Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

The truck sped on throughout the day. Rushing nonstop the caravan turned north. It eventually left the interstate and was soon on County Roads. To those inside the trucks they could feel that they were traveling very fast on a roughly paved road. The question was the destination.
When the truck finally came to a stop John figured they’d been on the road all day and night. He guessed it was a Sunday morning. He knew they had traveled a long way but he was still left in the dark as to where they were now.
After the truck stopped the rear doors were opened and guards came in and unshackled them. A few moments later they were herded outside of the truck and standing in front of a beautiful building with a roof that reminded John of waves or sand dunes.
There was something about the odd shape of the roof that he knew was associated with a particular building that he’d read about. But he couldn’t pin it down.
Suddenly it came to him and he knew where they were.
“Spaceport America!” he exclaimed.
One of the women heard him.
“What?”
“See that building with all the glass in front and a roof that flows like sand in a desert. I know it. We are in New Mexico at Spaceport America.”
“In New Mexico?”
“Yes. It was the first spaceport ever built. It’s founder is dead now, but he founded Virgin Galactic and was a pioneer in space travel. His original vision was to take tourists into space and bring them back. But his company now is engaged in deep space exploration.”
The teenager looked at him, then at the building and finally back at him.
“But what does that have to do with us?”
“I don’t know, but I think we’re about to find out.”
[Excerpt from Death Ship to the Stars]

Virgin Galactic and SpaceX (both of which are in the book) are private pioneers in Space travel. But they are not the only ones. Space research continues on and before the end of President Trump’s first term in office I expect both companies and maybe a few more to have great success in Space. At this writing SpaceX has gotten the largest space in the news media. Aside from having successful launches they have also benefited from a working partnership, if you will, with the government. In addition Blue Origin has plans to launch a manned mission in 2019.
The point I wish to make is not about private entrepreneurs or government programs but about the future of space research and exploration. It is picking up speed. The three I’ve identified are all competing for commercial travel, but it is not hard to imagine them in the future also being involved in building spacecraft for both the government and private enterprises much as Boeing and others do for air travel.
It is changing our world!
Do you remember when space exploration first began in the late 1950s and early 1960s? Now look around your house. Much of what you see has been either invented or impacted by those beginning explorations. Well, I believe you will be seeing a replay of that economic and scientific results within the next few years.
Will I fly on a spaceship?
That would be fun. But at my age that probably won’t happen. But I can envision people doing so.
Then there is the creation of a Space Force.
We haven’t heard much about that lately, but as the commercial endeavors succeed and begin carrying paying customers the need for such a force will quickly outstrip anything the Air Force might have planned.
My personal opinion is that a Space Force should be patterned after the Navy rather than the Air Force. The reason is simple: there are more similarities with the Navy than the Air Force. But whatever pattern they follow will need to be capable of prolonged mission time and rapid response.
All of this is exciting!
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), or Task Force Hunter (Book Three), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

