Book Review: Full Cicada Moon

Book: Full Cicada Moon by Marylin Hilton

Genre: Middle grade (MG), historical fiction, poetry

Awards: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children (2015)

My rating: 5/5 stars

One-word description: Inspirational

If somebody said they didn’t understand poetry, I would hand them this book. Beautifully written with unique imagery, Hilton paints a world that not only speaks to the mind but touches the heart.

While I was struggling through two other fairly boring books, wondering if any story could ever get better, it did. I put the other books down and picked up Full Cicada Moon. Wow, am I glad I did! An okay book, I may finish in a week or two. An excellent book takes a day or less. I’m pretty sure I finished this one in a couple of hours.

And man, can Hilton write! Not even one-hundred pages into the book, I had to stop and tell my mom she had to read it.

          “On this clear and moonless night,
          Mama and I wrap up in our winter clothes
          and go outside to watch and listen.
          The trees beyond our backyard form a torn-paper line
          between the snow and this sky
          filled with stars.”

You had me at snow and stars.

This book is about beauty and standing up for your dreams and making friends and culture. Not to spoil too much, I shan't delve too much further into the themes.  

          “I am

          half Mama,
          half Papa,
          and all me.”

Daughter of a Japanese immigrant and an African-American, Mimi doesn’t exactly fit in her new town in Vermont. If you’re looking for a book on diversity and what it means to truly be an American, Full Cicada Moon is it.

I even got goosebumps reading about the part where Mimi and her family were watching the Apollo 11 Mission, particularly when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. I can’t remember the last time a poem gave me goose bumps. Seriously, lyrical novels are now one of my favorite things. I. Need. MORE.

This is what a book is supposed to look like.

Of course, I had to give it 5/5 stars for vivid verse, excellent characters, and powerful themes. I would recommend this book to anybody interested in historical fiction, novels in verse, and excellent stories. Now, where to get a copy…

Let’s chat! Have you read Full Cicada Moon yet? If so, what did you think? What’s on your TBR for this fall? What do you think about novels in verse? Do you have any recommendations?

***

Similar posts: The Importance of Poetry and Book Reviews: Goodbye Days and A World Without You

Enjoy lyrical novels? You might enjoy Saving Red by Sonya Jones and Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai.

How about middle grade novels with diverse characters? You might enjoy Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Young Fu Of The Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis, and York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby.

Why Writers Should Study Their Craft

Confession: sometimes I’m an arrogant writer. Perhaps studying for my MA in English Literature helped a bit. (It’s called a Master’s degree for a reason, right?) Perhaps it’s because I’ve written eight novel-length manuscripts, not counting Last of the Memory Keepers. But if there’s one method for humility that works great for writers, it’s giving your story to somebody else for honest feedback.

Last winter, I started writing a novel that I believe is my best yet. Even after several rounds of edits, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then I decided to send it off to several critique partners. Their feedback was invaluable, and once, I had somebody advise me to read more and to pick up a book on writing.

“But I’ve got an MA in English Literature,” I thought. “I read blog posts on writing. And I read three books a week. What more do I need?”

Nonetheless, I picked up a book on writing. I own a couple. Why not read them? And boy, am I glad I did!

Books rock.

Seriously, though. Writers, if somebody advises you to read, why would you say no? Just do it! We write books. If you don’t take the time to read them, make time.

You don’t need a degree.

Maybe I’m not the one to advocate for this, considering I up and moved to England to learn about dragons and study swordplay study quality literature. But, it’s true. You don’t have to have your MA in English or even your BA to be a writer. I won’t tell you that you don’t even need a high school degree because that would be “irresponsible” despite the many writers who were dropouts and still managed to be successful.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a full advocate for education, and I’m a total intellectual. (I read Moby-Dick for fun, and I’m thoroughly enjoying Les Miserables.) But there is no secret ingredient to being a writer except writing. Writers can come from all vocations.

Nonetheless, effective communication is vital. And even if you have an editor, he or she should have some sense of what you’re trying to say. A bit of advice if you’re sending a story off to an editor, try to make sure your piece is as error-free as you can make it. This saves time and energy. And how else do you learn how to edit without knowing a bit of grammar and writing style?

