Todd. His serious

nature is a sharp contrast with

her outspoken sweetness. It’s a

romance, horror story, violent

epic, and a cool twist on a

legend. Abe is an underdog

who gradually becomes a great

man. He’s Lincoln the

President and Liberator of

Slaves but also a penniless

college student staying up

nights to finish a law degree

who can shatter a tree with one

axe blow.

Speculative fiction has taken

root in our society. It offers us

opportunities to talk about truth

hidden in fiction. Whatever

spin is put on it, these creatures

remind us of society’s fear of

death and desire for

immortality. Christians believe

the soul is immortal so to us,

vampires represent a lost soul

in eternal torment, forever

separate from God.

Adam’s final battle with

Lincoln represents the fight for

the souls of mankind between

Christ and Satan. Abe’s victory

liberates the South and ends

slavery; Christ’s victory broke

Satan’s hold over us and gave

us freedom from sin. Their

victories aren’t in evading

death but in accepting it. Even

though this Abraham Lincoln

isn’t the stoic figure we know

so well from our history books,

in his open willingness to

accept death, we find shades of

Biblical greatness. ♥

Your name will

be Abraham,

for I have made

you a Father of

many nations… Genesis 17:5

6

Christianity has

been at odds with

vampires since they

appeared in fiction.

Vampires have

recently been

depicted as

tortured and

empathetic… until

Abraham Lincoln

Vampire Hunter.

This film, inspired

by a fictional

autobiographical

novel of the same

name, takes an old-

school approach to

vampires. It sticks

with traditional

ideas but presents

unique concepts

along the way.

By Charity Bishop

G ary contemplates using

the paper’s secrets for

self gain but as a nice

guy, Gary soon gives himself

over to the hero within. Instead

of using this unique gift for his

own benefit, Gary chooses to

help others. Gary takes it upon

himself to prevent the tragic

and unfortunate events he sees

in the paper. In the process he

becomes a human superhero,

especially to the damsels in

distress whose lives he saves.

Doing good is its own reward

in Gary’s world, but a higher

power (presumably God) is

looking out for him. Gary can’t

hold a job and be able to leave

at a moments notice to save

someone, so his hero’s path is a

poor one for a while. Then the

owner of McGinty’s bar leaves

him ownership in his will. Gary

suddenly has a place to live and

a source of income and the bar

comes to serve as his safe

haven for him, his best friends

and those who need a helping

hand along the way. It’s

amazing how God provides for

us everything we need in ways

that we least expect, isn’t it?

Throughout his journey from

―ordinary man‖ to ―hero,‖ Gary

gets the chance to meet and

save some very interesting

people. Most are simple,

everyday folk who just need a

helping hand. Other times,

Gary gets to help famous

people, people from other

countries, people from the past,

people with villainous intent,

people who have the ability to

further what Gary has done and

help others in their turn

(sometimes greater numbers

than even Gary could imagine),

and in one harrowing instance,

himself.

The ways Gary saves others are

just as varied as those he helps.

To save the marriage and career

of a football star, Gary plays in

a major game in the football

star’s place, having a hand in

winning the game. Gary has to

guide a young, rebellious

female royal from another

country when she run away

from her press tour to

―experience the city.‖ To save a

young idealistic librarian, Gary

inadvertently plays the role of

―modern day knight,‖ complete

with horses, chases, escapes,

harrowing rescues and

eventually, romance (for the

librarian, not Gary).

Through all his adventures,

Gary doesn’t give up hope in

humanity, in his friends, in the

importance of his mission, or in

himself. Fleeting doubts and

occasional argument aside,

Gary remains devoted to the

cause he is chosen for. That is

what makes his character so

compelling and ultimately

inspiring. Gary is a simple man

with an ordinary past and no

extraordinary abilities. He is

chosen for a monumental task

by a higher power. As

Christians we know nothing

happens by chance and that

everything happens according

to God’s design. Gary is chosen

for his task because God knows

he can do it and will empower

him to achieve the seemingly

impossible.

It is nice to have a compelling

and entertaining portrayal of a

modern day knight. Saving the

world isn’t what Gary set out to

do like the mythical knights of

old who went questing. But

when he is caught up in it, he

does his job with a chivalry and

―ordinary Joe‖ charm that

could win over the most

unromantic heart. We can

always use more men like Gary

in the world.

It’s just a shame that they

won’t come with tomorrow’s

news in their hand. ♥

7

Sitting in the middle

of the ever busy

Chicago Union

Station seems the

right place to

reminisce about one

of my favorite TV

shows. Early Edition

spanned four

seasons, garnering a

loyal fan-base (who,

despite their best

efforts, couldn’t

prevent its

cancellation). It’s

my favorite

example of

speculative fiction

because its premise

revolves around the

question of “what

would you do if you

could see into the

future?” Gary

Hobson gets

tomorrow’s news

today in the form of

the next day’s

Chicago Sun Times,

delivered every day

to his doorstep

accompanied by a

cat “guardian.”

By Hannah Price

escape how they’re written.

Moist doesn’t realize the

element of nonsense in his

story and is walloped over the

head by it on more than one

occasion. He’s a sensible man

born into a fantasy world that is

absolutely crackers, which is

why he’s perfect for it. He gets

a lemon and decides to make

lemon meringue pie, lemonade

be hanged. That’s his style of

surviving fantasy; that and his

name.

