Fantastic Journey: The Soul of Speculative Fiction and Fantasy Adventure

Imaginative fiction is a key to our future . . .

Beauty, mystery, and adventure are vital to our spirits. Fantastic journeys invite us to search beyond what we see for truth, to dig deeper for courage.

The soul of fantasy adventure benefits us on three levels:

* The spiritual arena

* The wide world of ideas

* And the sphere we breathe in

Why do the quest and the hero's journey draw us all? What difference does it make? Have you ever wondered how to find the best fantasy adventures for your children, yourself or your friends?

We bring up select jewels from the deep and explore mountain troves of fiction with seventy authors to whet your appetite for the riches heaped on untold shores. The inspiring adventures we explore are beacons of extraordinary story.

Most of them are lights by contrast, guiding us to enchanting lands of danger in the ocean of fantasy and speculative fiction. Heroes and heroines show us how to identify true gems and sell them not. How to discern enemies, friends, and endless possibilities with our inner eye, and to touch and to taste the truths of life in realms near and far.

Take a deep breath before our first plunge into the sea of fantasy. And we will discover that which is the wealth of souls.

Excerpt

Discover the Irresistible Beauty of Truth in Fantasy

Who does not wish that at least one moment in a beautiful epic fantasy were true? But some of those moments are true, and some of those places. The mystery of beauty, and sacrifice, the brave call of loyalty, and the torch of true relationships make us yearn for something we often cannot name. But we feel it in epic fantasies of courage, perseverance, and friendship that illuminate selflessness. We behold spiritual heights, physical depths, and in far realms we learn to refuse evil and choose good until it influences our adventures in our own sphere. Fantasy relates to deep reality.

Some people may say there is little truth in the ocean of fantasy. They claim the very words fantasy fiction are a double negative of reality. Others say that fantasy involves Wicca, witchcraft, magick-at the very least, it means New Age muddled thought. They claim fantasy is not for serious Christians because it does not encourage spirituality and faith. They say idealism or fantasy doesn't apply to real life, and abstract ideas in fantasy rarely touch real things.

In truth, real things and the ideals we hold are as closely connected as our body and spirit. Abstract ideals are intertwined in the physical and spiritual in every occurrence in the spatial universe. Every idea we believe, experience, and come to understand moves the breath, blood, and bone we call our body-because ideals first move our heart and spirit.

Fantasy mirrors reality, showing the abstract in sharper facets. It casts reality back at us in a thousand reflections, penetrating deeper into our souls at times than any physical blade on this earth.