Head and Heart.

As I mentioned, I’m a bit of an intellectual. Perhaps too much of one. After writing an essay, I have a hard time switching back to my writing voice. And often times, I struggle to convey emotions in my story. After all, I’m probably not going to stab a character write about cliffhangers in my essays.

I already knew that I can’t write an essay like I write a story. After all, professors don’t like fragments. Fiction readers. They just might.Likewise, when reading Writing the Breakout Novel, I learned that I wasn’t putting my voice into my stories nearly enough. Some of my prose was bland, to say the least.

“To set your voice free, set your words free. Set your characters free. Most important, set your heart free.” (Writing the Breakout Novel)

So… follow your heart? That’s not something they teach you in college. But I suppose you could say to an intellectual: implement your passion. What excites you to the point where you can’t sleep? What drives you? Harness that, and write about it.

I never would have figured this out if I hadn’t picked up a book on writing. Okay, maybe I would have come across a blog post eventually, but the bit of advice might not have come when I needed it. In all, I’ve found writing blog posts are a great place to start, and writing books can expand such information and help you fill in the gaps.

You never stop learning.

Need I say more? When you study your craft, you’re that much closer to perfecting it. How many people get to say that reading benefits their work? Sure, you may have to struggle through grammar at times, but there are so many, many ways to research for writing. You don’t have to read the dictionary, but make sure you read! Read books on writing. Attend a college course. Experience the world.

Quick! What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of research? What are some of your favorite books on writing? What are some of your favorite blogs for writers? (Yes, feel free to list your own!)

***

Similar posts: Writing about the Ocean, 3 Methods for Outlining Your Novel, and Writing Book Reviews.

Literary references: Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, and Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel.

Controversy in Fiction: Monsters

Welcome back to my mini-series, Controversy in Fiction. Each post can be read separately and in no particular order, as each one explores a different topic. This week, for October I’ll discuss monsters. You’re welcome for the creepy picture. Do you feel tiny feet crawling up your arm?

 

I’m not much into horror books or thrillers, but I have picked up an occasional supernatural thriller. (Relax, Mom, you recommended them to me.) And let’s face it, it’s hard to read fantasy novels without running into a monster or two every now and then. As there are so many different types, I’ve decided to sort them by categories.

 

What’s so controversial about monsters, you might ask? Depending on the genre, readers might start to wonder how necessary they really are.

 

 

Disclaimer: This post may contain controversial opinions that are not necessarily the same as those of readers. I’m not here to talk about clowns, witches, or wizards. This post is strictly about non-human creatures. 

 

 

Natural Monsters

 

You don’t have to go far to find a monster in the natural world, and I’m not just talking about the spider living under your bed. (Please don’t freak out! I don’t know where the spiders live in your house.) And when I say natural, most of the monsters in this section are fictional. 

 

One particular monster that makes for some interesting stories are kelpies, a Scottish mythical creature also referred to as the water horse. Doesn’t sound familiar? The Loch Ness monster is one such beast based off kelpies. Aside from The Water Horse, I haven’t found a decent story about the Loch Ness monster. I now accepting book recommendations.

 

Another collection of monsters based off kelpies include the capaill uisce from The Scorpio Races. (And they’re making a movie! Squee!!! I can finally figure out how to pronounce that name.) Now the capaill uisce aren’t playful like the water horse. If anything, they will eat you. And your sheep. And your parents. How exactly does that make The Scorpio Races such an appealing story? Well, um… it doesn’t. But the terrifying nature of the water horses is such a great metaphor for the ocean. Usually it’s described as peaceful, but oftentimes people forget how dangerous it can be. (Writers, check out Writing about the Ocean.)

 

Another good example of a natural type is the monster from A Monster Calls. Literally, that’s what it’s called—the monster. (Maybe it’s not as original of a name as the capaill uisce, but at least I can spell monster!) While most parents wouldn’t want their kids reading a book about monsters, this one is part narrative, part graphic novel. And it’s not just about a creepy tree, it’s about grief and truth and stories.