And when you consider a

name, each person belongs to

one. Truly, Moist, you really

can’t have more than one. And

ironically, or is it prophetically,

the name he was born with is

the one he uses to do good

deeds because somewhere

along the way in Going Postal

he stops trying to run and starts

trying to help. Alfred Spangler

was a confidence trickster who

ruined many lives and hung for

it; Moist von Lipwig was not.

Oh, don’t worry. If ever a

character put on a pedestal by

Ankh-Morpork citizens

deserved to be taken down into

reality’s sphere of influence, it

would be Moist. Yet as flawed

as he is, Moist is still the

hero…the one with a funny

name. ♥

the wrong end of a telescope

[ … ] that enables you to laugh

at life’s realities.‖ Fantasy is all

about dreaming up new places,

people, worlds, machines and

names and putting them all in

one cohesive spot. As an avid

reader I’ll come across one and

thumb through it, hoping for

something amazing to happen. I

rarely found it… until I read

Going Postal. Terry Pratchett

not only writes good fantasy,

he defines it. He makes you

want to turn the page; he gives

you something juicy and funny

and practically says ―if you

think that’s good, wait until

you’ve read to the next line!‖

Perhaps it was the ―Neither rain

nor snow nor glo m of ni t can

stay these mes engers abot their

duty‖ that graced the doorway

of the crumbling Post Office or

just the satirical way Mr.

Pratchett poked fun at the Post

Office that kept me going. The

book produced more chortles,

chuckles and downright full

blown laughs from me than I’d

ever experienced before.

Pratchett should get a medal for

that achievement. Pratchett

looks through the wrong end of

the telescope and taught me

how to do the same. But

although life can be funny for

the reader, the characters can’t

L ife in the Discworld has

a way of catching up

with any guilty party,

and Moist finds himself on the

wrong end of the noose with no

way out but a back-stabbing

helping hand from an ―angel.‖

It’s either accepting the most

lackluster job in all of Ankh-

Morpork or fall down a hole

with no bottom. Thus it was

that Alfred Spangler died and

Moist von Lipwig reclaimed

his ludicrous given name.

He’s required to run the mail-

stuffed and under-staffed Ankh

-Morpork Post Office as

Postmaster, a position that kills

more people than the plague.

He can’t run from his duty

because a government hired

clay golem named Pump 19 can

and will find him, come rain,

snow or sleet, mountain pass or

ocean coral bed. Moist is stuck.

He must get the Post Office

running before it literally kills

him, compete with a telegram

service known as the Clacks,

and win the heart of a fair,

cigarette smoking maiden by

the name of Adora Belle

Dearheart. Even for a former

con, this job is over the top.

Can he do it? Of course he can,

especially with a name like

Moist von Lipwig! Moist takes

to wearing a smart gold suit to

match the ancient gold, winged

Post Master hat that goes with

the job. People might recall his

face from his earlier con jobs,

but who can remember a visage

when confronted with gold,

gold everywhere? At least,

that’s what Moist hopes. Alas,

he doesn’t realize that nonsense

dictates his life.

Dr. Seuss said, ―Fantasy is a

necessary ingredient in living, a

way of looking at life through

8

In life, most of us

will hear at least a

portion of the

following: "What's

in a name? That

which we call a rose

by any other name

would smell as

sweet...” But what if

your name happens

to be Moist von

Lipwig?

For the main

character of two of

Terry Pratchett’s

novels, Going Postal

and Making Money,

any other name

would be better.

Perhaps someone

gave Moist this

advice as a child,

because one way or

another, he turned

to a dubious life of

crime, mostly as a

confidence trickster

by the name of

Alfred Spangler

who was so good at

his trade he could

sell glass as

diamonds.

By Caitlin Horton

T aking on Beth’s life is a

lot more difficult than

Sarah thinks. Beth was

a cop, recently suspended

pending an investigation over a

civilian shooting while on duty.

That and the hovering presence

of Beth’s partner, Arthur ―Art‖

Bell, further complicates her

plan. Sarah learns there are

more girls who look like her,

not triplets or family members.,

but clones. Cosima, a PhD

student, Alison, a soccer mom,

along with Beth and a

mysterious German named

Katja worked together to find

other clones and figure out

what’s going on. Through an

investigation led by Art, Sarah

meets Helena, another clone

but also a killer.

―Just one. I’m a few. No

family, too. Who am I?‖ Who

or what are they? Sarah

begrudgingly continues her

false identity to help the others

find out more about their

identity and purpose. Their

efforts take a strange turn when

they’re plunged into the

intricate and dangerous world

of human cloning, filled with

conflicting ideologies of nature

and ―self-directed evolution.‖

Silent and powerful groups

move and fight behind the

scenes, affecting the lives of

the clones in profound and

dangerous ways.

Trust plays an important role in

the first season. Sarah, who has

grown up on the streets not

trusting anyone but her foster

brother Felix, must learn to rely

on her sister clones to get to the

bottom of things while keeping

up appearances as Beth. While

posing as a cop, she must

continue to protect the group

and make sure no one else finds

out about her and the others,

even as the criminal cases she

and Art are solving threaten to

reveal their existence. There’s

also Paul, Beth’s boyfriend,

who may be hiding a few

secrets of his own. She even

suspects her foster mother of

knowing something of her

origins. Sarah and the others

quickly must learn whose side

the people around them is on as

the groups behind the

experiment emerge.