Everyone Has A Story

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Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about Everyone Has A Story.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Everyone has a story” sometime in your lifetime. I believe this is true. Most people don’t realize it, aren’t interested in writing, or don’t know how. But all of us have life experiences that can be instructive or entertaining to the rest of us.
I write stories. I write Bible based stories and I write speculative fiction; I also write historical novels. In fact, you could say I write Biblical historical novels, American historical novels, and Futuristic historical novels. In the last cast it would be a history that hasn’t occurred yet.
What Kind of Stories Are You Talking About?
All kinds. You could write about your trip out west. It could be instructive, entertaining, or just a plain telling of the trip. Your story can go in a lot of different directions. How you write the story is up to you.
The same could be said for a purely fictional account loosely base on an historical event. This would require some research, but the labor would be worth it. Research usually enriches the story being told, so I encourage you to do research.
What Kind of Research?
Depends on your story. The more complicated or extensive it is the more research you need. Good research tends to enrich the story.
But I’ve Never Written A Book Before!
There’s always a first time. And while I don’t necessarily recommend it there are ghostwriters who’ll write your book for a fee. But before that try writing a rough draft by yourself. The draft won’t be perfect but it will be a start. You can also purchase books or borrow books from the library to help you write.
Writing can be fun.
But What About Finding an Agent or Publisher?
I’m neither for or against agents, but I don’t usually write about them. The reason is I favor Indie Publishing where you are the publisher. My Friday blogs deal with publishing. I favor KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) because it is easy and generally free. And the quality is good.
Most of your Traditional Publishers require you having an agent. The process of finding an agent who is willing to represent you can take months, perhaps half a year or longer. Then the agent may take months to find a publisher and the publisher may take up to two years to publish your book. In my view that is way too long!
What About Genre?
Genre is basically a category of artistic expression. It is not just writing books, but that is all I will cover here. It is one of the first things you should check out. Different writers may have different ways of discovering their genre. The best way that I know of is to find other books that are similar to what you want to write. Then find out what categories those books are under.
When I wrote my first novel about space I thought the genre was science fiction. But a reader of this blog told me that Christian Science Fiction is known as Christian Speculative Fiction. So friends, family, and others can help you find out what your genre is. Once you discover that then learn the principles regarding it.
Can I Make Money Writing?
The short answer is yes. There are multiple ways of making money. Whether you can or not is something you must decide. However, if you enjoy writing than I believe that should be your first consideration.
Hone your craft, stick with it, and publish it. All of this can be done for free. And you can get your book out there. Then there’s the matter of advertising and other marketing ideas. In the end a love for writing or a real commitment to writing can sustain you for a long time.
If you have a story to tell why not tell it?
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), or Task Force Hunter (Book Three), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Task Force Hunter

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Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about my latest publication, Task Force Hunter.
As mentioned on Tuesday I have just published my latest speculative fiction book, Task Force Hunter. This book was published exclusively with KDP. In other words, it was published in both print and digital using the KDP platform. And I like the way it turned out!
Task Force Hunter is Book 3 of the Christland series. In this book Earth has launched its first, and thereby most powerful, task force. While not in numbers its destructive power is that of an armada. Its mission: Find and capture the escaped Christians.
But General Abner Smith has a different plan, namely to find and destroy the Christians. He has previously enlisted the aid of Colonel Don Michaels not knowing the colonel was both a Christian and harboring the General’s former sex slave. In fact, the Colonel was supposed to have disposed of her.
Because of inadequate information the Task Force didn’t know where the Christians had gone. They had two possibilities Murphy 212 c and Ross 128 b. Andrea Stevens has just graduated from the Space Academy, been quickly promoted up the chain of command to Captain and now promoted to Admiral. Although highly irregular and suspicious looking, her promotion was real and she was now Admiral Andrea Stevens.
That new responsibility combined with her falling in love with her 1st Officer, and the presence on her ship of Colonel Michaels who she knows is a Christian, complicates her life. Meanwhile the Pauline Space Force has been formed and is rapidly building up for an expected battle. But would they be strong enough to resist what they expected to be an overwhelming force?
As the author of this novel I am very excited. I loved writing it. Even the research was enjoyable! Check it out!
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), or Task Force Hunter (Book Three), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Insights from Task Force Hunter

Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Tuesday’s I try to focus on Insights. This week I am taking another look at Task Force Hunter.
I have now published my 3rd book of the Christland series called Task Force Hunter. Published exclusively through KDP, Task Force Hunter explores war in space. In this book Earth launches the mightiest space fleet ever, a veritable space armada consisting of seven spaceships, including the Battleship Clinton. This is a book of war and peace.
Today I have a new Insight. What will war be like in space?
Unless Jesus returns for His church beforehand war in space is likely.
Why?
War is likely because of human nature. Man struggles against man to dominate the world. There are periods of peace but it can be argued that there is always a war going on some where in the world. It is as natural as breathing.
So What Will It Be Like?
Basically war will make use of exotic weapons as well as the knife, arrow, or poison. I’m not sure if this is true, but it seems like war breeds scientific development. Which in turn breeds more wars.
The Final War
The Final War actually takes place after the millennium when God overcomes Satan. But the last war of recorded history will be the Battle of Armageddon. That war will bring in the Millennium (1000 years) Kingdom. Christ will rule and peace will reign for a thousand years!
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), or Task Force Hunter (Book Three), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Insights: Pauline A New Home

Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Tuesday’s I try to focus on Insights. This week I am taking a look at Pauline A New Home.
Pauline A New Home is Book 2 of the Christland speculative fiction series. In this book the renamed ship, now Guardian One, arrives at the planet Ross 128 b. They promptly rename the Red Dwarf Star system “Ro” and they name the 5 planets after the Apostles of Christ. Ross 128 b becomes Pauline, named after Paul.
In this novel the forces that sent them as prisoners into space still oppress the world and continue their search for Christians, but on Pauline the now free Christians land on, explore, and claim the supercontinent Christland as their home. Soon they establish a new country, the United Christian States.
The Key to all this is the ability to travel in space.
In the fictional series man has mastered traveling within the Solar System and already has a community on Mars. And the newest technology is Warp Drive enabling travel through space.
As We Explore Space What Will We Find?
Fiction is often a foretaste of truth yet to be discovered. Just this past weekend the United States launched a rocket headed for our very own sun. It is built of state of the art technology enabling it to withstand extreme heat and not only get close to the sun but stay awhile.
It is called the Parker Solar Probe and it needed three huge rockets to escape Earth’s gravity. The ensuing thrust will take it to Venus in just six weeks! Then on September 28, it will begin a careful maneuver, called gravity assist, which will move it a little closer to the sun, where it will make a total of 24 orbits around the sun. On November 1, 2018 it will experience its first perihelion or close approach to the sun.
The orbit itself will not be oval, but rather petal-shaped, skimming over the sun closely before flying further out into space. At that point it will close its first orbit. During its orbits it will perform its scientific work while it is within a quarter of the distance between Earth and the sun.
The probe will also have the ability to hover, that is match the sun’s rotation speed and stay over a selected spot for a period of time, say ten days. This will provide them an in-depth base of knowledge.
So What Does It Mean?
For one thing it represents an important stride in space technology and ability. This will be a first. We will feel repercussions for years to come. Eventually it will lead, in my opinion, to technology that will enable humans to travel in space and even settle on planets less hospitable than Earth.
Unless God intervenes and stops us humanity will spread to the stars. Since the Rapture can happen at any time it is possible that God will stop our current search (He stopped the Tower of Babel), but it is also possible that He will allow the exploration to continue.
In the meantime, this is an exciting time from a scientific point of view. For the evolutionists it will be exciting yet disappointing (they’ll find no intelligent life), but for the rest of us it will be exciting just as exploring the Old West was exciting. It will represent new challenges plus new opportunities for faith and for enterprise.
Hold onto your hats, folks, the ride may be a bit bumpy!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars or Pauline A New Home. I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

Insights: Death Ship to the Stars
“Why do the heathen rage, and people imagine a vain thing? The kings of earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed.” Psalm 2:1-2
In Death Ship to the Stars we see scientific knowledge advancing that we in the 21st century are just beginning to see. When doing research for this novel I started out with a look at Star Wars. But I quickly discovered that mankind is already advancing to the point that some Star War imaginings are actually coming true.
WHAT ARE THEY?
The scientific community is already exploring possible avenues for Warp Drives. Once considered a pipe dream there are now serious studies aimed at that very thing. In fact, for the purposes of the novel I had more than one method to choose from. I ended up using the ION Rings. In this situation there are two rings that provide a method to move through space at speeds measured in Speed of Light.
Another Star Wars fantasy was replicators. When I looked them up I discovered that various types of replicators already exist, albeit on a smaller and less grandiose scale.
BUT ONE THING NEVER CHANGES!
That one thing is human nature. No matter what science tries they are never able to change human nature. They learn how to manipulate it, but not change it. The greatest example of this is man’s resistance to God.
You’d think that all the discoveries being made would point man to God, but it’s completely different. Man’s pride is so great that to admit there is a God that holds them responsible for their actions is simply unbelievable. This is where Psalm 2:1-2 comes in to play. The educated people of our day worship themselves and there is no room for a Holy God. They go to great lengths to deny His existence but when all is said and done their arguments collapse.
The day is coming when “he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Insights Death Ship