 

Arguably, the monster from this book could fall under supernatural monsters, but I have listed him under natural monsters 1) because he is the embodiment of a yew tree and 2) because he does not have many the spiritual connotations aside from grief.

 

You could probably add dragons to this list. Then there’s the debate of which is the real monster—the animal or the human. Most people will go with the human.

 

 

Monsters Made from Experiments

 

Here we start delving more into the darker side of fiction. But I think we can all agree that experimentation to create monsters never ends well.

 

In Frankenstein, the novel’s namesake brings to life a being which he refers to as the Creature or the Monster. Yes, the creature is ugly, but aside from his ugly appearance, he’s not monstrous. Not at first. This book, I’d say is the poor results of what happens when one is called a monster too often—that’s what they become.

 

Yes, arguably, you could say the monster in this book came from a human, or multiple humans, but I have labeled him under experiments as he was not made of his own consent.

 

However, there are experiments that truly are monstrous. Take the mutts in The Hunger Games for example. In the film, they were just mutations bent on killing. In the book, they were made from the bodies of the slain tributes. That’s right. Rue was among them. Talk about creepy.

 

 

Monsters from Humans (or Elves, Hobbits, etc…)

 

Not to be confused with monsters made from experiments, monsters that come from humans or other sentient beings tend to be a willing participant in their change. Of course, there’s going to be some overlap, so feel free to debate my categorization.

 

In The Lord of the Rings, the orcs were once elves, twisted by the darkness. And the Uruk-hai were descended from orcs and trolls. (Yes, I’m going from the movies because I’ve seen them a million times. If you’ve studied the books closer than I have, correct me if I’m wrong.)

 

My main problem with the LotR has always been with the orcs and the Uruk-hai. Sure, the story needs a source of villainy, but can a creature be truly born evil? Spiders aren’t evil. (Though some Tolkien fans might argue differently.) They’re actually beneficial. Likewise, while people can come from horrible backgrounds, that doesn’t mean they all turn out bad.

 

 

Supernatural Monsters

 

Not to be confused with the show Supernatural. I’ve never seen it, and honestly, I never plan to. For me, this category is the most disturbing of all. They don’t just affect the body, but the soul.

 

One particular duology my sister is obsessed with is the Monsters of Verity. The first book, This Savage Song, is filled with three monsters, the Corsai, the Malachai, and the Sunai. And one of the main characters, August, is Sunai who just wants to be human. While the first book is dark, the second book Our Dark Duet is even more so. Though I may not agree with all views in the book, it is an interesting exploration of what it means to be human and what it means to be a “sinner”.

 

But the monsters don’t stop there.

 

Even at age seventeen, the dementors from the Harry Potter series creeped me out. There’s no way I could have read that book when I was thirteen.

 

Perhaps the most terrifying of all fictional monsters was Tash from The Last Battle. When I was a kid, my family and I liked to listen to the radio drama versions of the Chronicles of Narnia. One night, when I couldn’t sleep, I decided to listen to music on my MP3 player. Unfortunately, it was on shuffle, and I just so happened to wake up to the scene where Tash came in. Listening to that part during the day is creepy enough. I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

 

Do monsters belong in fiction? I’d have to say, yes. Often, creatures may point out the monstrous in ourselves. The main concern is the level of fascination. How does one read about monsters without becoming obsessed them? Like with any fiction, some discernment is required. Before you hand a book off to a child or friend, know their maturity levels. And don’t be afraid to talk about the book’s content.

 

Again, these categories are not definitive. After all, how would you classify werewolves, and are they animal or humanoid? Often when it comes to monsters and fantasy, they blend the familiar into something entirely new. For a good example of a book that attempts to classify animals in a particular fantasy world Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a good example.

 

Looking for more monstrous books? Other monsters not mentioned in this post include, but are not limited to the Fae in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (long but worth it, historical fantasy), the yellow spotted lizards in Holes (not a creepy book, MG contemporary), Grievers in The Maze Runner (semi-creepy, YA dystopian), the Satan and his demons from Paradise Lost (classic literature, poetry), the demons from This Present Darkness (supernatural thriller), and the Sheolites from The Remnants trilogy (YA dystopian/fantasy).

