Fantasy Book Critic Guest Post

3 responses to “Fantasy Book Critic Guest Post”

• Katherine Coble
  September 9th, 2012 at 10:58 pm

  Just got done reading the book and am currently raving about it like a lunatic zealot.

  I’ll be checking out all of your interviews as I get/make time to do so. As a history geek it’s great to see fantasy with a real historic feel and I especially enjoyed that aspect.

  I also plan on using your book as a tent peg in an ongoing argument I have with another author who claims that in order for fiction to be good it must have a Judeo-Christian worldview. Now, while I admittedly have a Judeo-Christian worldview myself, I say his theory is bollocks.

  Before I go off half-cocked, though, would you yourself say the book has a secularist worldview (no god underpinning the essential morality, etc.) or is that an erroneous assumption on my part?

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  • Anthony Ryan
    September 9th, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    Hi Katherine,
    Thanks for the kind words.
    I have to say the idea that all good fiction must have a judeo-christian world view is, to me, completely absurd. A basic understanding of the history of modern literature should dispel the notion that only judeo-christian allegory has any merit – there are other authors than C.S. Lewis and Evelyn Waugh. The purpose of any fictional construct resides with the author and, like any artform, it’s perfectly valid for it to have no purpose at all. I also take exception to the view that morality arises from either religion or a belief in a deity – I’m a non-believer and I’ve never coveted an ox in my life (my neighbours wife on the other hand…).

    As far as the book goes, I’d say its treatment of religion is valid in context of the story and informed by an objective reading of real life history. I see religion as a cultural legacy of human civilisation, as such it’s neither good nor bad, though both good and bad have been done in its name, something my book (and the upcoming sequel – check back regularly for updates kids) hopefully reflects.
    Good luck with the argument, though personal experience tells me its likely to go on for some time.
    Kind regards
    Anthony

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• John mullins
  October 10th, 2012 at 8:05 pm

  Just finished book excellent tale also went on to slab city your style appeals to me can’t wait for next issue I’m a kindle user

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