But those days were now but a memory. Anti-Christian forces in and outside the government turned it back to a liberal course and clamped down on Christian thought and expression setting the stage for a great collision.

The above quote is from the opening Prologue to Death Ship. Today, I wish to comment on why I think the very idea of the persecution of Christians is not farfetched. It is very real! All you need to do is pick up your local newspaper or scan the internet. It’s out there and it is increasingly virulent. Travel to other countries like India, Sudan, Netherlands, and even Israel and you find anti-Christian thought and expression. While not always violent it is real nonetheless.

So the concept of persecution is today’s reality. Persecution has existed since the days of Christ and has continued to this day. Persecution may take various forms. The only thing about persecution in the book that is new is the plan to send Christians into the very heart of a Red Dwarf star.

Here in America we have what I call creeping persecution. Instead of imprisonment we have attacks against churches; personal attacks, both vocal and violent; collegiate, where college administrations deny rights to Christian students; and governmental, which involves city, state, and national.

But in Europe and across this planet persecution has taken a more sinister and vicious approach. Can we stop it? Not without revival. Here in America we have a President who could be classified as a Friend of Christianity. Is he saved? I don’t know. I am, however, confident that the Vice President is saved. And I believe that President Trump is willingly influenced by him and other Christian leaders.

But we are mistaken if we think one men or even a group of men, no matter how powerful, can reverse this trend toward persecution. It is a worldwide movement that the Bible indicates will one day reign supreme.

So what can we do?

Reach out to the One Person who can make a difference. Pray to God for revival for the world, for the nation, for your state, for your community, and for yourself! Pray for a revival that starts in our own hearts.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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Christian Speculative Fiction

In a previous blog Why Christian Science Fiction I concluded that there may not be such a genre. But thanks to a reader I discovered I was wrong. So, instead of writing about issues today I will take this time to update my perceptions and yours.

The reader informed me that there is Christian Speculative Fiction and he mentioned Enclave Publishing, an outfit that specializes in Christian Speculative and Science Fiction. So I checked it out and he was right. So in the future I will refer to Christian Speculative Fiction.

Now that I have found a safe harbor let me promote it. Just like any genre or sub-genre there will be all kinds. The word Christian denotes a certain worldview, but since there are all kinds of Christians it is probably wise to consider there are all types of Christian worldviews. And my research into it verifies such wisdom.

From what I have seen my novel Death Ship and the series Christland springing from it fit nicely into this genre. One writer recently commented that Christian Speculative writing is hard. Now she may have been referring to the difficulties of getting publish which I don’t have. But she could be referencing the writing itself. And with that I agree.

In writing Death Ship I didn’t have the luxury of aliens as a potential enemy. The enemy is twofold: 1) a general charged with destroying Christianity and 2) space itself.

The Christland series involves at least three elements: 1) Earth, 2) Space, and 3) another planet. And then there is General Abner Smith who hates Christians. Powerful, egotistical, and devious, he is a real danger to Christians on Earth and in space.

In addition, there is the nature of animal life on distant planets. I believe that animals may exist on earth-like planets. Only humans are said to be unique. Animals may resemble what we have on Earth or be entirely different. Imagination can provide those animals. What I find difficult is the degree you wander from Earth bound animals. Some science fiction books I have seen and read get real creative with animals. But I think a good solid story doesn’t want to get too creative. There is a story to be told and these additional factors should enhance the story not detract from it.