 

Let’s chat! Which is your favorite monster from fiction? Are there any I left out? What’s your take on monsters? 

 

***

 

Similar posts: 11 Writerly Fears, Controversy in Fiction: Magic, and Freak: A Riddle Poem

 

Film references: The Water Horse, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, and Supernatural.

 

Literary references: Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Victoria Schwab’s Monsters of Verity duology, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, C. S. Lewis’ The Last Battle, Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Louis Sachar’s Holes, James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Frank E. Peretti’s This Present Darkness, and Lisa T. Bergren’s The Remnants trilogy.

Poem: Ether

Truth: I have favorites among my own poems. This is one of them. I’ve been saving this one for a rainy day. (Read: when I’m so busy editing that I haven’t had energy to write poetry.) As the rain falls when I type, and as this poem relates to weather and bright colors, I thought it fitting. Yet while this may be a poem about gray skies, it is not necessarily about autumn. It could apply to any season, really.

“That’s why Camilla and I got married,” said Denniston as they drove off. “We both like Weather. Not this or that kind of weather, but just Weather. It’s a useful taste if one lives in England.” (That Hideous Strength)

I wrote this piece while I was studying in England. It happened to be another cloudy day. Surprise, surprise. I was sick of the clouds and desperate for sunshine. Until I sat down to write. I decided to choose a new perspective, to put a twist on the typical attitude of “gray skies are depressing”. So if you happen to be feeling down about the weather, if it’s too cold outside to feel the kiss of the sun, if it’s too wet to go for a walk, this one’s for you. Take a step back. Read a good book. Make yourself a cup of tea. And, as always, enjoy a poem.

Ether

The sky is on default—a blank slate, a whiteboard—

What will you write? A sonnet of romance—

of the enchanted way the petals of water kiss your face?

Or a sarcastic comment on how horrid the weather is—

Bother, should have stayed inside!—damp, grey?

Before the water waltzes down, the white sky mimics

your imagination—an empty computer screen.

How will you personalize it? Set it with a picture

of a roaring waterfall in the lush Amazon?

Or a rotund retriever shaking the last bits of water away?

The red brick structures rise up like icons on your screen,

but no matter how many folders you open,

no matter how deep you go,

the blank slate will remain in the background, watching,

waiting for you to return to see its straight face.

Don’t just greet the powder blue skies and sunshine

bursting like a ripe orange—a grapefruit!—

for it’s the white canvases stretched across the earth

that holds the most potential for a painting.

***

Let’s chat! What’s your take on weather? Do you enjoy cloudy days or sunny ones? Or both? Which place, in your opinion, has the most stereotypical “dismal” weather?

Similar poems: Cathedral, Shadows, and Riptide

Character Types: The Bookworm

How do you make readers happy?

Give them books. Give them more books. Give them books with characters who like to read. Throw a gift certificate to their favorite bookstore at their face. Gift them a library card. Leave them behind in a bookstore. Lock them in a library. Give them books. Leave them alone while they’re reading the last fifty pages the whole book.

I’m sensing a pattern here…

Today, I’m here to write about the bookworm as a fictional character!

For my examples, I’ll be drawing from some of the main characters in Fahrenheit 451, the Inkworld trilogy, Anne of Green Gables, and The Book Thief. Please note that the characters in these books do not include all the fictional bookworms. Here are just a couple traits common for fictional bookworms:

1)      They tend to be counter-cultural.

Before he even discovers the joy of reading (after burning so many books), Guy Montag (Fahrenheit 451) enjoys going for walks in a world that is obsessed with speed and driving. In a world where reading is illegal, once he discovers how eye-opening reading can be, he practically gives up his life for books. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is.

But let’s face it, bookworms, if your house was on fire, how many of your books would you try to save?

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” (Fahrenheit 451)

Liesel Memminger (The Book Thief) first discovers her love for reading by stealing a book from a grave digger. And she continued to steal books, even saving one from a fire built by the Nazis to destroy books they didn’t agree with.

