Would another C.S. Lewis please step forward?

Has anyone here ever read a book called Interstellar Pig? I read it a long (long) time ago, but always thought it was a really great book for fans of fantasy. As I recall, it's a short book, but detailed and fully developed. I don't remember who wrote it, but I recommend it.

Edit to add: the author's name is William Sleator, and apparently he also wrote a book called Parasite Pig.
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Toyota Porte
 
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Goldenrod22 said:
Here's what I wish for. Why can't more writers try their hand at innocent, fairy-tale like stories such as LWW? Sure, C.S. Lewis is a master writer and storyteller, but I think that what he tried to do has not been tried again for a long time. Remember how popular 'Harry Potter' was when it first came out? I think the biggest reason why is because of the imagination that went into it, not the storyline so much. If other people tryed to write a (better) kids story again like that, what kind of impact would it make??! C'mon, writers. The next generation of kids needs new, classic good-hearted 'fairy tales' to grow up with.
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You have your wish in your hands, Goldenrod. JK Rowling is doing what CSL did. And doing it so well that just as Lewis indicated about his Space Trilogy, most readers are missing the obvious sources of the story. I quote:

"You will be both grieved and amused to hear that out of about 60 reviews only 2 showed any knowledge that my idea of the Bent One was anyting but a private invention of my own. But if there was only someone with a richer talent and more leisure I think that this reat ignorance might be a help to the evangelisation of England; any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people's minds under cover of romance without their knowing it."
CSL's letter to Sister Penelope, July 9, 1939 / LETTERS of C.S. Lewis, p 167

And as a longtime reader of Narnia (>30yrs!), I think JKR does a very good job of getting "past watchful dragons" and engaging minds with great Good News just as CSL does.

What do you think of those ideas?
 
Good News is the New Testament term for the acts of Jesus. In English the word gospel is equivalent. The Good News in Narnia is Aslan. But I do not mean that Aslan is a one-to-one match with Jesus. CS Lewis said that it was an imagination of the Incarnation and Redemption in another world, so there are similarities in the stories.
 
Yes. In each of the books so far. Check out www.hogwartsprofessor.com for some essays on the topic. Particularly the essay on HP and the Chamber of Secrets. I did not write them, but I think them very well done. There is also one comparing JK Rowling to the Inklings style of writing that I think is very good. Both Lewis and Tolkien used vivid imagery to communicate the nature of reality including nature and supernature. JKR is doing the same sort of thing. We can read all of CSL or JRRT that's published and come to conclusions about their abilities and successes. JKR is still midstream her work and we are in the process of evaluating. But the folks in the years of the publications TCON and LOTR were doing much like us! :)
 
Really!? I didnt realise. That does change things then. I dont know. Id heard rumours of her being associated with the occult but they probably are just VERY much rumours.
 
Lots of people have falsely accused HP of promoting the occult. But they made the same accusations against Narnia and Middle Earth. The magic in HP is backdrop and not real spells from practicing magicians or occultists. In fact you might wish to check out in depth JKR's remarks in this area and you can research them here: http://www.madamscoop.org/themes/therules.htm

This reference site will allow you to track what the rules of the Potter-verse are. :D

Just as Narnia and Middle Earth have their rules for their settings, so does HP.

If this subject interests you, I drew out quite a bit of Christian symbolism in HP and COS over at entmoot.com. I will edit in the specific thread for you to check out.

edit: http://www.entmoot.com/showthread.php?t=11779 Particularly posts #39 forward. Let me know what you think!
 
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Hello again, Inked. Goldenrod here. I can't believe you used my post to start in on Harry Potter again. :( Once again, you are using the websites that you list as a cover for what you have not been able to say by yourself. So far, the arguments you list have not been backed up by clear, rational statements.
Here is an example of what I'm saying is in the books:
--Divination/Spellcasting. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year" (Prisoner of Azkaban, page 103)
"All students should have a copy of each of the following: 'The Standard Book of Spells' (Grade 1)" (Sorcerer's Stone, page 66)
--Werewolves and other Animal Transformation [Transfiguration (4th Degree)]
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts" (Sorcerer's Stone, page 134)
"My transformations in those days--were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf...[My friends] became Animagi...They could each turn into a different animal at will" (Prisoner of Azkaban, page 353-354)
--Magical Lore [History of Magic] (5th Degree)
"Their very last exam was History of Magic" (Sorcerer's Stone, page 263)

As you can see, kids reading these books can easily find books of the same topics in the Occult section of the bookstores.

Here's a few samples of kids responses to the books (found on website of Rowling's publisher):
"I like what they learned there [at Hogwarts] and I want to be a witch." (Gioia Bishop, ten years old)
"I thought the story really made you feel like you could be a witch or wizard." (Lily, eleven years old)
"This book is amazing and contains magic spells I wish I can do in the real world." (Wang Wen, twelve years old)
"I think Harry Potter books are absolutely fine!...I like how they can use witchcraft for fun/good purposes." (Devon, eleven years old)
"I wish Hogwarts were real because then I could go and learn magic instead of quadratic equations." (Mairead, thirteen years old)
"The book made me want to go to Hogwarts. It is a school for teaching magic. I would like to learn magic, but I havent gotten my letter of invitation yet." (amazon.co.uk post, age unknown)

Now here's a quote from JK Rowling herself.
"Not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch."

