Review: discipl·ish: My Unconventional Pilgrimage thru Faith, Art, & Evangelical Culture

discipl·ish: My Unconventional Pilgrimage thru Faith, Art, & Evangelical Culture by Mike Duran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confession: I've known Mike Duran for many years. I've loved his fiction, we've exchanged lots of emails and phone calls, and I consider him not only a colleague, but also a friend. That having been said: this is an excellent story about his journey of faith, through vocational ministry, personal ministry, and artistic ministry. One of the things I've always loved about Mike's approach to art and fiction and faith is that he embraces the concept of Mystery. He's a contradiction, in many ways. Progressives probably find him too conservative. Conservatives - especially those engaged in the arts and fiction - certainly find him to progressive. Regardless, the story of Mike's journey gives a wonderful context to his philosophical positions. As he quotes poet and essayist Diane Akerman: "It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."

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Review: A Penny For Your Thoughts

A Penny For Your Thoughts by Robert Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful mix of what I'd like to describe as "country noir," cosmic horror with a bit of bizzaro-weird, and the supernatural. But here's the thing: this novel isn't just a riff on "be careful what you wish for." That's just the surface vehicle for some deeper stuff, as far as I'm concerned. It's really a pretty disturbing/sobering/gut-wrenching examination of an addict in recovery, trying desperately to resist that all-consuming desire (one which never goes away, no matter how long in recovery an addict is) to start feeding that addiction once more. Anyone who's battled an addiction of ANY kind will immediately feel sympathetic with Joey's plight as he tries to be better than the only life he's come to know.

Also, as a guy who grew up in the country and had all sorts of friends from all sorts of social classes; Joey, Ava, and Kenny are remarkably true to life. They want something better, but life doesn't offer Hallmark, gift-wrapped chances to succeed. And here's what I really loved about this novel: it could've very easily gone where so many noirish stories do - into a hopeless pit of despair. It doesn't. The resolution is gentle and hopeful, but not forced.

Also? I found the humor pitch-perfect, with just the right amount of weird. And I like the fact that Ava and Joey (spoiler alert) aren't immediately tossed together as love interests. That, and Joey's ex-girlfriend Angie is the WORST PERSON EVER. But she's not merely a toxic character. She not only represents EVERYTHING Joey wants to get out of his life, but she also represents addiction itself - how every time you think you've got a one-up on it, it side-steps your attacks - "because addicts are resourceful."

It doesn't hurt that the story moves at a brisk pace. A sobering, powerful, and fun-as hell read.

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Review: The Relationship Principles of Jesus

The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A lot of good stuff in here, especially when it comes to relating to other people. I do have to say, however - it's really apparent that most our very visible "Christian leaders" do not practice these principles in any real way.

Especially convicting was the concluding section on humility in our relationships with others. I can confess with all transparency that as a writer - especially after experiencing even a modicum of success - I've struggled to maintain an attitude of humility internally, and I struggle in simply being happy for the success of others, rather than wishing for that success myself. Really made me reconsider how I think of myself in relation to others, especially in the writing world.

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Review: Lost Angels

Lost Angels by David J. Schow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I must admit to being a bit wary - as Schow is considered the "father of splatterpunk" - simply because splatterpunk isn't my cup of tea. I've read some very well-written splatterpunk in my time, and it's a completely valid genre, but it's just not my preference, and I think I've also read stuff which claims the splatterpunk title, but turned out mostly to be an excuse for bad writing and graphic violence.

But this. THIS COLLECTION. I'm assuming the majority of Schow's work falls in the splatterpunk vein, given his title. But this collection is filled with marvelous stories of depth and emotion. My favorites were "Monster Movies," "Red Light," and "Pamela's Get." It should be noted: this is a review of the used paperback, which doesn't include "Calendar Girl."

Knowing that most of his work falls in the realm of splatterpunk, I'm not sure if I'll seek it out. This collection, however, was amazing, and certainly makes me more likely to, eventually.

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Review: Hideaway

Hideaway by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was a time when I read nothing but Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Then, for a time, I explored other horror/supernatural thriller/spec fic writers, to broaden my palate. When I returned to King, re-reading some old favorites and reading his newer offerings, I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved his work as much as I remember loving it.

Though I enjoyed HIDEAWAY, it hasn't quite been the same experience re-reading Koontz (except for his novella STRANGE HIGHWAYS, I love that one). One thing I notice now that I didn't then is that Koontz can't seem to stop himself from editorializing along the way, intruding as a narrator a bit too much. The values of an author will always inevitably influence their work. But I don't necessarily want the author to beat me over the head with their values with an intruding narrator. He didn't do it as much in this one, but I noticed it a lot more, after not reading Koontz for a long time.