Questions about cloning also

raise the issue of identity. The

clones have grown up with

their own set of experiences

and environments; aside from

their DNA, they are wholly

unique and different

individuals. But the revelation

of being clones threatens the

lives they’ve built and their

sense of who they are as

individuals. Sarah initially

can’t believe what is happening

but the deeper they dig, the

more she starts to accept the

reality of their situation:

―maybe it’s time to embrace

my clonage, [and go] on

Oprah.‖ Despite everything,

she still holds on to who she is:

―No! There’s only one of me.‖

Cosima treats the situation as a

science experiment and suffers

from no problems about her

sense of identity; she knows

who she is and uses her

intellect to help unravel the

mystery of their genetic code.

Meanwhile, underneath

Alison’s facade of bravery is a

fear of losing her own sense of

self: ―I’m not even a real

person.‖

Helena, on the other hand,

believes the others are

unnatural abominations that

shouldn’t exist. Their

individual identities are

challenged in different ways,

especially as their lives collide

thanks to their present

circumstances, but their

respective motivations and their

growing trust in each other

keeps them going.

Orphan Black is a sleek,

intense sci-fi series that not

only tackles the ethical

questions concerning the

progress of science and

intellectual property but also

quintessential human questions

about identity and trust. The

further Sarah and the others dig

into the mystery, the more

complicated their origins seem.

Who knows what will come up

next? As Cosima would say,

―Welcome to the trip, man.‖ ♥

9

At the beginning of

Orphan Black,

Sarah Manning’s

goal is simple: go

back to the city, get

her child back from

her foster home,

and start a new life

together. Things get

complicated when

she sees a woman

who looks exactly

like her jump in

front of a train.

Though she’s

initially shocked

and confused, Sarah

sees an opportunity

and takes the

woman’s identity,

Elizabeth Childs,

for a quick con that

will financially help

jumpstart her new

life with her

daughter.

“Something really

weird just

happened at the

train station. I saw

a girl kill herself

[...] and she looked

exactly like me,

Felix.”

By Lianne Bernardo

W ebb’s series is part

poetry, part

ramshackle guide to

dingy Victorian London, part

fantasy-steampunk and all

speculative sparkle. There’s a

mechanical wonderment to

Webb’s prose: her ability to

plod words along on a rickety,

speeding-up track, her parallel

structure, her alliteration, her

use of consonance and her

thoroughly original grasp of

Old London’s seedy, dank and

colorful appearance. She also

jostles perspectives so each of

the main characters have a

starring stage point of view.

Indeed, even Tate gets a few

chapters here and there,

allowing the reader to see the

world from his low, bedraggled

vantage point. Horatio Lyle is

sometimes police-man, often

scientist, and all-times

eccentric. Until Tess the

pickpocket and Thomas the

―bigwig‖ drop into his life, his

only real companionship is

found in his loyal, long-eared

dog and the occasional

innuendo-ridden conversations

he engages in with his neighbor

Mercy Chaste.

What makes Horatio Lyle so

groundbreaking is that its first

installment was written by

Webb when she was still a

teenager. What makes it even

more remarkable is it’s one of

the few young adult books with

an adult protagonist. In his 30s,

Lyle is not the typical figure in

a YA novel. All gruffly

distracted on the outside and

soft within, Lyle isn’t pre-

occupied with relationships

until two children take over his

time and his heart.

Webb’s brand of snide,

sarcastic, knowing humor is a

treat to those who prefer their

narration with a bit of

a winking edge. Some

readers read for plot,

for mystery, for

deeper knowledge; I

read for character.

Part of my penchant

for this series is

because I love re-

visiting old friends.

Horatio Lyle and his

young protégés Tess

Hatch (―reformed‖

pickpocket

extraordinaire) and

uppity Thomas, Lord

Elwick are three

delightfully

intriguing, fresh and

humorous personages.

For the span of

the four books we

grow and learn with

them, laugh with them and hold

them close.

Webb spins a sprawling yarn.

Like the chime of church-bells

or the rain-slicked contours of

the London Bridge, or the

soggy banks of Westminster

lapping over the Thames,

there’s a cadence of Nursery

Rhyme to her musings. It’s

well-paired with the fantastical

and hovering, mysterious

Tseiqin: green-eyed other

worldy creatures pitted against

the start of the industrial

revolution, with their strange,

ethereal way of materializing

and controlling the city with

magic. While certainly Lyle’s

greatest enemy, they also

become his greatest crisis of

conscience, most potently with

the arrival of Lin, a Tseiqin

woman who captures his

imagination, his conscience,

and his heart with her artful

ways.

When the entire species is

threatened with genocide at the

clutches of a Doomsday

machine, Lyle, again, peels

back another layer of his stout

morality. He straddles both

worlds: a middle class science

man wedged between Lord

Elwick’s magnanimous son and

young Teresa Hatch whose

thieves’ cant is one of the many

distinguishing aspects of the

books vernacular charm.

