Joel takes over the podcast for an episode all about speculative fiction! He is joined by two first-time guests for a wide-ranging and enthusiastic conversation about the importance of reading speculative fiction, and the crucial role such literature can play in our culture.
Christina Bieber Lake is the Clyde S Kilby professor of English at Wheaton College where she teaches courses in subjects like contemporary American literature and literary theory. Her work helps readers explore the moral imagination, particularly through deep engagement with fiction and poetry. She also has a passion for helping teachers succeed in their work, evidenced by her most recent book: The Flourishing Teacher: Vocational Renewal for a Sacred Profession (which was just published this past summer by IVP Academic). Her other books are: Beyond the Story: American Literary Fiction and the Limits of Materialism, The Incarnational Art of Flannery O'Connor, and Prophets of the Posthuman: American Fiction, Biotechnology and the Ethics of Personhood.
Matt Mikalatos, a resident of Portland, Oregon with his wife and three daughters, has been engaged with non-profit work all over the world for over 20 years, and is a co-host of the Fascinating Podcast, in addition to being a prolific writer. His writing has been featured in publications like Time, Relevant, Nature and Daily Science Fiction, and his wide array of books include titles like: Sky Lantern: The Story of a Father's Love for his Children and the Healing Power of the Smallest Act of Kindness; Good News for a Change: How to Talk to Anyone About Jesus; The Sunlit Lands fantasy book series (currently including The Crescent Stone and The Heartwood Crown).
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Flourishing Teacher: Vocational Renewal for a Sacred Profession by Christina Bieber Lake
- Beyond the Story: American Literary Fiction and the Limits of Materialism by Christina Bieber Lake
- The Incarnational Art of Flannery O'Connor by Christina Bieber Lake
- Prophets of the Posthuman: American Fiction, Biotechnology and the Ethics of Personhood by Christina Bieber Lake
- Sky Lantern: The Story of a Father's Love for his Children and the Healing Power of the Smallest Act of Kindness by Matt Mikalatos
- Good News for a Change: How to Talk to Anyone About Jesus by Matt Mikalatos
- The Crescent Stone (book 1 of the Sunlit Lands) by Matt Mikalatos
- The Heartwood Crown (book 2 of the Sunlit Lands) by Matt Mikalatos
- Journey to Love: What We Long For, How to Find It, How to Pass it On (forthcoming) by Matt Mikalatos
- The Story King (book 3 of the Sunlit Lands, forthcoming) by Matt Mikalatos
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engle
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
- The Thanatos Syndrome by Walker Percy
- The MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
- The Children of Men by P.D. James
- Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
- Exhalation by Ted Chiang
- The Culture Series by Iain Banks
- The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
- The Transhumanist Wager by Zoltan Istvan
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
- A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- The Necessary Beggar by Susan Palwick
- Speak by Louisa Hall
- The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
- A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
- The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
- The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan
- The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
- The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu