Author Julie Wright and her defense of Genre Fiction

A friend of mine, Julie Wright, the author of The Hazardous Universe series and several other books, recently posted an excellent defense of genre fiction on her blog. 

Far too often, people think of genres like fantasy and science fiction to be 'easy' or 'safe' and not touch well on reality, or on the human condition.  However, as Jules noted, this is very far from the truth.

Here is a link to her blog, and her excellent counter to this type of thinking:  here.

In response to her defense of genre fiction, I wrote this comment:

Hey, Jules! I love how you said what you did about genre fiction. Good fiction, any kind in my opinion, is something that speaks to the soul. It shows that we can slay our own dragons. It connects with what makes us human.
For me, anything that is only fluff, or wish fulfillment, breaks its own rules, or doesn’t require its characters to truly work for what they get, is completely useless to me, because such stories do not help me learn anything about how to be a better human being.
Genre fiction authors like Rowling, Tolkien, Lewis, and um, you, however, don’t create fluff. What such authors write isn’t ‘safe’ entertainment. It has substance. Deep substance. It serves a vital purpose in the lives of people who read it, (whether readers are conscious of this or not) in that it can teach us things about how to be better human beings. It makes us more humane, more tolerant, more brave. It makes us realize that we need to work for what we get. It can stretch our minds and help us think in ways we didn’t before.
Tolkien and Lewis in particular, wrote stories that are, at their core, true stories. Not because they actually happened, but because despite being peopled with hobbits, elves, dragons etc., they convey basic human truths. They teach me that I can do more than I thought I could. They teach me that worthwhile things are worth fighting for, and sacrificing for. They help me to be kinder and yet also braver. If Bilbo can face a terrifying dragon, or if Frodo and Sam can get an evil ring all the way to Mount Doom, well, just maybe, I can face the dragons and the mountains in my life, too.

Dr. Maya Angelou

I had the privilege of hearing Maya Angelou speak during my last year of college when I was taking a few classes at Weber State University.  I honestly do not remember what she spoke about, but I remember how I felt about what she said.  I remember what a gracious lady she was, how wise she was, and how she seemed to speak to me personally, though I was in a room of hundreds.    I was impressed with her command of words, and the way her words made me feel.  Even though much of what she spoke about I had not experienced myself, I felt that I could relate to what she was saying.  I felt that she understood humanity.  She had seen much in her life, terrible things and great things, and still she had faith in people, understood them, and believed in them.

She worked hard to overcome so many things; racism, sexism, etc.  Rather than letting her troubles get her down, she became strong.

Oprah Winfrey said of Dr. Angelou, "...The world knows her as a poet but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. 'When you learn, teach.  When you get, give,' is one of my best lessons from her.
"But what stands out to me most about Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken, it's how she lived her life..."

Dr. Maya Angelou was a great human being.  Even though I did not know her personally, I miss her. 

And I hope I can be even a little bit like her.

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew by Ursula Vernon

Nurk by Ursula Vernon is a fun story suitable for children which I may have reviewed on here before, but re-read recently, and enjoyed this time just as much as I did when I read it several years ago. 

Nurk, the title character, is a somewhat less brave grandson of the great heroine, Surka.  He has a picture of his brave grandmother in the front hallway of his little house, and he admires her, and her inspiring journal, but clearly doesn't feel like he can be quite as brave as his grandmother.  But he is drawn, somewhat reluctantly, and quite by accident, into an adventure where he finds himself faced with the choice of being brave to save an unjustly imprisoned dragonfly prince, or turning around and going home.

And the choice Nurk makes?  Well, I won't give that away.  But suffice it to say, I highly recommend this book.  It was a fun read!

Atticus Finch

Today, I want to talk about one of the most heroic fictional characters I am aware of:  Atticus Finch.

If you are familiar with the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, in my opinion one of the greatest books ever written, you will be familiar with Atticus Finch.  He is a lawyer in the small fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama.  He is the widowed father of the narrator, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, and her brother, Jeremy (Jem) Finch.  While the story is told from Scout's little girl perspective, Atticus seems to be the main protagonist of the story.  Scout has many adventures through the story, including meeting Dill, a boy who becomes a good friend to her and Jem, and trying to get Arthur (Boo) Radley, the neighborhood recluse, to come out of his house.  The main conflict of the story starts, and Atticus shows his noble-hearted nature, when he takes on the case of Tom Robinson, a young African American man falsely accused of raping a white girl. 

While it becomes clear to the reader that Tom Robinson couldn't have possibly committed the crime, the town cannot shake itself of its prejudice against people who are African Americans, and treats Atticus badly simply for being willing to defend his client.  Through Scout's eyes the reader sees what a great man Atticus is, and the character it takes him to stand up for what is right, even though he has to stand against years of prejudice to do it.

I love To Kill a Mockingbird, for the wonderful story it tells, the positive message it teaches me, and for the example of Atticus Finch.  Even though he is fictional, I believe that such people like him exist, and I am glad for the hope that he offers humanity.

Write Here In Ephraim!

The fabulous Shirley Bahlmann is helping to host a Central Utah writer's conference in Ephraim, Utah on March 29th. 

The Write Here in Ephraim writer's conference will be on the beautiful Snow College Campus, and will go from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  I have the good fortune of teaching one of the classes, and my class will be entitled, How To Suspend Reader Disbelief.  I'm looking forward to the conference!

Far World: Land Keep by J. Scott Savage

I am reviewing yet again, another Far World book that I'm sure I've reviewed before on this blog.  I guess I just love the Far World series so much, that I can't stay away from them!

Far World Land Keep continues the story of Kyja and Marcus, two kids who are charged with the task of getting all four elements, Water, Land, Air and Fire, to cooperate in order to save their worlds, Earth and Far World.  In this second book of the series, Kyja and Marcus are trying to find Land Keep so that they can get the cooperation of the Land Elementals.  They already have the help of Cascade, one of the Water Elementals, or what help he can give.

Mr. Savage doesn't fail to deliver an adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  From Marcus turning into... a dog, of all things, to Kyja jumping into a bubbling pool of steaming muck to save her friend in their attempts to find the Land Elementals.

Are they successful in finding Land Keep and the Elementals?  I'll leave you to find that out.  I will say though, that I love this book, and highly recommend it!

Far World: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage

I know I've reviewed this before, but I love this book so much, I want to review it again.  Water Keep by J. Scott Savage is a great book.  It follows Marcus, a boy who needs a wheelchair to get around, and Kyja, a girl who can't perform magic, as they go on an adventure to gain the help of all four Elementals (Water, Earth, Air, and Fire) n an attempt to create a 'drift' between Earth and Far World using good magic.  They need the cooperation of all four to do it, and the problem is that Marcus and Kyja can't truly go home unless they do.  (Marcus was born on FarWorld, but he grew up on Earth, and Kyja was born on Earth and grew up in Far World.)  This first book focuses on their efforts to gain the help and cooperation of the Water Elementals.  How they go about doing that, is exciting and fast paced.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy adventure.