Someone’s always trying to kill

Lyle, Tess and Thomas…

either green-eyed creatures

allergic to the iron of the

industrial age, or those who

would see them stopped for

turning wrong on its ear and

defending the right. But they

get over it, charge ahead, mix a

stalwart potion of particles and

chemicals with their quick

banter and powers of

deduction, and make the most

fun, fresh, lusciously vibrant

and original trio known to

historical YA fiction to date. ♥

In his pockets, he

carries things that

explode. His mind

can handle the

greatest chemical

calculations known

to late 19th Century

science. At his

ankles barks a

perceptive hound

named Tate, and at

his side stands two

children who drive

him further and

further into dark,

dangerous and

magical adventures.

A kind of Doctor

Who/ Sherlock

Holmes hybrid,

Horatio Lyle is

unlike anything else

you’ll find in

contemporary

Young Adult

literature or, for that

matter, in

speculative fiction as

a whole. There’s

nothing quite like

the tales of Special

Constable Horatio

Lyle in the literary

world. Catherine

Webb holds the

distinction of

possessing a voice

that’d be impossible

to emulate.

10

By Rachel McMillan

entire lives. Some would have a

moral dilemma on their hands.

Would their soul be damned? Is

there be a way to save them? Is

loving someone for all eternity

worth losing your soul? The

vampire wouldn’t get off scott-

free. If the vampire truly loved

the human, could they hurt

them? They’d have to in order

to turn them! Isn’t that the

struggle that most immortals

face? Do they want to kill their

love and possibly condemn

them to hell? You have to die

to come back as one of the

living-dead. Is it truly love to

do that to someone?

Pushing all of the difficult and

realistic questions aside, The

Vampire Diaries is still an

amazing show for fans of the

supernatural, but it also deals

with blood, murder, torture,

promiscuity, witchcraft and

profanity.

It’s not for everyone. ♥

at others. Elena brings back his

humanity and that brings with it

an emotional attraction to her.

Viewers loyal to the series

know Stephan and Elena’s love

story was intense, dangerous

and fatal for many, especially

Elena. She loses her humanity

on many levels and becomes a

vampire. Essentially, in time,

everything about her changes.

Eventually, the attraction

between Elena and Damon

manifests. Elena and Stephan

are over. So where does that

leave Elena? How long can

happiness really last between

her and Damon knowing that

he is Stephan’s brother?

Let’s put this on as a realistic

level as possible. Let’s say a

human and a vampire did fall in

love. It would be the ultimate

example of star-crossed lovers.

There would be a lot of hard

choices to make. The human

would have to consider leaving

behind their loved ones and

friends to become a vampire.

They’d have to give up their

T eenage Elena Gilbert

attracts the attention of

two vampire brothers,

Damon and Stephan Salvatore.

She is haunted by the death of

her parents who died in the

automobile accident that nearly

took her own life. Her view of

the world and of life is forever

changed. She’s finished with

playing the part of happy-go-

lucky cheerleader. She can now

see there’s more to life than

pom-poms or high school

drama. Her friends, Caroline,

who is turned into a vampire,

and Bonnie, a powerful witch,

notice the change in her but try

to leave her to her own devices

of coping with the loss of her

parents and her innocence.

Elena and her brother, Jeremy,

a hunter, live with their Aunt

Jenna. While Jenna is a great

aunt and responsible adult,

Elena is still protective and

motherly toward her brother.

Elena puts her brother before

all else, even her own life. She

clings to Jeremy as if he’s her

only connection to humanity. In

a way, and in the future, he is.

She is in an emotional rut until

she meets Stephan Salvatore.

He’s mysterious, brooding and

gorgeous. He carries around a

heavy burden of responsibility

for his brother’s vampirism. He

has a bloody path that he tries

to keep hidden from Elena.

Secrets are never secrets for

long, Mr. Salvatore. The two

are instantly drawn to each

other. It’s an immediate intense

attraction on an emotional and

physical level that neither one

is expecting or prepared for.

Soon his brother arrives. He

isn’t anything like the sensitive

Stephan, or so it seems at first.

Damon is troubled and chooses

to vent his pain by lashing out

11

When you think of

Virginia the words

“supernatural

hotspot” doesn’t

come to mind unless

you’re a fan of the

The Vampire

Diaries, where the

sleepy little town of

Mystic Falls is

anything but sleepy.

Its streets crawl

with vampires,

werewolves,

doppelgangers,

witches, hunters…

even a ghost or two.

The Vampire

Diaries, originally a

YA book series, is

penned by J.L.

Smith. Further

books are still

coming out about

the characters of

Mystic Falls, but if

you want to see

them in cinematic

action, you must

tune into the CW

where there’s a new

episode every week.

By A.G. Porter

R is a zombie. Like any

of the undead, he’s a

creature in a cursed

state. He does what is natural to

survive by feeding off the

human brain, lest he morph into

the even worse zombie state.

But at least he has the decency

to feel bad about it. Then he

meets Julie, the daughter of a

rebel leader, the last of the

human race fighting to survive

the zombie apocalypse. R

decides to protect Julie, even

though it goes against his basic

zombie nature. In the process,

Julie and R form an unlikely

friendship, and things start to

change for R in major ways.