Plus, his child protagonists are always unfailingly witty, well-read and literate, sarcastic but with hearts of gold inside. It's a formula, and it didn't bother me too much here, but only because I haven't read much Koontz in awhile. King's child protagonists may still be "good" but they have a grittier reality to them.

On the plus side, I did appreciate that Koontz had Hatch be pretty straightforward with is wife about his visions, and that she was in the fight with him right from the start. I always hate it when authors - for the sake of false tension - have couples in an otherwise healthy relationship just start to randomly hide things from each other. That CAN be a useful element of characterization, but mostly, it comes off as fake. Koontz didn't misstep here, and I enjoyed it more because of it.

And of course, (for obvious reasons) I have no issues with the amount of faith which ends up in Koontz's characters. Actually, if he just contented himself with letting his characters be moral vehicles, I'd probably still be a more avid fan, and since this is a earlier novel, his Narrator doesn't intrude as much as it does in his later works.

I will say I don't think I needed the "and this is how everyone ended up" conclusion. We could've easily ended with the end of the plot's action itself. Other than that, this stands up as reflective of Koontz's stronger, earlier work.

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Review: Hindsight

Hindsight by Ronald Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another solid, entertaining tale by Ronald Kelly. I know this is a somewhat cliched observation (seems like everyone says) but valid, nonetheless: Kelly captures southern country life perfectly. The culture, the descriptions, all of it feels very real. Also - this is available in ebook for you Kindle readers, and I definitely recommend it.

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Review: Pursuing Christ. Creating Art.: Exploring Life at the Intersection of Faith and Creativity

Pursuing Christ. Creating Art.: Exploring Life at the Intersection of Faith and Creativity by Gary A. Molander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this some time ago, meant to leave a review, and never did. In any case - an interesting collection of essays about creating Art, and the intersection of art and faith. However, it's strong suit might also be viewed by some as it's weak point: that this collection of essays doesn't offer any answers. They're centered on the truth that, because we're human, and humans will always be flawed and conflicted, our pursuit of art is also always going to be flawed and conflicted. These essays don't offer answers so much as an honest grappling with this issue.

For me, it felt like a breath of fresh air. While not as well written as Madaleine L'Engle's WALKING ON WATER: MEDITATIONS ON ART AND FAITH, it did beat along the same rythmn: that a Christian heeding the desire to create Art isn't selfish, or serving our own needs: it's simply an outgrowth of our innate desire to imitate the Artist Himself.

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Review: Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith

Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith by Holly Ordway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent look at how creating art - and not art whose meanings are explicit, but art which requires thoughtful interpretation - is a necessary means of not only expressing faith, but also defending it. This book will require a re-read - some heavy theological and apologetic lifting - but the idea that we aren't called upon to create art which is blatantly proselytizing, but called upon to create art which leads audiences/viewers/readers into thoughtful reflection and interpretation, was extremely heartening, especially for a guy like me, who long ago found himself called to write in the horror/weird/speculative genre, and who also has a healthy dislike/distrust of "Christian Fiction."

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Review: Me, Myself & Bob: A True Story about God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables

Me, Myself & Bob: A True Story about God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I'm not an animator. I've never owned a media or graphics arts/video company. I've never had a dream of having this big huge impact on the world through writing, like Phil Vischer did with VeggieTales. And I'm certainly not in the same type of position, with my writing mostly a supplement to my income as a teacher.

I am, however, a Christian who is trying to walk that razor's edge between being true to my "voice" and being true to my faith. I have, also, in the last few years, had to let a lot of dreams "die," for the sake of sanity, health, and renewed focus on my faith, family, and my teaching job. I'll always be a writer, I'll always write the strange, weird, and odd, and don't plan on writing "Christian" stories any time soon. But in the words of Phil Viscer - where will I be five years from now, ten years from now, twenty years from now, as a writer?

That's none of my business. It's ultimately not up to me. And I'm working on being okay with that.

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Review: The Passage

The Passage by Justin Cronin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't often read post-apocalyptic novels - even less so post-apocalyptic novels involving a "vampire virus." Like zombie novels, or vampire/werewolf novels, they too often fall into cliche. And, even more so, I find that it's a rare writer who can craft a post-apocalyptic society/culture that strikes the right balance between a different, foreign culture of a society that's "moved on" (Thank you, Sai King) but is still relatable to readers.