But so far I have found that writing is still much the same. Christian Speculative is simply telling a story with a Christian worldview and placing it in another part of our universe. You’ll notice I’m not talking about a new world. And why should I? There are other solar systems out there just begging for writers to discover. And mankind has begun not only looking from afar but planning on visiting them. Enter speculation or science fiction.

Actually I think the hardest part of being a writer of Christian Speculative Fiction is the marketing. You go to the Library and try to find that genre. I go regularly and I haven’t found such a genre yet. Part of the problem is that Christian Speculative Fiction is considered, at least in a library, as a sub-genre of science fiction. Which is fine, but it makes it that much harder for readers to find. Avid science fiction readers may consider that statement laughable, but readers who don’t naturally read science fiction might find themselves in agreement.

Having discovered the appropriate sub-genre (whoever came up with ‘speculative’ anyway?) I am more upbeat than before. I’d much rather be in an established genre or sub-genre than to start one.

Reading other authors in your genre is always a good thing. So that is one thing I will now be doing in the Christian Speculative sub-genre. Who knows, I may even do a review. I have just downloaded a novel and have started reading it.

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Insights: Christland

This new feature is called Insights. It may concern a book within the series World That Was, Christland, or any other series or book I’ve written or will write. I hope you find it interesting.

Christland is a new series within the Science Fiction genre. As noted previously it is better known as Christian Science Fiction.

Death Ship, the first book of the series lays the foundation for the series. In this novel you will find two parallel stories occurring. In Space you follow eighty Christians arrested, examined, and placed upon a ship whose destination is a distant star and a fiery death. It is a story of courage, romance, and danger.

Meanwhile on Earth you have General Abner Smith the mastermind of this evil persecution as he watches the ship and makes additional plans. Unknown to him the Underground Church, made up of evangelicals and fundamentalists, resists the worldwide ban on worshiping God. They also aim to thwart the general’s plans.

I enjoyed writing this novel. I’ve always liked science fiction to an extent, but it all too often was evolutionary and therefore unbelievable. I found myself wondering why there can’t be science fiction that embraces a Christian view and a more practical plot. I found it challenging and exciting to write. And the amount of research needed and available was simply overwhelming!

Through research I discovered that since the days of Star Trek the idea of space travel has come a long way. They are now seriously looking at things like warp drive, ION engines, replicators (which to some extent already exist), and much more. Since I was already interested in science (not as a student) I found these new developments exciting and thought provoking.

In fact, before I ever got the idea for this book I was already following SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, two competing space developers. Both are exploring the outer rims of space travel and will eventually break through. Death Ship takes place in the 22nd century, therefore allowing more than enough time for the two programs to succeed. In fact, the novel presents a world that has advanced in many ways.

It also depicts a world where Christians are persecuted. This is simply a practical outgrowth of the worldwide persecution we now see. Even here in America we see it starting. Only a nationwide revival can truly overturn this trend. It is true the Trump administration is increasingly acting as a friend of Christianity, but the next president may once again allow attacks against Christians to go unchecked and unpunished.

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Why Christian Science Fiction?

In my previous blog Announcing Death Ship I touched on the subject of Christian Science Fiction. I mentioned that to my knowledge CSF is not an existing genre. But there are significant differences between CSF and your run of the mill SF. Let’s do a review.

What is Christian Science Fiction? It is:

Futuristic
Space travel
Warp drive
Alien animals
Conflict
Exotic weapons
Far off planets
Spaceships
and more.

Just like science fiction. But the difference lies in what is missing. There:

A Christian worldview
No alien intelligent beings
No vulgar language
No extreme graphics

Why not just operate within traditional Science Fiction?

I may just end up doing that. But if I do I will probably continue to tag it as Christian Science Fiction. Why? Because I don’t want to deceive my potential audience. They will never see some being from another planet who is alien rather than human. Animals, may tend to be exotic, gigantic, or have other unearthly features but nothing that evokes evolution (evolution is non-Christian and is best known as Humanistic Evolution). While there may be Christians that actually believe in evolution it is a sign of their lack of Bible knowledge. So I will be upfront with them and anyone else who prefers traditional science fiction.