Okay, so you and I might have more ordinary bookworm origins. Perhaps your parents read to you when you were a child, your teacher introduced you to your favorite book, or you checked out a lot of books from the library. Either way, books can be eye-opening, and they teach readers to be more empathetic.

2)      They’re dreamers.

Mortimer “Mo” Folchart passed on his bookish appreciation to his daughter, Meggie. But Meggie doesn’t just want to read books. She wants to live in them. And she soon finds she gets more than she bargained for when she starts meeting characters her father once read out of a book.

“Her curiosity was too much for her [Meggie]. She felt almost as if she could hear the books whispering on the other side of the half-open door. They were promising her a thousand unknown stories, a thousand doors into worlds she had never seen before.” (Inkheart)

Like Meggie, Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) can often be found with her nose in a book or dream up stories. She even gets into trouble at school for reading Ben Hur during class, and more than once, her wild imagination gets her in trouble, whether its spraining her ankle by falling off a roof or by getting stuck in a sinking boat in the middle of a pond. But it’s still enjoyable to read about someone with such an imagination!

“Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them—that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.” (Anne of Green Gables)

3)      They’re easy to relate with.

Meggie Folchart carries books with her when she travels. I usually take along at least five books whenever I go anywhere—one to read, a backup in case I finish the first, my journal, a notebook for story ideas, and my Bible. Meggie carries even more, at least twelve. If that’s not admirable, I don’t know what is.

“‘What on earth have you packed in here? Bricks?’ asked Mo as he carried Meggie’s book-box out of the house.“‘You’re the one who says books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them,’ said Meggie.” (Inkheart)

On the other hand, Anne often struggles with being stereotyped whether it is for her red hair or her talkative nature. And people misspell her name.

“But if you call me Anne, please call me Anne with an ‘e’.” (Anne of Green Gables)

Dear Anne, try having my name. I’ve been called Aslan, Ashlyn, and even Ashley. How is that even remotely close to Azelyn? When you have the rare character who points out how often their name is misspelled, such as Anne, it’s easy to relate.

4)      They tend to inspire people to live better.

Except for Guy Montag. I don’t remember him being a very admirable character.

Mo, on the other hand, works as a book binder, treating his books with care and doing his best to look out for his daughter.

Likewise, Anne’s imagination may run off with her, but she taught many people in her neighborhood to love and be more accepting of the unusual. And most of all, she taught me to dream.

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive—it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?” (Anne of Green Gables)

Finally, Liesel looks beyond stereotypes and her culture’s expectations and shows not only a care for books but also for people.

Other book-obsessive characters include, but are not limited to, Mr Norrell, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell; Marie-Laure, All the Light We Cannot See; Cadence, We Were Liars; Cress, The Lunar Chronicles; Kvothe, The Kingkiller Chronicles; Claus, Series of Unfortunate Events; and Aibileen, The Help.

Petition to authors: We need more male bookworms. Seriously, though. Why are most of the bookworms in fiction female? That’s not fair to all the guys in the world who like to read!

As a bookworm, I enjoy reading about bookworms. Sometimes, I even find my favorite characters giving me book recommendations.

Speaking of bookworms, the print edition of Last of the Memory Keepers is out! Be sure to add it on Goodreads and get your copy on Amazon. 

Let’s chat! Who are your favorite bookworms in fiction? Did I miss any? Have you ever been left behind or locked in a library or bookstore? What’s your most memorable experience as bookworm? 

***

Similar Posts: Bring the Book, The First Fifty Pages, and Do What YOU Enjoy

Literary references: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Cornelia Funke’s Inkworld trilogy, L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Lew Wallace’s Ben Hur, Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars, Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles, Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles, Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help

Just Breathe: Novel Announcement and Beta Readers Wanted!

Good news, everybody! I’m almost always working on my next novel, and while some of them don’t make the cut to revisions, this next one did! Announcing: Just Breathe, a contemporary fantasy for young adults! (The title is likely to change, especially since Just Breathe is a common book name according to Goodreads. But for now, I don’t have anything better. Suggestions are welcome!)

