An Interview with Carole McDonnell, Author of Wind Follower - Page 3

In addition, Wind Follower is a lot like Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia in that it has a kind of Young Adult feel because the main character comes of age in the story. He becomes an adult and decides what his relationship with the Creator will be.

Do you think Christianity and speculative fiction can really mix?

I really do. The basic core beliefs of many religions often share some of the same elements of fantasy. Religion is about what is unseen, about “spiritual” laws that affect the “physical” world. Fantastic literature deals with that also. Both religion and fantasy are built on the idea that a system of spiritual laws and spiritual causes which can effect physical things. Specifically, in Christianity the religion is about a God who is spirit who is separated from a physical world which has forgotten (and which ignores) the true spiritual laws. The early apostles write that the people of earth are deluded by a worldview which makes them ignorant about how the world really operates. They state that most humans are deceived about what reality, true power, true evil, true goodness, true love, and true life really are. Many religions, including Christianity, also speak of evil non-human beings with powers to deceive the world - or pure good beings who are watchers or protectors of ignorant humans. That’s fairly common to most religions and folklore. Biblical Christianity adds to the mix by saying that those who believe in the founder of the religion will become a “called-out” peculiar people who will be able to heal the sick, raise the dead, and conquer the evil non-corporeal beings with a mere word. In fantasy, in religion, in Christianity, words have power to do mighty and powerful things. Or else, why do people in the world pray? So yes, Christianity and fantasy can work together. Of course, much of Christianity isn’t as magical as it’s supposed to be. In the west, even religious people have to struggle to believe in the power of the world of the spirit. I certainly have trouble with it. Much fantasy is light and airy and I understand that Christian literature often fails in this respect because Christian writers are often so intent on preaching an altar call in their novels (or imitating C. S. Lewis or Tolkein) that they write very flat stories. I’m hoping I didn’t do that.

If I didn't know Wind Follower was based on Christian beliefs, would it be obvious to me after I read the book?

It should be obvious. But I suspect it might not be obvious to many people. Christians might not recognize it as Christian novel because they’re used to certain themes and styles. They might not want to deal with issues that the standard Christian novel protects them from: racism, intercultural and interracial marriage, imperialism. I think an atheist who loves fantasy could read it and not see that it speaks about Christianity at all, but that would have to be a pretty dense atheist. Even so, they would have fun with it. It’s a cool book. The Christianity in Wind Follower is very primal, very connected to folklore and to the gospels. The religion Loic chooses to follow may not be recognizable to many Christians who are not Pentecostal Christians because of issues such as the folklore roots of Christianity and such fantastical elements as demons and the like. But who knows? We’ll see what people think, won’t we?

Article Author: Constance Burris

Constance is an aspiring speculative fiction writer with a serious attention deficit disorder. She currently writes to Single and Blessed where she chronicles her everyday life as a single mother of two beautiful hyperactive children. …

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