A Question About Fantasy - ‘n Vraag oor fantasie

(Afrikaanse teks volg)

A while ago I placed a question to my fellow Anomalians over at Where the Map Ends. It read as follows:


Hi everyone,

I've been wondering about this for quite some time, and don't really know of the best answer that I can give to people (Christian or not) when they have questions for me.

See, there's quite a lot of people that seem to believe if you like fantasy (or sci-fi, for that matter) that you can't be a Christian. Now, I know that we all know that this just isn't true, but what is the best way to explain this to people?

I have a few friends that just see fairy tales or even just witchcraft and the dark arts and think that, because I like fantasy, that I dabble in those things.

I've told them to read some of my stuff if they're worried - if dark arts are mentioned it's the "baddies" that use it, not the hero. A lot of the stories in my worlds (like Airthai) evolve along the lines of power and good and evil and how to resist "bad" power. For me it makes sense that the hero/in has to be up against big odds, otherwise it's not worth it.


I hope this makes sense!

Marsh

I am sure I’m not the only one to have struggled with this. The literature of my mother tongue (Afrikaans) also does not really have much fantasy or sci-fi to offer and although other mythologies (mostly Classical) are sometimes used in the literature, there is no high or epic fantasy that I know of at all. When starting my Master’s degree about the influence of Norse myths on Afrikaans literature, I soon found out that I needed to branch it out to include Dutch literature as well to have enough texts to study! Even just doing this study had people asking me whether I believe in those gods and when I turned away from Christ!

So, when you’re a Christian fantasy writer… And you use myths to prove a point or make up your own myths… What do you tell people?

I received this wonderful answer from Sean Rackley which I wanted to share with others who may be in the same boat as I am:
The way I handle this question is to encourage those in discussion with me to see Jesus' parables as spec-fic. Then, the leap to fantasy or sci-fi is not so huge. Jesus related Truth to a dying world through stories (I often wonder if they were true stories given their author, but I digress) that they can relate to. He taught an agricultural society using mostly agricultural stories (a farmer sowing seed, e.g.).
Our audience is familiar with things vastly different from agriculture (so, the parable of the sower could be told as a colonizing, terraforming society with different results on different planets or as a knight who actively defends his realm from the seed-stealing birds, rocks, and thorns that just happen to resemble dragons, golems, and dark elves--with pointy arrows). Throw in some necessary plot elements to make it more than a few paragraphs and viola!--a story is born.
People still don't always agree, but at those times I remind myself that God hasn't called me to argue why I write, just to write. Even if I'm the only person who comes closer to God through my fiction and poetry, then I've done my job.

***

‘n Ruk gelede het ek ‘n vraag aan my mede Anomaliane gestel op Where the Map Ends. Dit lees as volg:




Hallo almal,


Ek wonder al ‘n ruk hieroor en ek weet nooit regtig wat is die beste antwoord wat ek vir mense (Christen of nie) kan gee wanneer hulle vir my vrae het nie.

Sien, daar is nogal baie mense wat blykbaar glo dat, wanneer jy van fantasie (of wetenskapsfiksie) hou jy nie ‘n Christen kan wees nie. Nou, ek weet óns almal weet dat dit net nie waar is nie, maar wat is die beste manier om dit aan mense te verduidelik?

Ek het ‘n paar vriende wat slegs feëverhale of selfs net heksery en die bose sien en dink dat, omdat ek van fantasie hou, ek myself met daardie soort goed besig hou.

Ek het al aan hulle gesê om van my goed te lees indien hulle bekommerd is – indien bose en heksery genoem word is dit die “slegte ouens” wat dit gebruik, nié die held nie. Baie van die stories in my wêrelde (soos Airthai) ontwikkel ook langs die lyne van goed en sleg en hoe om “slegte” mag te weerstaan. Vir my maak dit sin dat die held/-in teen groot struikelblokke te staan moet kom, want anders is dit nie die moeite werd nie.


Ek hoop dit maak sin!


Marsh


Ek is seker ek is nie die enigste een wat al hiermee gesukkel het nie. Die literatuur van my moedertaal (Afrikaans) het ook nie veel fantasie of wetenskapsfiksie nie en alhoewel ander mitologieë (meestal Klassiek) soms in die letterkunde gebruik word, is daar geen hoë of epiese fantasie wat ek van weet nie. Toe ek my Meestersgraad oor die invloed van Noorse mites op die Afrikaanse literatuur begin het, het ek gou gevind dat ek dit moet uitbrei om Nederlandse letterkunde ook in te sluit sodat ek genoeg tekste het om te studeer! En selfs net met hierdie studie het mense my al gevra of ek in daardie gode glo en wanneer ek weggedraai het van Christus af!


