The Lost Genre Guild: 2/4/07

2/09/2007

Roots in Frozen Generation

By Andrea Graham

I must admit, it made me happy as a lark to get mentioned in Karri Compton’s review of Light at the Edge of Darkness yesterday:

Andrea Graham’s “Frozen Generation” explores the possibility of technology bringing frozen fetuses to term artificially, resulting in humans being used for spare parts. One woman tries to save as many babies as possible by smuggling them away and saving them from an uncertain future.

Bravo to Karri, and everyone else who has found a way to summarize the plot without mentioning abortion or racism. Honestly, with the possible exception of Cyn’s description (the line in the book’s summary about terrorists smuggling frozen embryos), this is the best yet.

I’ve heard many things about my story since we began this crazy quest June 2006, but one of the most consistent comments has been on how I combined the topics of racism and abortion. If the majority rules, the majority opinion has been that I went out on two limbs and managed not to land flat on my rump thirty feet down.

Would you like to know my secret to not crashing and burning big time in this adventure? Yes?

Easy, though in general I land on my rump more than I care to remember, in this case, I wasn’t actually standing on the two visible branches, but the shared root.

In America, racism originates from slavery, of course (it could be argued the other way around but I mean historically here) and what makes a human being a person with rights versus property with no rights, but rather subject to the will of the master.

Regardless of where you stand on abortion, the question at the root of the debate is what makes a human being a person with rights versus property with no rights, but rather subject to the will of the master. Only the particulars differ. In this case, the what is normally a temporary condition, being located in side the mother’s womb, the holder of power is the mother, and we prefer terms like “product of conception” rather than that hideous word “property,” but when a woman makes the claim, “it’s my body, it’s my choice” whether you agree with that logic or not, that is certainly a claim to property rights, with the emphasis on their supposed right to dispense with their property as they will.

Let me take time to speak to those who make such statements. In "Frozen Generation", by no means do I mean to argue with your claims to such power over the lives of your children. I merely apply the logic of the above argument to potential future technology and ask where your power to dispose of your property ends, should technology offer more lucrative means of disposal than the current options. You’re free to answer the question however you please.

I and other pro-lifers think this scenario is a nightmare, but if you're pro-choice, maybe it’s a dream come true. After all, not only would no one ever again die waiting for an organ transplant, the "wanted" children are protected(in theory) from childhood predators because these non-persons would provide an "appropriate" outlet for their "natural" sexual urges.

If, however, you're just as horrified by such ideas as I am, I leave you to justify to yourself why it’s wrong to artificially grow POCs in a lab and enslave them, etc., but not wrong to slice and dice and throw what’s left in the trash.

But I digress.

Let’s get back to roots. The root of rights of the unborn extend to the root a racism in yet another way, and it’s one few know about, and certain people vehemently deny.

My husband had an excellent piece on this when he answered a challenge to name the Top Ten Worst Americans. It probably won’t surprise you, since he’s my husband, that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger came in at #1 on his list (which means if you go read it you’ll have to scroll a bit.) But his reasons may surprise:

…Sanger established Planned Parenthood with the goal of less "unfit" people breeding, including Blacks and other minorities. Sanger was undeniably a Fascist. She wrote, "Give dysgenic groups [people with 'bad genes'] in our population their choice of segregation or [compulsory] sterilization."

From Sanger sprang out a movement that treats children as a disease and finds the best solution to misery in human life as its destruction.

Julian Malveaux, a hard leftist, concluded that Sanger was a racist:

For all her positive influence, I see Sanger as a tarnished heroine whose embrace of the eugenics movement showed racial insensitivity, at best. From her associates, as well as from some of the articles that were published in Sanger's magazine, The Birth Control Review, it is possible to conclude that "racially insensitive" is too mild a description. Indeed, some of her statements, taken in or out of context, are simply racist. And she never rebuked eugenicists who believed in improving the hereditary qualities of a race or breed by controlling mating in order to eliminate "undesirable" characteristics and promote "desirable" traits.