Update: Just Breathe has been renamed to Origami Swan.

Agatha Jordan never expected a used car for her graduation any more than she expected to get stranded in the middle of a corn field during its first drive. She heads to the nearest town in the hopes of calling a tow truck and covering it all up. But the nearest town is abandoned, and there’s more to the Midwest than ghost towns—there’s the North American Labyrinth, the legendary home of the lost. And Agatha finds herself stuck within its never-ending walls where ordinary physics don’t seem to apply.

Determined to escape, Agatha takes paths that will take her to the Pool of Reflection and the Riddle Square to the Summer Inn and the Maze Market. Along the way, she meets with peers and con artists and struggles to separate myth and reality. Because ultimately, before she can leave the Labyrinth, she must confront her past before she can choose her future. 

1. Why am I writing this novel in particular?

One of the questions I always get tired of people asking is “What are you going to do next?” Sometimes, I don’t know. And that’s okay. I don’t have to have all the answers. Neither does my protagonist, even though she may want to. 

The Labyrinth in this story is known as the home of the lost. When people, specifically those in North America, don’t know what they’re going to do next in their lives, one way or another, they end up in the Labyrinth. Sure, such metaphors can only go so far, but they make for interesting stories. I’ve drawn from elements both real and imaginary, mashed them together, and experimented with how they might react. 

For example, what would a farmer’s market look like in the confines of three-foot wide passageways? How does technology respond within a parallel dimension? And how does a mythical place from Ancient Greece end up in the Midwest in the first place? 

2. Why is this novel important to me?

This novel has to be the hardest story I’ve ever done. Not because of the amount of the research that’s had to go into it, and not even because of the plot points. This novel has been the hardest because it’s so close to my heart. Like me, Agatha struggles with anxiety. And while I’ve put a fantastical twist on her panic attacks—this is fantasy, after all—they have been hard to write because they’re so personal. 

3. Why am I the one to write this novel?

In order to write this book, I’ve not only done research on anxiety, but I’ve had to draw from my own fears and insecurities. Although I’ve never had a panic attack that’s nearly as intense as Agatha’s, that doesn’t make them any less impactful. Every time I wrote such scenes, I had to take a step back and do something uplifting, like take a walk, read a book, or talk to a friend. 

I’ve touched on depression before in Last of the Memory Keepers, but Just Breathe deals with mental illness on a deeper level. 

Beta readers wanted! 

Update: I am currently in the querying stage of this novel, so I am not looking for beta readers at this time.

Do you enjoy reading contemporary fantasy? Does the book blurb interest you? Would you like to read a book before it gets published and have your name added to the acknowledgements? Then beta reading is for you! 

I’m currently looking for 3-5 more beta readers for my novel. If you’re interested in becoming a beta reader for Just Breathe, please get in touch. If you want to serve as a beta reader, please answer the following questions. They’re just a way for me to get to know you as a reader before I send you my latest draft. 

• Do you subscribe to the Word Storm Newsletter? (Recommended, not required.) 
• Are you a writer? If yes, what have you written/published? Do you have a blog? (Recommended, not required.)
• What are your favorite genres? List three of the best books you’ve read this year. 
• Are you willing to commit 6-10 hours of unpaid reading to an unpublished novel? 
• Why do you want to be a beta reader for Just Breathe? (e.g. I know somebody with/have experience with mental illness. OR I’m a book blogger. Etc…)

Once you’ve got all your responses, please send them to me on Facebook, Twitter, or at word.storm.blog@gmail.com

***

Similar posts: Last of the Memory Keepers: Series Announcement and Anxiety, Depression, and Literature: Studying Abroad in England

Let’s chat! What did you think of the book blurb for Just Breathe? Is this the kind of novel you would like to read? Do you have any alternate title suggestions? What are some of your favorite contemporary fantasies?

Controversy in Fiction: Christianity vs. Intellectualism

Last year, I started a mini-series called Controversy in Fiction. Each post can stand alone and discusses a fiction-related topic with differing, often controversial opinions. Now I’m here to continue the discussion, starting off with a couple things that I’m particularly passionate about—Christianity and intellectualism.