Dus, wanneer jy ‘n Christelike fantasie-skrywer is… en jy mites gebruik om ‘n punt te bewys of jou eie mites opmaak… wat sê jy aan hierdie mense?


Ek het hierdie wonderlike antwoord van Sean Rackley ontvang wat ek graag met ander wat dalk in dieselfde bootjie as ek sit wil deel:


Die manier waarop ek hierdie vraag hanteer is om dié wat ook aan die gesprek deelneem Jesus se vergelykings as spekulatiewe fiksie te sien. Dan is die sprong na fantasie en wetenskapsfiksie nie so groot nie. Jesus het die Waarheid aan ‘n sterwende wêreld verkondig deur stories te gee waarby hulle kon aanklank vind (ek wonder soms of die stories nie waar is nie as mens kyk na wie die outeur is, maar ek dwaal nou van onderwerp af). Hy het byvoorbeeld ‘n landbougemeenskap geleer deur meestal lanboustories te gebruik (soos byvoorbeeld ‘n boer wat saad saai).
Die manier waarop ek hierdie vraag hanteer is om dié wat ook aan die gesprek deelneem Jesus se vergelykings as spekulatiewe fiksie te sien. Dan is die sprong na fantasie en wetenskapsfiksie nie so groot nie. Jesus het die Waarheid aan ‘n sterwende wêreld verkondig deur stories te gee waarby hulle kon aanklank vind (ek wonder soms of die stories nie waar is nie as mens kyk na wie die outeur is, maar ek dwaal nou van onderwerp af). Hy het byvoorbeeld ‘n landbougemeenskap geleer deur meestal lanboustories te gebruik (soos byvoorbeeld ‘n boer wat saad saai).
Ons gehoor is bekend met dinge ver verwyderd van landbou (dus kan die vergelyking van die saaier oorvertel word as ‘n kolonialiserende gemeenskap wat terraforming uitvoer met verskillende resultate op verskillende planete, of as ‘n ridder wat sy ryk beskerm teen voëls wat saad steel, klippe en dorings wat per toeval drake, golems en donker elwe – met gepunte pyle is). Gooi ‘n paar nodige storie elemente in om dit meer as ‘n paar paragrawe lank te maak en voila! – ‘n storie is gebore.
Mense stem steeds nie altyd ooreen nie, maar op daardie tye herinner ek myself daaraan dat God my nie geroep het om te stry hoekom ek skryf nie, net om te skryf. Selfs indien ek die enigste person is wat nader aan God deur my fiksie en poësie kom het ek my werk gedoen.

My Personal Guide to Keeping Sane

I’ve decided to make this week’s post about links that I use or which keeps me sane. This can be through giving me a good laugh when I need one, helping me to better my writing, getting me in touch with others in my field or simply providing some beautiful art to look at.


When writing…

As an inspiring writing, I’m always looking for hints and tips about writing better. I am a big fan of Brandon Sanderson (Elantris, Mistborn, Way of Kings) and Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary) and I also listen to their weekly podcast called Writing Excuses. Not only do they give great advice, but it also focuses on speculative fiction!

When working…

As a full-time Language Practitioner, I love to hear what other people in my field have to say and there are quite a few blogs out there by very talented translators and editors which is delightful to receive in your RSS feed. Rantings of a sub-editor had me and my fellow language-people at work in stitches last week – and just goes to show how a small error can go terribly wrong… Also check out Musings from an overworked translator and Translating is an Art.

My love of language also gets fed by Anatoly Lieberman’s weekly blog over at Oxford University Press. Check out the OUP Dictionary and Lexicography RSS feeds if you love language. The Western religion RSS feed is also fascinating.

A ray of beauty every day…

I stumbled upon Gennine’s Art Blog about two months ago and find her art an inspiration every day.

A good laugh a day keeps the doctor away…

There are two daily web comics which I follow and which makes me have a good laugh. The one is Schlock Mercenary and the other is Surviving the World. Check them out, but beware – they are addictive!

A Fantasy Map, a Family Tree and Far Too Many Ideas

Or, So Far So Good for 2011


I can’t believe that it’s almost the middle of January already! At least I’ve now scanned the map for “A Dragon’s Freedom” and will put it up on a separate page. It is only one corner of Airthai and the map I’ve finished for the second part of the story shows a lot more detail. The working title is “The Price of Freedom” and follows Nasja’s journey once he gets home and tries to leave the happenings of Guldargan behind him. But the king of Guldargan and the crown prince have some other ideas and schemes up their sleeves. Nasja did after all spoil (and foil) their plans.