Words that Sanger used like the "unfit," and "morons," were euphemisms for Blacks and other racial "inferiors" in a racist time. Many of Sanger's associates worked with the Nazis. Today, her group are missionaries of death, spreading it to the four corners of the globe. As for her own attempts at making a master race, of breeding out "the unfit," Planned Parenthood continues to work hard today, as 45% of Black babies die from abortion and 62.5% of Planned Parenthood clinics exist in areas with higher than average Black populations.

Blackgenocide.com adds to the grim statistics:

Minority women constitute only about 13% of the female population (age 15-44) in the United States, but they underwent approximately 36% of the abortions.

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion

On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States.

This incidence of abortion has resulted in a tremendous loss of life. It has been estimated that since 1973 Black women have had about 10 million abortions. Michael Novak had calculated "Since the number of current living Blacks (in the U.S.) is 31 million, the missing 10 million represents an enormous loss, for without abortion, America's Black community would now number 41 million persons. It would be 35 percent larger than it is. Abortion has swept through the Black community like a scythe, cutting down every fourth member."

So not only is Abortion based on the same kind of logic that brought us slavery in America, the current movement began at least partially with racist intent, and to this day continues to be carried out in a racist fashion that targets, and is decimating, the Black community.

And now my secret is out of the bag. Though most have been lauding me for a gymnastics feat of Olympic proportions, it really came quite easily to go out on both limbs at the same time, by keeping in mind the connecting spiritual roots of the two issues, roots that some people are bound to be outraged at me for exposing.

To balance this article out, let me add a couple things. "Frozen Generation" raises questions for pro-lifers, too. One such place is when the narrator, Azura “Mama” Borden, says of herself:

God appointed me to deliver the captives to safety, as Harriet Tubman had in centuries gone by. Only Harriet never hid her passengers in her own womb.

Granted, I only carried six to term. The rest I re-transplanted. Far too many completed their gestation in the artificial womb at my counter-breeder in the Deep South, of all places. It couldn’t be helped. Many would send money to help redeem these precious souls, but few stood up for the greatest need. Carrying them to term.

And the same it is today. Pro-lifers give money to pro-life causes, we even stand with signs and march in the streets. But how many take time to help out a mother who chose to raise her baby rather than kill her? How many adopt? Today, we don’t freeze aborted babies, but we do have thousands of frozen embryos left over from IVF, some of which are awaiting adoptive mothers willing to carry them to term through Nightlight’s Snowflake adoption program. How many of us, if God wanted us to step up, wouldn’t need struck barren before we would even consider it?

The question for pro-lifers is not only, “How far are you willing to go to stand for what you believe in?” but “How far is too far?” This ethical question is also left to the reader to sort out, but can be stated succinctly: in order to save a few babies, Azura Borden participates in the murder of many. Did Azura make the right ethical decision? I know what her argument for so many years was, more are alive as a result of her actions than if she had elected to stay home and do nothing, but I struggled within myself over this issue, and still am uncertain.

One more thing I’d like to leave you with. Those of us on the pro-life side, we all know that abortion is a sin, but what does the mother who had her own children murdered see in our eyes and hear in our words? Murderer? Reprobate? Deep in her heart, though she may deny it, she already knows this. Abortion is psychologically devastating for women. They even have a name for it, Post Abortion Syndrome. It’s true we live in a culture where more and more, we're having to go over the "you are a sinner" thing first; one won't seek forgiveness if they are not consciously aware of the need. But ultimately, the truth that this mother needs to hear is that despite her sin, God still loves her, and will forgive her.

If that’s you, and you haven’t yet drank of the living waters in the cup of forgiveness, please see this list of organizations offering bible studies to show you the way to healing and wholeness.

2/08/2007

Light at the Edge of Darkness, a review by Karri Compton

I’m happy today to promote Light at the Edge of Darkness, a work of Biblical speculative fiction compiled by The Lost Genre Guild and edited by Cynthia MacKinnon of Writers Café Press. The title fits this book of short stories like a glove. These stories guide the way to hope, life, and light—even when things look their darkest.