Is there a market for CSF?

I really don’t know and it would be very difficult to ascertain as this time. Since there isn’t any definitive genre as CSF it makes research that much harder. Having said that, I believe that the Left Behind series by LaHaye and Jenkins and other End Times novels are at least futuristic and possibly borderline science fiction. The only thing keeping them from being considered such is the lack of space travel, etc.

Probably my biggest argument for Christian Science Fiction is my personal preferences. Our world has been and is plagued by the nonsensical belief in evolution. It defies observable science, masquerades as scientific fact when it can only accurately be called a scientific theory. To be a fact it MUST be observable and repeatable which it is not (which is why Creationism is also a theory).

While it is possible that characters in my books may swear, I never allow the words to be spelled out. I have been against using swearing words in print long before I ever wrote my first book or (for that matter) became a Christian. It doesn’t add anything to a novel, often detracts from the book, and is just in bad taste. People who favor its use usually talk about reflecting the reality world; that everyone swears. But that isn’t any truer than to say everyone is slim. Some people swear a lot, some swear moderately, some swear a little, and some don’t swear at all. Let the reader supply the words just like they did in older fiction with symbols.

So the question was is there a market for CSF and I believe the answer is probably yes. Unless I am an aberration (a definite possibility) then there are others out there who believe the same as I do whether or not they are Christians. They may not be a huge market but they could be a decent size and profitable market.

How realistic can CSF be?”

Actually, it is more realistic than traditional science fiction. Somewhere within the story line there must be a track back to the Earth we know. Since I am, for example, establishing a whole new world there needs to be answers to how it all came to be. Death Ship will answer a lot of those questions. The next 2 books will provide additional answers even while speculative science becomes more pronounced.

There is another idea about reality. Star Trek and Star Wars books, and similar stories, create new worlds that have little, if any, relation to what is presently known about space. My book actually reflects a discovery about a real planet relatively close to Earth. It is possible, I suppose, for other CSF writers to invent imaginary worlds. I have no opposition to this since in fact I do invent an imaginary planet. But generally speaking the more often the reader can identify a real planet or weapon or anything else, the better.

Why do you emphasize the reader’s imagination?

I do that for any genre. And the answer is simple: A reader’s imagination is a tool that every successful writer seeks to stimulate and use. I make use of it in all my books. There are successful writers that I don’t like (their books) who violate my principles but they are still trying to make use of imagination. That is where graphics comes into play. Graphics are word pictures that can go to the nth degree.

As a writer you may have an ideal reader in mind, but you really don’t know what that reader is bringing to the table. Too much graphics can turn them off; too little graphics can be boring. That is the difficult part, finding the middle road that appeals to the widest audience without the author selling out.

But more important than that is the fact that it is the reader who determines the success or failure of a book. Some readers have very little imagination and some a great deal, but how they understand the book is directly related to their imagination. When I write a scene it at first reflects strictly my imagination. My job as a writer is to try to put myself in the reader’s shoes and edit the scene appropriately. Not an easy job, but important.

Do you think they’ll create a Christian Science Fiction genre?

Short answer is probably not. If authors start writing SCF books that prove to be successful then there will be pressure to create such a genre. I do believe that it will take time, perhaps years.

Do you plan on writing other CSF books other than Christland?

At this time the answer is no. Christland will involve a number of books over a period of years. That will keep me busy. Especially since I plan to write at least two more World That Was books and perhaps other Bible based books in the future.

Since I am now 75 it is safe to assume that such writings will take me into my 80’s and 90’’s.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review Death Ship.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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R. Frederick Riddle Blog

Commenting on Things of Interest

Category: Christian Speculative Fiction

Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

Everyone Has A Story

Task Force Hunter

Insights from Task Force Hunter

Insights: Pauline A New Home

Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

Insights Death Ship

Christian Speculative Fiction

Insights: Christland

Why Christian Science Fiction?

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