In The Passage, Justin Cronin has done exactly that. This is a world that has forgotten things like Christmas (because no one has celebrated it in a 100 years), but there are still many tangible reminders of the past, and while the people of this future know little about The Time Before, they don't act as if they're barbaric hunter-gatherers from a cliched fantasy novel. They're still relatable human beings who may've forgotten who the Utah Jazz are, but they know that "gaps" are types of pants, because they've been scavenged from The Gap in derelict shopping malls.

Also, lots of writers are often called "lyrical" when, really, they're dense and almost unreadable. In this case, Cronin is the real deal. His prose is readable and straightforward, and lyrical and poetic when the story called for it. It's been awhile since I read an epic-length novel that was this engaging and obsessively readable.

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Review: Judgment of The Witch

Judgment of The Witch by Robert R. McCammon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is - from what I've read - the novel which eventually lead to Robert McCammon's hiatus from publishing, because he wanted to branch out from horror. A guilty admission: that's probably why it's taken me so long to get to his Matthew Corbett series. Would I like Robert McCammon's non-horror?

A foolish question, and I should've trusted what I've come to know about McCammon's work - it's almost always obsessively readable. That, and just as King doesn't get nearly enough credit for being such an insightful, poignant Regionialist as well as a horror writer, McCammon clearly has the chops to write compelling historical fiction which is just as entertaining as his horror/speculative work. The Listener is a perfect example of his melding those genres, as well as the thriller genre.

Admittedly, this started slower because it's not horror, but at some point - I can't remember where - I crossed over a threshold and simply couldn't stop reading, which is my typical McCammon experience. Will definitely get caught up on Matthew Corbett's adventures, so I can read McCammon's newest, CARDINAL BLACK.

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My 2018 Reads

As always, the list is varied...

Review: The Siren and the Specter

The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another solid, entertaining read from Johnathan Janz, with plenty of unexpected twists. If Brian Keene, Richard Layman-esque horror is what you're looking for, this will be right up your alley.

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Review: Behind the Door

Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent of course, as always. Mary's cosmic horror is of her own making. It's not Lovecraftian, it is, as I've often said, Sangiovannian. However, very reminiscent of Stephen King's Lovecraftian fiction (though Mary's prose is also her own), her cosmic horror is entertaining, too. As much I as enjoyed Thomas Ligotti's prose, his work almost shows an ACTUAL contempt for humanity itself. Mary's work certainly shows us the pitiless horrors of the cosmic unknown, but in contrast, it serves to show humanity triumphing in SPITE of those pitiless cosmic horrors. She gives readers something to root for, which is a tricky balance to maintain - portraying the horrors of cosmic entities which view us as fodder, while creating a story which pulls the reader in for the ride.

Her characterization, as always, is spot on, and in this case, Sangiovanni deftly renders two characters as sympathetic to the audience - despite possesing terrible, revolting flaws - who could've otherwise come off horribly in someone else's hands. This shows Sangiovanni's insight and understanding of human nature.

Without a doubt, though I've thoroughly enjoyed all her works, this is my favorite of her new Kennsington/Lyrical Underground novels, and my favorite since THRALL.

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Review: Hunting Ground

Hunting Ground by Charles L. Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Again, I continue to feel saddened that Charles Grant wasn't able to see this series to its completion. Ethan Proctor is a series character done only as Grant could've, and I think what I like about this series so far is that, unlike much of Grant's quiet horror (though I love all of it), it has a popular appeal of a mythos with a through-line leading to an epic conclusion of sorts. Again - wish this series could've be completed, and I wish we had new Charles Grant work to look forward to, every year.

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Review: Candlenight

Candlenight by Phil Rickman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this just as much as CURFEW. Slow-burn, atmospheric horror with a real story behind it, and I especially dug the Welsh history/folklore behind the story. Only reason it took so long to get through is because I had other reading I needed to do for my CD column which got in the way.

I do have to say, though, when I read reviews of a book I thoroughly enjoyed that say "Well written but not scary" (wasn't that hideous "ice sculpture" at the end pretty horrifying?) or "boring nothing happens until the end," I truly do wonder about my place in the horror genre, and if my work will ever gain more traction. I suppose that's why it's so important to write for yourself first, then audience second.

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Review: Winter Knight

Winter Knight by Charles L. Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to be honest and say that, initially, The Black Oak series only garnered a "Cool story" from me, and that was about it. At this point, however, I'm thoroughly engaged with Proctor's adventures, and am saddened anew that Charles Grant never got a chance to continue his legacy.

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