There’s something for just about everyone in this collection, from sci-fi to fantasy to supernatural thriller and lots in between. Variety married with solid writing makes this a keeper. Discover the true identity of an alien in “Caleb Sees the Light” or enter a house of nightmares in “Guilty.” Travel to the old West in “The Rider” or inside an alien spaceship in “Your Average Ordinary Alien.”

In the first story by A. P. Fuchs, “Undeniable”, Duncan and his son have been imprisoned for their faith and mercilessly tortured on a daily basis. Though they must walk by faith and not by sight, sometimes God gives supernatural sight so that we gain understanding and He gains greater glory. This vivid tale is not for the faint of heart. I found myself tensing and cringing most of the way through.

Karen McSpadden’s dark “Edge of Water” similarly paints a bleak picture of a believer’s future. The author takes us on a journey with two desperate characters, satisfying the reader with a thoughtful and believable ending.

“Seeing Blind” is a wonderful sci-fi/Biblical history piece that ties together a dying alien world and the world in which Jesus walked. Daniel Weaver is definitely an author to watch. I simply loved this story.

My favorite above all was “Fair Balance”, by S. M. Kirkland. Celisa and her brother Cain, at odds with each other from the start, must choose sides when it comes to their family and their faith. I’m a sucker for twists and this one delivers big time.

Andrea Graham’s “Frozen Generation” explores the possibility of technology bringing frozen fetuses to term artificially, resulting in humans being used for spare parts. One woman tries to rescue as many babies as possible by smuggling them away and saving them from an uncertain future.

It’s hard for me to compare this to similar works because I’ve not read many spec-fic short stories, much less an anthology of them. However, I’d say that many of the stories reach the high standard set by today’s “Christian” fiction. Some of the stories were outright strange, and others I didn’t understand. But most had good characters, interesting plots and themes that will make you think far after the last page is turned.

The Lost Genre is not dead—it is alive and kicking. I have no doubt that these talented authors will prove it further. I look forward to more works like this in the future.

2/07/2007

The "dark side" of LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS

As a contributing author for LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS, I'm not going to attempt to sway your opinion of the anthology by praising up my stories or those of the other authors. I believe, as with any good book, you will need to make a decision about it for yourself and that the unbiased individuals offering reviews throughout the world have the responsibility to guide you toward reading it or not in the first place. But, today is a day in the LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS blog tour and it happens to be my day to post, so in sticking with that theme, I'm going to offer up a little more insight into the "dark side."

The three stories I've contributed to LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS are all supernatural suspense stories, or horror to the average reader. Personally, I see a distinct difference between the fiction I write and the horror you would find on your average bookstore's shelves, but discussing that isn't my purpose today, so I'll save that for another day. What I'd like to discuss today is the darkness in LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS.

The concept of good vs evil, light vs darkness is as age-old as day and night. Actually, biblically speaking, perhaps the concept of good vs evil is even older than day vs night (think Lucifer's fall from heaven). Anywho, when writing supernatural suspense, one is, by definition, scribing a tale that incorporates elements of the supernatural or unexplainable within the context of a suspenseful tale. That is exactly what I've set out to do.

TAKEN is a terrible "what if" scenario, as in, what if I woke up inside a house where the crazy inbred inhabitants seemed bent on mutilating me and everyone else who had ended up there with me for no apparent reason? Not a pretty picture. TAKEN isn't a tale of gore, however, it's a tale about choices and outcomes. The choices we make in life determine who we are/will become, and the toughest choices of all are the ones that reveal our true character. To make things more interesting, the main character in TAKEN has an unusual gift and what he chooses to do with it could be the difference between life or death.

SEEING BLIND is a science fiction/supernatural suspense blend that adds and interesting twist to a New Testament Bible story. I won't give away too much, but the story takes place on a dying alien planet where an unusual race of monstrous creatures is about to destroy everything. One man is trying to save what's left while the powers-that-be have allied themselves with the darkness and are bound to forge an unholy alliance. Can one man stop hell from coming to his world?

GUILTY is twisted haunted house tale where nothing is quite what it seems. Guilt is one of those things that clings to many people, that weighs them down and follows them into the most secret places. Couple guilt with grief and anything is possible. In GUILTY, anything becomes reality to nightmarish proportions. GUILTY is the most "graphic" of my tales in the sense of any kind of gore or disturbing imagery. But carefully examined, every image, every moment is merely a reflection of the character whose story you share.