At its best, Warm Bodies is a

warm-hearted teen romance

that avoids the usual clichés. It

isolates its characters, involves

a boy who kills the boyfriend

of the girl he crushes on, and

has a whip-smart narration that

makes us laugh but also tugs at

our heartstrings. It obviously

pays homage to Romeo & Juliet

yet underneath are threads of a

beating heart of gold. It’s a

story about hope that stirs the

heart in unexpected ways.

R is dead, without feelings or

the ability to show compassion

or love, until he locks eyes with

Julie, who stirs something

foreign in his cold body that

he’s never before experienced –

she unknowingly inflicts in him

a desire to protect. That sprig of

hope is just the beginning; their

connection slowly redeems him

and brings him back to life. It

isn’t immediate; R learns to

live again through snapshots of

life, Julie’s kindness and her

friendship. Love isn’t just one

dimensional in this film—it

takes many forms.

Pure love goes beyond human

feelings. Julie’s love of R is

unconditional. She puts no

limits on its price and because

of that acceptance, romantic

love blooms during their time

together and he is brought back

from a fate far worse than the

inability to express emotion. R

isn’t a paper cut-out character.

He is both a protagonist and an

antagonist. His nature is to

destroy, to take away life, until

Julie transforms his undead life.

On the outside, this story may

look like something it isn’t. It

isn’t just a zombie story, and

Christians in particular will see

the symbolism of a story of a

love more powerful than death.

For those willing to take a

chance and try out this little

―zombie film‖ (as I did), Warm

Bodies is less a teen drama and

more a study of redemptive

love. In fiction (whether that is

book or film) young adult tales

that look beyond pretty faces

are a rarity indeed. Warm

Bodies doesn’t suffer that fate.

It’s story isn’t about a girl’s

corruption, but a boy’s literal

redemption. Julie cares for,

shows kindness to, and even

loves R when he’s at his worst.

This enables R to do something

extraordinary when, as a

zombie he shouldn’t have been

able to: he protected Julie.

In this sweet but complicated

relationship we learn something

precious. Love (kindness,

friendship, or acceptance) isn’t

always about what’s on the

outside. It won’t always be

easy. Instead of blaming life for

our mistakes, we can realize

that love can be a choice. Julie

and R color ―outside the lines‖

in their burgeoning love story

but for them, it isn’t ―bad‖ or

inappropriate. Because of their

journey, as individuals and as a

couple, they change everything.

Life could use a little more

kindness. R and Julie are a

perfect example of what that

looks like. ♥

12

What is love?

Is it a collection of

feelings? Is it a

gesture? Is it

“uncontrollable”?

When the book-to-

screen adaptation

of Warm Bodies

made the rounds

among my friends,

I couldn’t help an

inkling of curiosity

rising toward it.

Zombies are not

my thing. I didn’t

want to be curious

about, or actively

invested in, a story

about the undead,

but all the same I

had to admit that

whether the more

conservative girl

in me liked it or

not, I was.

I decided to give it

a chance, and I’m

so glad I did!

By Rissi C.

T his is the world of

Elysium. It’s the year

2154. Earth as we

know it doesn’t exist. The class

distinctions have widened. The

cure for cancer, and any other

disease or injury, has been

invented, but only for the elite.

The people face each day with

the shadow of Elysium hanging

over them. The space station is

a mocking reminder to earth’s

destitute and downtrodden that

they aren’t influential or rich

enough to merit even one drop

of compassion from Elysium’s

citizens. Clouds of smog and

pollution clog the cities. The

people are dirty from physical

labor, hopeless because they

have nothing to hope for, yet

somehow, they go through the

motions of one day at a time.

Ever since he was a little boy in

the orphanage playground

staring up at the space station,

Max Da Costa has dreamt of

visiting Elysium, because it’s

something he can’t attain. He

sees it on his way to work each

morning and when he trudges

home at night. He’s only good

enough to build the robotic

soldiers that keep law and order

on earth, not good enough to

earn a flight to Elysium, to see

the kingdom of his dreams. He

has no chance of ever seeing

Elysium until something

happens that changes his life

and puts him on a new track.

Now Max has a choice to

make: stay on earth and die or

get to Elysium (no matter the

cost) and live. It’s strange that

Max acts on his desire only

when faced with life or death.

Why did he not try sooner?

Was it complacency? Fear? Or

was the dream of Elysium more

powerful for him than making

it a reality?

If Max reached Elysium, would

his life have meaning? When

dreams are fulfilled, a void can

take their place. It’s the same

with revenge; once it’s taken,

the avenger is often left with a

hollow emptiness inside.

Gazing at Elysium every day

from his small patch of planet

Earth kept Max alive. It was a

dream, a reason for continuing

to live in spite of what seems

like a purposeless existence. It

was enough to just see it.

Elysium kept his world turning,

like a job or a family can do for

just about anyone. It’s a reason

to get out of bed each day. The

fulfillment of Max’s dream

gives him nothing else to dream

for because there’s nothing left.

His dream has only been for

himself, and once he attains it,

what else is there?

Another character to influence

Max’s journey is Frey, his best

friend at the orphanage. In their

youth, he thought the sun rose

and set on her. It’s been years

since she and Max were friends

but a twist of fate joins them

together again. Frey also has a

reason to reach Elysium, a

reason much stronger than

Max’s, and suddenly he finds

himself getting involved,

something he never really

wanted to do. He can barely

take care of himself let alone

anyone else. But if there is one

thing Max has (and fights so

hard to hide), it’s a big heart.