Observation

Before the separation of church and state, there was the separation of church and science. The main principle behind the separation was that religious beliefs should not determine the principles of science. As a Christian, I firmly believe in creationism, and I’ve always been curious, particularly when it comes to science, psychology, and literature.

But today, it’s incredibly hard to be a Christian and an intellect simultaneously, especially when a lot of non-Christians claim that in order to have faith, one must be stupid. It’s almost as though Christianity and intellectualism are pitted against each other. Faith versus fact. Is it possible to be religious and intellectual simultaneous?

Disclaimer: This post may contain controversial opinions that are not necessarily the same as those of readers. While my personal experiences come from a Christian perspective, I have done my best to remain objective and mean no offense. Similarly, I do not claim to know everything, but I have done my best to research this topic.

 Hypothesis: Life is Short

In light of the age of the Earth, whether you believe it’s several thousand years old or several billion, an individual lifespan is minuscule in comparison. One such quote about life comes from one of its most memorable villains:

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,And then is heard no more. It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.”(Macbeth, Macbeth)

In life, many people search for meaning. But it’s not always so easy to find. While secularists’ opinions on the meaning of life may differ (and I cannot claim to know their opinions), Christians tend to view life as a means to serve God by loving and serving Him and loving and serving their fellow humans.

But despite their belief in purpose, Christians may still experience doubt. Take the book of Job for example. In this particular book in the Bible, the book’s namesake, Job, though a righteous man, loses everything, his belongings, his children, his health. Instead of comforting him, his friends berate him, claiming he must have sinned for God to punish him. According to David Bevington’s The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Macbeth’s speech contains several “biblical echoes” including passages from Psalms and Job. For example—

“Mortals, born of woman,are of few days and full of trouble.They spring up like flowers and wither away;like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.”(Job, Job 14:1-2)

Whether you’re a Christian or not, men and women both die. Life is short. But that’s not to say that we cannot live without purpose. What is yours?

 Evidence: The Progression of Providence

I enjoy BBC’s adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I really do. But in a way, I hope it ends with the fourth season. While Season 3 had a lot of people questioning Sherlock’s overly emotional state, Season Season 4 had me cringing, A LOT, especially when it came to the negative portrayal of religion.

John: Godfather. We’d like you to be godfather.
Sherlock: God is a ludicrous fiction dreamt up by inadequates who abnegate all responsibility to an invisible magic friend.
(Sherlock, “The Six Thatchers”)

While Sherlock and Mycroft may not get along, they sure share a lot of opinions when it comes to religion.

Mycroft: Heaven may be a fantasy for the credulous and the afraid. But I can give you a map reference for hell.
(Sherlock, “The Final Problem”)

That’s not even including what Moriarty had to say on the matter of religion.

The Holmes brothers do not believe in a God or an afterlife. Fine. I don’t have to agree with everything they say. But it seems like BBC ignores some of the aspects of Sherlock Holmes’ original character—namely, his agnosticism. Rather than claiming a particular religion let alone a belief in a Christian God, the Holmes in Doyle’s books advocated for science and deduction but was open to the possibility of religion.

“‘My dear fellow,’ said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, ‘life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generation, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.’”(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, “The Case of Identity”)

If one of the world’s smartest detectives could acknowledge that man couldn’t come up with everything, what’s to say other people couldn’t agree with him?

“‘There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,’ said [Holmes], leaning with his back against the shutters. ‘It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.’”(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, “The Naval Treaty”)

If you ask me, I would say writers have always adapted Sherlock Holmes to their times and their own beliefs. According to Professor Richard J. Evans, most Victorians “believed that the Bible was the best, indeed in many cases the only guide to a moral life.” But as more discoveries were made, more and more people have come to doubt religion and instead put their faith in the sciences.

“Yet in the longer run, the greatest threat to faith was to be posted by science. […] whether Darwin liked it or not, the popular debate on his theory of evolution pitted evolutionism was pitched against creationism, facts against faith.” (“The Victorians: Religion and Science”)

A lot of contemporary literature portrays a doubt in the supernatural. Take The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (yes, the title is a tribute to a Sherlock Holmes story). The protagonist, Christopher, has low functioning autism and is a genius when it comes to mathematics and doesn’t believe in God or heaven.

