I actually like the rain; not for itself so much as for the ripples it makes in my life: hot chocolate and sweaters and blankets and armchairs— they all fall into place by the third week of September, with the patter of water on pavement. New seasons, they say, are a blessing, reorienting rhythms of … Continue reading Autumn Rain
Author: Steven Gomez
I And Thou: Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness”
Science fiction as we know it was born in the 1930s and 40s, a time of social and political crisis for many in the world. When people weren't certain if they would see tomorrow, stories about the future often became an outlet for the fears and concerns of the present. Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, for … Continue reading I And Thou: Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness”
Particular Friends
In a corner of my bookshelf, stacked to save space, is a series of books by Patrick O’Brian. They don’t have a collective title, usually being referred to simply as the Aubrey-Maturin series after the names of the two lead characters. Set in the very early 1800s and spanning some sixteen years, the books follow … Continue reading Particular Friends
Responses II
There are things I keep hearing said, mantras repeated like assumptions, and taken so for granted that we don't realize how we're indoctrinating ourselves against a different way of thinking. Over time I've come to develop responses in my head to some of these mantras, and to other things I hear in passing conversation. I … Continue reading Responses II
The Communion of Saints – Out Now!
I'm pleased to announce that my first, self-published book is now available to buy online! The Communion of Saints: Stories in the Christian Gothic was my final project in my Master of Arts program at Regent College, and it's now my first publication. Featuring five short stories tied together by a frame narrative, the book … Continue reading The Communion of Saints – Out Now!
Responses I
There are things I keep hearing said, mantras repeated like assumptions, and taken so for granted that we don't realize how we're indoctrinating ourselves against a different way of thinking. Over time I've come to develop responses in my head to some of these mantras. I decided it was time to start writing them down. … Continue reading Responses I
Spirit And Nature: C.S. Lewis’ “Miracles”
Miracles: A Preliminary Study is C.S. Lewis' third major work of Christian apologetics—and also his last. He became known as an apologist first through The Problem of Pain and then through his radio broadcasts which later became Mere Christianity. Both of these projects were published during the war, and Miracles itself started growing during those … Continue reading Spirit And Nature: C.S. Lewis’ “Miracles”
On Magic And Theology
I have recently finished, for something like the fourth or fifth time, Susanna Clarke's historical fantasy novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. One of my favourite books, it imagines an entire history of magic and fairies in England, a history which by the time of the Napoleonic Wars (when the story is set) has been … Continue reading On Magic And Theology
Men Without Chests: C.S. Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength”
That Hideous Strength, the third book in C.S. Lewis' Cosmic Trilogy, is often noted for being rather different than the first two. It is longer by far, it is set entirely on Earth, and Elwin Ransom is not the main character. But in fact the novel continues exploring many of the themes and ideas already … Continue reading Men Without Chests: C.S. Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength”
As Real As What You Love: C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”
It is difficult, at first, to classify The Great Divorce. On the one hand it isn't a non-fiction work of apologetics or theology. But on the other hand, the story is so slight that it hardly counts as a straightforward novel; certainly the narrative is much less involved than any part of the Cosmic Trilogy … Continue reading As Real As What You Love: C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”