When Frey waltzes back into

his life, Max must look past his

own needs to those of others.

It’s not just about him anymore

or his reason for wanting to

reach Elysium. It’s about all the

goodness and social equality

Elysium has withheld from the

world for so many years,

simply because it can. And he

can’t let the status quo remain

unchanged, not anymore.

Reluctant heroes are so multi-

faceted because they struggle

with genuine human flaws and

emotions. Stories with a little

bit of an emotional punch are

always the longest lasting, and

Elysium will continue to

resonate with audiences for

decades to come because its

message is valuable. Max isn’t

your typical everyday hero

because he starts out thinking

only of himself and has to have

his mind changed during the

course of his journey. But he is,

overall, a good man, and that

light of goodness shines at the

end as a beacon to audiences

everywhere. ♥

13

Speculative fiction

can be anything:

Abraham Lincoln

slashing vampires

with an axe or the

Winchester

brothers chasing

down demons,

ghosts, and ghouls.

Or it can be a look

into the future.

People like to

speculate about

what the world

will be like in the

distant future.

We’ll never see it,

but will our great,

great grandkids

have flying cars?

Will there be a

cure for cancer?

No more taxation?

What if the future

isn’t so nice?

What if it’s nasty

and scary and our

great grandkids

wish they had

never been born?

By Carissa Horton

I t’s what happens to Emma

Swan in the first episode of

Once Upon A Time.

Emma, hardened by the

experiences in her childhood, is

earning her living as a bail

bondsman and keeping to

herself. Eleven years ago, she

gave her baby up for adoption.

On the eve of her 28th birthday,

she suddenly finds him on her

doorstep. Her son Henry tells

her an unbelievable story about

fairytale characters trapped on

earth and a curse that only

Emma can break.

Emma doesn’t believe a word

of it, but decides to take him

back home to Storybrooke and

his adoptive mother, the mayor.

Despite everything, Emma

feels responsible for her son,

who went through such trouble

to find her, and decides to stay

near him for a while. She soon

befriends Mary Margaret and

finds a job as deputy sheriff.

Indulging Henry, Emma listens

to his stories about the fairytale

characters he believes he’s

surrounded by: the waitress at

the local diner is Red Riding

Hood; the town psychologist is

really Jiminy Cricket. She can’t

deny that Storybrooke is a little

strange. No one ever leaves and

no new people ever settle in

town. The city’s mayor has an

uncanny hold on everyone.

Then there’s the pawnshop

owner Mr. Gold, who speaks to

Emma in mysteries, and a

sheriff who dreams of wolves

and sometimes believes he

doesn’t have a heart.

As Emma settles into the small

town and her relationship with

Henry deepens, cracks begin to

appear in her armour. What if

all the stories really are true?

What if Mary Margaret, the

first friend Emma made in

town, really is her mother?

What if she isn’t a foundling,

but a princess?

Once Upon a Time is a

wonderfully original series that

creates a world unlike any

other, a world where fairytales

collide with our surroundings

and everyday life... a world in

which none of the characters

from these stories are who you

thought they where! If there is

one thing the series does, it’s

surprise you with its twists and

characterizations again and

again. Snow White is a helpless

maiden needing to be rescued?

Think again! The Evil Queen is

a villain and nothing else? Not

in Once Upon a Time!

More than just an amazing

world to get lost in, the unique

fairytales are a platform to tell

stories about relationships and

above all, family. Family is at

the heart of this show and the

love between parents and

children is a strong driving

force for the plotlines. The

―Charming‖ family unit is

nothing if not unusual, with

Snow White and her Prince

only getting to know their

daughter after 28 years and

Emma struggling to build up a

relationship with the son she

gave away. This unusual

setting allows us to explore

parent-child relationships that

so often take a backseat in

other series in favour of

romantic love. Other families

also have stories to tell: the

Evil Queen has a troublesome

relationship with her mother

(to say the least) and

Rumplestiltskin’s son is

disappointed when his father

keeps breaking his promises.

Before Emma can claim her

inheritance as the daughter of

Snow White and Prince

Charming, there’s one missing

ingredient: belief. Next to

family, believing is another

central theme. Emma must

believe the implausible story

14

Imagine you were

a foundling, and

when you finally

find out who your

parents are, you

discover they’re

the well-known

fairytale figures of

Snow White and

Prince Charming.

They have been

banished to live on

earth, in the town

of Storybrooke

because of a curse

by the Evil Queen.

To top it off, your

parents don’t

know who they

are, living their

lives as primary

school teacher

Mary Margaret

and animal shelter

employee David.

That sure would

be a lot to take in,

wouldn’t it?

By Tryntsje Cuperus

N ot so with Scott

Landon and his

widow Lisey (rhymes

with CeeCee). Ever since he

was a boy, Scott has been able

to visit a country filled with

fragrant and strange flowers

that perfume the air. He and his

brother called it Boo’ya Moon.

Follow the path past the

Sweetheart Trees, up the hill,

past the Fairy Forest, and you

come to a pool, the most

beautiful pool that shines under

a too-big sun. If you sit on the

benches, that pool can be

whatever you want it to be.

But at night, the flowers that

smell so sweet during the day

turn to poison, insane laughter

fills the air, a bloated moon fills

the sky with its silver light, and

an unknowable monster waits.

And even during the day,

shrouded figures sit gazing at

the pool.

Growing up, Scott lived a

horrific childhood, but together

he and his brother Paul got

through it by depending on one

another. Their love made them

strong. But when Paul died and

Scott was left with his abusive

father, Scott had no choice but

to return to Boo’ya Moon. He

crouched beneath the one

Sweetheart Tree that kept a

little of its sweet perfume, only

coming back to this world

when hours had passed and the

moon had set.

He escaped his father, grew up,

then met and fell in love with

Lisey. He told her his dark past,

but she loved him anyway. And

though he took her to Boo’ya

Moon, that place was too

beautiful and too terrible for

I think most of

us had a secret

place when we

were kids;

maybe a tree

house or a club

house or even a

fort made from

blankets; a

place that made

us feel safe. We

could battle

giants or

explore new

planets or set

sail as pirates.

But then we

grew up and let

those places go.

of her birth before she can find

her destiny and become who

she was always meant to be.

She must believe in magic

solutions when dangers

surround her and learn to

believe that there are more

worlds out there than just

Fairytale land! This theme

makes Once Upon a Time a

show with a message for

Christians as well. Though I’d

never compare belief in God

with belief in fairy tales, it’s

true that the struggles of Emma

can teach us about how new

believers searching for God can

struggle with the truths of our

faith. In a way, the story of the

Bible is as implausible to

secular people in the 21st

century as the story Emma is

told at the start her journey.

Once Upon a Time is an

amazingly entertaining show

with a whole new world to

discover, much action, great

characters, and touching

relationships. But more

importantly, it uses its unique

setting to teach us lessons

about family and belief. ♥

15

her to think of, so she put up a

purple curtain in her mind to

block her memories.

After Scott’s death, though, the

curtain had to come down. To

save her life and her sister’s,

Lisey tore down the purple

curtain, then found her way

back to Boo’ya Moon. Again,

the beauty of the place nearly

drove her insane, but even after

death, Scott watched over her.

Under the same tree he had

hidden under as a boy, he

placed a story that gave a clue

on how to come back to this

world to stay. So she did.

Lisey rejoiced in being back in

this world for good; she didn’t

have to fear unwittingly

traveling to Boo’a Moon again.

As glad as she was, though, a

very tiny part of her soul ached

for that other world. The beauty

and sweetness never quite left

her.

When I was a teenager, I would

have gone to this other world

happily, despite the dangers.

But as an adult, I see that

though that world holds

sweetness unimaginable, so

does this world. I think that I,

like Lisey, choose to stay. ♥

By Carol Starkey

E ach book can be read

individually, since the

plots wrap up, but there

is a larger meta-plot over the

series. Each book reveals

another aspect of Harry’s

world. I’ve enjoyed watching it

develop over 14+ books so far.

Jim Butcher does a great job

with his backup characters. In

Storm Front, you meet Bob the

Skull, Harry’s arcane assistant

with a penchant for bodice-

ripping Romance novels. Then

there’s Captain Murphy, in

charge of the police special

investigations department and

tasked with solving the

unsolvable for the City of

Chicago. Murphy hires Harry,

the Resident Wizard, to deal

with cases that baffle her

mundane colleagues. She has

suspicions when Harry doesn’t

level with her about what’s

going on in her city. Murphy’s

determination leads her into a

partnership with Harry where

she battles Vampires, Fae, and

Hexenwolves by his side.

Michael Carpenter turns up in

Grave Peril, as one of the

Knights of the Cross. Michael

is presented as a Christian (a

Roman Catholic) and is neither

weak nor evil. He’s the real

deal, someone who truly tries

to live out his faith. Each

Knight of the Cross carries a

sword with a nail of the Cross

worked into the blade. Knights

have their own personal enemy

—Knights of the Blackened

Denarius. (Read more about

them in Death Masks.) The

Denarians are a binding of man

and fallen angel. For each of

the 30 pieces of silver paid for

Jesus’ life, a fallen angel is

bound to that coin. Some are

enslaved by the coin, others are

active partners. Each Denarian

has the power and knowledge

of an ancient, fallen angel. The

calling of the Knights of the

Cross is to convince them to

repent and give up their coins.

In Small Favor, Harry has

interesting encounters with

Uriel, one of four Archangels.

The results of these intense

conversations are interesting

and thought provoking. I

enjoyed reading them as Harry

gets more understanding about

the spiritual world.

Free will and the associated

costs of it is a recurring theme.

Harry is often put in situations

where he could take the quick

and painless way out, but Harry

knows doing so will cost him

his identity. He values his free

will more than to give in to

despair and surrender. This

theme becomes particularly

potent when Harry is exposed

to one of the coins and gets his

own shadow representation of a

fallen angel. Harry walks a fine

line between using Laschiel

and being used by Laschiel.

Another character to struggle

with free will is Thomas, a

White Court Vampire, which is

the ―Dresdenverse‖ version of

the sparkly vampire. White

Court vampires are human

bloodlines that were merged

with Demons. Thomas gains

psychic energy feeding off

other people’s lust. This can be

a fatal situation for the Victims.

Thomas has to walk a thin line

to keep from giving in to the

literal Demon in his soul.

I enjoy this series as fun,

enjoyable escapes with a

unique sense of humor and

philosophical ideas that give

me much to ponder. The books

aren’t outright Christian, but

characters like Michael get to

speak their mind. It’s a

marketplace of ideas where

believers are able to fully

participate. That’s what we

want, isn’t it? God’s greatest

curse and blessing to humanity

is free will! Jim Butcher

understands that, and his

unique world is richer for it. ♥

Jim Butcher brings

many aspects of

mythology into The

Dresden Files

novels and he tries

to make the system

of magic believable.

There are three

different kinds of

werewolves, at least

three different

kinds of vampires,

and two Faerie

Courts. Jim never

shies away from

putting a different

spin on all the old

Mythologies. Toss

in some Cops, a

Mob Boss, and

Private Detective

Harry Blackstone

Copperfield

Dresden (the only

Wizard in the

Chicago phone

book). That’s the

premise of The

Dresden Files

urban fantasy

series. The books

have a noir Robert

Parker vibe to

them. The plot is

very fast paced and

I often read “just

one more chapter”

to see what

happens next.

16

By Frank Kennedy

book, Griffin is a cold, selfish

person all along, not caring

who gets hurt as long as he has

his way. From the start of his

research, he dreams of power.

He’s also an albino, and it’s

suggested that sensitivity over

his appearance may also be a

motivating factor for him.

In the film, Griffin is motivated

partly by love of knowledge,

and partly by the desire to earn

enough money to marry and

support Flora. But here, an

ingredient in his invisibility

formula has the unfortunate

side effect of driving the user

insane. This highlights the

theme the filmmakers wanted

to emphasize, repeated several

times by different characters:

there are some things humans

shouldn’t meddle with. This

resonates more than ever today.

If you’re looking for something

different for your Halloween

viewing, you could do worse

than Whale’s The Invisible

Man. Its timeless themes and

magnificent performances

ensure that this is a film that

will be enjoyed, and pondered,

for a long time to come. ♥

The Invisible Man is full of

brilliant, macabre comic

touches, and she is responsible

for many of them. Screaming

uncontrollably at the sight (so

to speak) of the invisible man,

with her hair standing on end,

she’s like a demented exotic

bird. Other luminaries in the

cast include Henry Travers

(Clarence in It’s a Wonderful

Life) as Griffin’s former boss,

and Gloria Stuart (Titanic) as

Flora, Griffin’s love interest.

Flora is the only person Griffin

still feels any tenderness or

compassion for, but even she

can’t persuade him to change

his course. The rest of the

world he treats with contempt,

and to his former colleague he

boasts of his plans to start a

―reign of terror.‖ Sometimes he

kills people because they’re in

his way, or out of revenge—but

sometimes, it seems, he kills

just because he can.

What turned the dedicated

scientist into a would-be tyrant

who dreams of wealth, power,

and ―invisible armies‖? Here’s

where the movie deviates from

Wells’ book (and annoyed

Wells, so the story goes). In the

W hale, best known for

directing the 1931

Frankenstein, turned

a classic novel into a film

equally deserving of a ―classic‖

label. This horror film makes

viewers laugh one minute and

shiver the next. It sticks fairly

close to the plot of the novel,

about a scientist who becomes

obsessed with discovering the

secret of invisibility. Griffin

tries his formula successfully

on himself, only to find that

reversing the effects won’t be

easy. While struggling to

recover from his invisibility,

Griffin descends into madness,

terrorizing those who dare to

cross him.

The role is Claude Rains’

American film debut. It would

seem, on the surface, not a very

auspicious one. Rains (who

happened to be claustrophobic)

spends much of it swathed in

bandages; at other times,

special effects erase his face

completely—and effectively

for 1933. His face is seen only

for a moment at the end. But

hampered as he was by all this,

Rains still gives an incredibly

powerful performance.

Through body language and

especially his marvelously

versatile voice, he creates an

indelible impression as the

tormented Jack Griffin. It’s

hard to say which is more

chilling: his thunderous growls

of anger, or his high-pitched,

manic giggles. Sometimes he’s

hilarious, as when we see him

as nothing but a pair of pants

skipping down a country lane;

at other times, the pathos in his

voice is deeply moving. This

simple, old-fashioned film may

be worlds away from today’s

explicit horror films, but Rains

manages to ensure that it can

still give us the creeps.

He’s backed up by a cast of

wonderful actors, especially

Una O’Connor as his landlady.

H. G. Wells’ The

Invisible Man is one

of those classic tales

that seize the

popular imagination

and never let go.

The theme of

invisibility (and its

consequences) seem

to resonate with

readers and viewers

in every generation.

Over the years there

have been dozens of

adaptations on film,

TV, and radio. (I

even participated in

one in junior high

school!) But I doubt

any adaptation has

ever done it better

than the one that

started it all: James

Whale’s 1933 film

for Universal

Pictures, starring

Claude Rains as the

tragic title

character.

17

By Gina Dalfonzo

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Les Misérables, Singing

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Seven Brides For Seven

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Young Man With a Horn,

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