“And people who believe in God think God has put human beings on earth because they think human beings are the best animal, but human beings are just an animal and they will evolve into another animal, and that animal will be cleverer and it will put human beings into a zoo, like we put chimpanzees and gorillas into a zoo. Or human beings will all catch a disease and die out or they will make too much pollution and kill themselves, and then there will only be insects in the world and they will be the best animal.”(Christopher Boone, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

Even though I tend to enjoy reading books about characters with autism, I had a hard time connecting with this book. While it portrayed low functioning autism in a fairly realistic manner, it became tedious, and there didn’t seem to be any hope throughout the narrative.

Another contemporary example of fiction that portrays a contrast between science and faith is the show Scorpion. I’ve only been able to watch the first season so far, but in the Christmas episode, Walter, who has an IQ of 197, is talking with his sister Megan, who is “average” and is dying from multiple sclerosis. Walter doesn’t believe in miracles, just science. But Megan wants to believe in miracles, and ultimately tells her brother that she believes in him.

Can a person’s actions be a miraculous? Why not?

If you’ve noticed a trend in my examples, yes, I have selected fictional characters with a high IQ. But with a high IQ, there tends to be a low EQ (emotional quota, according to Scorpion). I have no idea what my IQ is, but from my ability to empathize easily with other people, I wouldn’t call myself a genius. I’m probably just average.

Conclusion: Christian Intellectuals

In general, a person with a higher EQ tends to be more open to the spiritual. Most people are not reasoned into believing in a religion. C. S. Lewis is perhaps the exception, for he was reasoned into his belief in God from a conversation he had with J. R. R. Tolkien. Today, Lewis is regarded as a creative genius and serves as one of the great Christian writers of the 20^th century.

Lewis also tended to be very skilled in logic, and his stories tend to be clear. In his novel, The Screwtape Letters, written from the perspective of a demon named Screwtape giving advice to his nephew Wormwood, it appears that he supports the sciences as well.

“Thanks to the process which we set at work in them centuries ago, they [humans] find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things. Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defense against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can’t touch and see.”

(Screwtape, The Screwtape Letters, “Letter I”)

Sure, it’s difficult to get a sense of what Screwtape means by “the real sciences” as opposed to false ones without examining the rest of Lewis’ writings. But he was not one to shirk away from facts.

When it comes to the Bible itself, both the learned and uneducated men act as apostles of Jesus Christ. Peter was a mere fisherman and uneducated yet he quoted from the Old Testament.

“Now when they [the Jews] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, NKJV)

Another one of the writers of the New Testament, Paul, was a tentmaker and a scholar, taught in the ways of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day.

“I [Paul] am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictest of our fathers’ law and was zealous toward God as you all are today.” (Acts 22:3)

According to Scripture, both the educated and the uneducated may be Christians. You don’t have to have a degree or be an elitist. Similarly, you don’t have to be ignorant to have faith. To say that all Christians are uneducated is to discount those who have higher education degrees, whether it be a BA or a PhD.

Perhaps one of the best arguments I heard for an intellectual’s belief in God was during my senior year at Evangel University. I attended an open lecture on science, and the professor drew a venn diagram on the board, one circle representing facts we know, the other facts we don’t know. “Is it possible,” he said, “for God to exist in realm of what we don’t know?”

In conclusion, yes, it is possible to be religious and intellectual simultaneously. It may be rare, but possible. The main principle is to keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t back down from answers that might scar you. After all, as I’ve cited one of my favorite quotes before:

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” (Aristotle, Metaphysics)

***

Similar Posts: Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction and Magic

Film references: Sherlock and Scorpion

Literary references: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, David Bevington’s The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and the Bible (New King James Version)

Let’s chat! What’s your take on faith and science? Do you believe it’s possible to be both an intellectual and a Christian? What are some of your favorite stories, in film or books, that address science and faith?