Sorry, JK. They are saying it (maybe not to your face though), you just have not been listening.

And neither are you, Inked. You can't seem to see that the concepts in Harry Potter are not the same as those in Narnia or LOTR. Harry Potter is not founded on morality, but rather on a 'whatever goes, as long as I get what I want' mentality.

How many examples of Harry (and friends) bad behaviour do you need to see before you can stop to realize how harmful it is to children? If kids are shown that a 'good' character will routinely steal, lie, cheat and seek revenge with a clear conscience, then why shouldnt they do the same?

I disagree heartily that the same principles are shown in Narnia. How could they be? It would not be even imaginable for C.S Lewis' characters to do the same actions without moral consequences in the end. That is the big difference in the two authors; one (Lewis) has consequences for bad actions, while the other (Rowling) has the actions themselves rewarded! In other words, 'the ends justify the means'.

Biblically speaking, Harry and all the other 'good' characters are simply using one set of sinful behaviors to defeat another set of sinful behaviors.

It is not, nor will it ever be, a battle of 'good versus evil'. And to even place the brilliant works of C.S. Lewis in with Rowling's books is blasphemous.

Rowling has found a way to work her occultist views (yes, she does have those views, regardless of where she goes to church) into the hearts and minds of many 'eager to learn anything new' children.

Oh and by the way. Rowling may go to a church, but going to church does not make you a Christian. It is what you believe in your heart to be true that makes you a Christian (and also acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of the Living God and your personal Lord and Savior).

Please, Inked. Try to understand where I'm coming from on this.
 
GR22,
It would appear you didn't migrate over to the Entmoot discussions I wrote.

Oh, I do think I understand your point of reference, GR22.

As limited a view of the ability of God to work through literature really surprises me though in a person who appreciates LOTR and Narnia. How many magic beings do you note in each?

Particularly, remember Lucy making Aslan appear in house by her incantation of the spell to make the Duffers visible. Recall Aslan's words there!

And, recall that I specifically renounce Mr Abanes diatribe and false premises.
Please note that I was responding to WHB as well. I think you're feeling a bit egocentric in your last post :p ! Also, you are a bit free with words regarding blasphemy and your attributions of others motives. You don't live in a glass house, I hope? :rolleyes:

I would like to direct your attention to THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS and SCREWTAPE PROPOSES A TOAST. There Mr. Lewis employs a technique known as irony while literarily committing blasphemy after blasphemy as you seem to understand the term.

WE have vastly different views on JK Rowling's work. That is permissible. I happen to be "absolutley, undeniably, re-aliably sure" as Glenda the Good Witch was in the movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ that the "wicked witch" you imagine is dead. In fact, you may yet join the chorus of Munchkins singing that lively tune as you travel the yellow brick road of life.

However, if you wish to lambast the WoZ too, please do so on another thread. There we can go at it hammer and tongs without hijacking this one! :D
 
Goldenrod22 said:
Here's what I wish for. Why can't more writers try their hand at innocent, fairy-tale like stories such as LWW? Sure, C.S. Lewis is a master writer and storyteller, but I think that what he tried to do has not been tried again for a long time. Remember how popular 'Harry Potter' was when it first came out? I think the biggest reason why is because of the imagination that went into it, not the storyline so much. If other people tryed to write a (better) kids story again like that, what kind of impact would it make??! C'mon, writers. The next generation of kids needs new, classic good-hearted 'fairy tales' to grow up with.
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Despite her success (and indeed IMO that's the best part about the "Potter" phenomenon), Rowling is derivative, mediocre, and badly in need of a courageous editor - especially when compared to Mr. Lewis. Not to say I don't agree with you - we DO need more writers like Clive. Just not more writers like Rowling.
 
Euphrates said:
Someone needs to write the story of what happened in Charn before Digory awakened Jadis. The story of Charn and the early life of Jadis would certainly be a story worth reading! The deplorable word and such... ooooh I can picture it now. What a wonderful story that would be!

I've got this theory about Jadis' family being the ruling class of spiritual beings on Charn that lived the corporeal bodies of the people of Charn. It's actually quite an interesting theory that preserves events in the Chronicles. I just don't have enough time to think it through and write about it. Oh, the life of a working college student. Alas.
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That's a good idea. What I'd like to see is the story of Susan - what became of her after her brothers and sister were killed in the train wreck (as told in the "Last Battle"). As a child I was shocked and saddened to learn that Susan was no longer a "friend of Narnia". And just because she was into makeup and boys! It's not like she joined a cult or something! That development never did sit well with me. But then, neither did the Armegeddon allegory that made up the bulk of "Battle". I hated that book and have not read it more than once. IMO, that's when the use of allegory - which Lewis' friend Tolkein so deplored - overwhelmed the storyline. Suddenly Lewis turned from storyteller to prostelizer. Major bummer IMO.
 
rosymole said:
I've heard of 'Shadowmancer' - and I beleive the guy who wrote it is a Christian - not totally sure tho. It does have the sort of title that draws me in tho!

As for the 'new CS Lewis' thing - there may well in the future be someone who writes stories that touch people in the same way, but if you consider how quickly literature has moved in the past 100years or so it will have to be pretty spectacular to make a massive impact, or is that just me being cynical?
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Ecch. "Shadowmancer", IMO, is dreadful. :(
 
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