All three of these tales start off in dark places. These characters, each with different reasons and life experiences, are all at a place from which their lives can't get much darker. In some cases, they've abandoned the light. In other cases, they've never known the light. Regardless, I have intentionally pitted them in dark, dark places.

Why you might ask? Because it is human nature to turn for help and open ourselves to the supernatural at our most vulnerable, helpless state. When there is no where else to turn, when all hope is lost, the most desperate souls search beyond reason and practicality for hope. When life is skippy and grand, people often forget about God and what He does for them. When there is no darkness, some people forget to acknowledge the light. Every good thing in life becomes some result of their own efforts or actions, instead of a blessing from their Creator. So, for the sake of bridging to the light, my tales often begin in the dark.

Should darkness have such a pronounced place in Christian fiction? Now there is a question I've seen debated when it comes to this genre. The key here, is that we don't in any way glorify these things or powers of darkness. When you see evil in any of my stories, there is never a moment where the reader should be identifying with the darkness in a positive way. The parallels between good and light, and darkness and evil are clearly identifiable here. Some might argue too easily identifiable, and perhaps so, but for the purposes of these stories, necessary. You won't find some demon at the center of one my stories having a sympathetic back story that makes you pity him or identify with him. Evil is evil. And when you are talking supernatural evil, there is only one brand: demonic. It is within the human soul, the very core of humanity itself, where darkness exists alongside hope. The most vicious, cruel human being can have redeeming qualities because within him still exists the potential for good. Helping him find that good, helping him reach the light, is a journey worth sharing.

When you read the stories collected in LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS, it is my sincere hope that you walk away entertained and encouraged. Christian or not, these are not revolutionary themes or overbearing sermons. These are tales written either from a Christian worldview or showcasing Christian characters. These are tales about the troubles and tribulations, the dark times that every soul experiences at one time another, yet simply shared through a speculative medium. These are tales about Everyman's struggles with Everyday problems told in an anything but everyday way.

Out there on the web, there are several places that you can find out more information about LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS. Please visit some or all of the links below to find out what other writers and readers have to say. If so compelled, you can preorder your copy of LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS today at http://www.thewriterscafepress.com/

A few Reviews, Blogs, and more:
The Christian Fiction Blog Review
Wayfarer's Journal
Virtual Book Tour De Net
Grace Bridges' Blog
Lost Genre Guild

2/04/2007

Christian Fiction Review Blog

Guess what? It is Light at the Edge of Darkness blog tour week on CFRB!

You can check on what is happening each day by going to the CFRB site and going through the member links.

For a taste of today's offerings:

Grace Bridges
Christian Fiction Review Blog

Virtual Book Tour de Net

I am sure the blog owners would appreciate comments and feedback!

As well, don't forget to watch Daniel I Weaver's Book Trailer for Light at the Edge of Darkness

at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQRSRbxtwL4

And, to finish off the week, please join Cynthia MacKinnon for an interactive interview on Saturday February 10, 2007 at 8:00 pm (you can always "lurk").

http://karinafabian.tripod.com/id15.html

Interview with author Frank Creed

What's your motivation for writing?
I'd like to use what He's given me to inspire direction and change in the lives of readers. I used to be a Sunday-only Christian who honestly didn't understand what the Bible had to do with the modern world. I use heroes living their faith in the face of conflict as a discipleship tool.

Who do you think would most likely enjoy your fiction?
People who think, or in other words, readers. True Freedom, Chairman and Miracle Micro, my sci-fi shorts in Light at the Edge, will appeal to fans of supernatural thrillers, cyberpunk, dystopia (opposite of utopia), and high fantasy. Most who enjoy character driven action will enjoy my fiction.

Regarding audience: I'd originally intended my novel, Flashpoint, for middle-school kids on up. Alas, my editor threatened to go public with my Pokemon-name if I didn't re-write for adults. The re-write is finished, but missed my deadline. Now everyone calls me Mewman.