Ek kan nie glo dat dit al byna die middel van Januarie is nie! Ten minste het ek nou die kaart vir “A Dragon’s Freedom” gekopieer en sal dit op ‘n aparte bladsy plaas. Dit wys net een hoekie van Airthai en die kaart vir die tweede deel van die storie wys baie meer detail. Die werkstitel is “The Price of Freedom” en volg Nasja se reis wanneer hy by die huis kom en probeer om dit wat in Guldargan gebeur het, agter te laat. Maar die koning van Guldargan en die kroonprins voer ‘n paar ander idees in die mou. Nasja hét tog hulle planne in die wiele gery.

At the same time I’m making good use of my creative diary as it seems I can’t have enough ideas. I even got a great idea for a new fantasy story (still in Airthai, but in the Sundered Lands a couple of centuries after “A Dragon’s Freedom”) while in church! As the scripture were read the story just popped into my head. I quickly made a cell phone note as soon as the service was finished and I could turn my phone back on.

Terselfdertyd maak ek goed gebruik van my kreatiewe dagboek en ek kan nie voorbly met idees nie. Ek het selfs ‘n goeie idée vir ‘n nuwe fantasie storie gekry (steeds in Airthai, maar in die Sundered Lands ‘n paar eeue na “A Dragon’s Freedom”) terwyl ek in die kerk was! Terwyl ons die skrifgedeelte lees toe spring die storie net in my kop in. Ek het darem ‘n nota op my selfoon kon maak na die diens en toe ek weer my foon kon aanskakel.

I have been spending a lot of time on my studies as well and have now decided to rather draw the Norse mythology family tree by hand as I can’t seem to find a proper template for such a jumbled tree and it also has to be in Afrikaans. This weekend will be a study-fest as I want to give the first chapter to my study leaders next week. I am also stocked up on tea, easy to make meals and enough post-it notes for an army!

Ek het ook baie tyd aan my studies spandeer en het nou maar besluit om die stamboom van die Noorse mitologie met die hand te teken; aangesien ek nie ‘n ordentlike templaat vir so ‘n deurmekaar stamboom kan vind nie en dit ook in Afrikaans moet wees. Hierdie naweek gaan ek net aan my studies spandeer aangesien ek die eerste hoofstuk volgende week aan my studieleiers wil gee. Ek het genoeg tee, etes wat maklik aangemaak geslaan kan word en plaknotas vir Afrika!

There is a translation project that I’ll be working on until April, which I will be doing some nights and weekends and which I’m really looking forward to. It is some literary translation, which is exactly what I studied and I am thrilled to get a chance to do this so early in my career. So it will be a rough couple of months, but months I am very much looking forward to!

Daar is ‘n vertalingprojek wat tot April sal duur en waaraan ek tot April sal werk party aande en naweke, en waarna ek baie uitsien. Dit is ‘n literêre vertaling, wat presies is wat ek studeer het en waaroor ek in die wolke is dat ek so vroeg in my loopbaan ‘n kans kry om dit te doen. Dit gaan beslis ‘n rowwe paar maande wees, maar maande waarna ek vreeslik uitsien!

A New Start! / 'n Nuwe begin!

A new start, a new year, a new chance to ‘get it right’. I have heard some resolutions for 2011, read some resolutions and even made some resolutions. The most important to me is that I want to grow in faith and grow closer to God. I want to serve Him in everything I do.


‘n Nuwe begin, ‘n nuwe jaar, ‘n nuwe kans om dit ‘reg te doen’. Ek het al ‘n paar nuwejaarsvoornemens vir 2011 gehoor, ‘n paar gelees en ook self ‘n paar gemaak. Die belangrikste een vir my is dat ek in my geloof en nader aan God wil groei. Ek wil Hom dien in alles wat ek doen.

Foremost in my working life will be work on my Masters Degree. After a very bumpy start I simply have to get down and write, research, write some more and spend days locked in a high tower with only my study materials and study music for company. No princes or heroes will be allowed near the tower to steal me away! Mwahaha!

Voorop in my werkslewe sal werk aan my Meestersgraad wees. Na ‘n onstuimige begin moet ek met ‘n stink spoed skryf, navors, nog skryf en dae lank opgesluit in ‘n toring sit met net my studie materiaal en studie musiek vir geselskap. Geen prinse of helde sal naby die toring toegelaat word om my weg te raap nie! Mwahaha!

But while that does not mean that I do not want to better my writing, it does mean that I have to cut out any needless dawdling. One of my main resolutions is to spend less time in shopping centers – it is far too easy to get side-tracked with three book shops in the vicinity!

Maar alhoewel dit beteken nie dat ek nie ook my skryfvaardighede wil verbeter nie, beteken dit wel dat ek nodelose voetslepery moet uitsluit. Een van my resolusies is om minder tyd by winkelsentrums deur te bring – dit is veels te maklik om die pad byster te raak met drie boekwinkels in die omtrek!

May everyone have a blessed 2011!

Mag ‘n ieder en ‘n elk ‘n geseënde 2011 hê!