I know, right?

Why do you write Biblical Speculative Fiction?
This is huge. The meaning of life in a nutshell.

The answer has to do with question of evil: why do bad things happen to good people?

To outlaw evil, God would have to program all creatures with good. No free will. But the greatest good is freely given love.

So we're free to choose. After we choose to love the Creator, we must eventually realize that we glorify Him by scripturally being what He made us to be.

We wonder at the human body's physical limits when we witness the feats of a Michael Jordan, a Wayne Gretzky, or a Bret Favre. What if they'd opted for an accounting degree?

I write Biblical sci-fi and fantasy because every one of us glorifies Him at the intersection of our talents and passions. Those are mine. It's simply who He made me to be.

Is spec-fic compatible with Christianity?
Loaded question.

For those challenged at separating fiction from reality, fantasy and horror can promote witchcraft. In my lifetime, science fiction has been dominated by atheism.

But what if fantasy and sci-fi had been promoting creationism and miracles? Your question would be a non-issue. Spec-fic would be the best-selling Biblical fiction rather than the best-selling secular fiction genre.

Speculative fiction, by definition, has wide-open settings and characters. Because authors are left to speculate, it's the perfect tool with which to present any world-view, Christian or otherwise.

As ambassadors from Heaven, the Great Commission orders us to provide Biblical answers in love. We're to be in the world, but not of it. So unless we live in an isolationist box, we MUST understand popular culture around us, and use our knowledge to discuss themes and issues. There are Biblical sci-fi and fantasy authors out there--in the coming months, look for an endorsed-author list that separates Christian (subtle), from Biblical (overt) at: www.lostgenreguild.com

Do you have any mentors or role models?
I've had inspirators.

One summer vacation when I was seven or eight years-old, my working mother sent me to a literary program at the public library. That building of books awed me. As we dissected The Secret Garden, I knew then that I would write fiction.

My eleventh grade Creative Writing teacher encouraged me to enter a Literary Contest at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater. Against hundreds of high school students from several states, my short story won first place. That gave me confidence in my gift.

Francis Schaeffer's non-fiction changed my life. And what Christian author hasn't been touched by Lewis. George Orwell, Tolkien, and Michael Stackpole are other fiction favorites. There are many others, but for inspiration, I tend to think in terms of film archetypes rather than role models, works instead of artists. My fiction archetypes for proper action pacing include: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard, and The Matrix. Powerful Characters: Hannibal Lechter, Jack Sparrow, Doc Holiday, Rice's Vampires, Jack Bristow, and Oscar Schindler.

What length of fiction do you prefer to write?
Novel-length because it allows more elbow room. But these Light at the Edge of Darkness contributions didn't bother me. It's just a matter of the story you have to tell. Squeezing a novel-sized idea into a short story format, or fleshing-out a short to be a novel is real issue of length. Todd Michael Greene actually dropped out of the Light at The Edge of Darkness anthology because the idea behind his short story was too big. Keep your ear to the ground for a novel called The Novelist's Child.

What creative techniques do you employ?
I organize like Felix Unger, and I'm old-school about reference books. I want to flip pages. I keep sci-fi and fantasy three-ring binders with labeled tabs: theme, setting, sequel notes, names etc. If fact I've referenced my Flashpoint binder twice already for this interview.

Has any particular life experience influenced your writing?
Every minute. Two dead parents, divorce, fallen angel haunting the house, finding salvation, blue-collar jobs, a recently-saved Church of Satan relative, a head-on-collision with a documented healing, and marrying my editor. I really am stunned when I consider how well my experiences fit with writing fiction. Especially in the last few years, so many things have come together, I keep finding myself shaking my head in disbelief and thanking Him. I don't have the space here, but I could write a memoir called Connect the Dots.

Do your Light at the Edge of Darkness stories have a common thread?
"Chairman," "True Freedom," and "Miracle Micro" all share the same setting as my novel, Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground Series. There are no common characters. I do hope that fans of meaningful cyberpunk will enjoy the Biblical themes.

www.frankcreed.com
www.lostgenreguild.com