I’m deep in conversation over on Facebook with various of my coreligionist book lovers. The question of the moment is whether or not it is time for Christian Fiction to die.
I’m politely trying to retain friendships and acquaintanceships–how unlike me–so i’m not saying what I am most burning to say, which is “you mean it’s not dead already?!”
As we’ve been through time and again in this little corner of the world, I have a deep antipathy for “Christian Fiction”. That antipathy has not lessened with the advent of my Kindle.
Last year somebody within the CBA (Christian Booksellers’ Association) got wise to the fact that free books on the Kindle stay at the top of the “bestsellers” list, and are eagerly downloaded. Even though something which is given away is not technically “sold” and to my mind does not even BELONG on a list of things which have sold well. Nevertheless it was de rigueur last summer and fall to put backlist Christian Fiction titles on the Kindle for free in hopes that newcomers would be lulled into continuing the series for cash money.
I read about a dozen of those books. In no case did I have the remotest of desires to pay for continued play. In many cases I didn’t even make it past page 89–my cutoff for a book I’m not enjoying. I have to be honest and say that in some the writing was no worse than in the various Mass Market paperbacks you can get in the mainstream world. Pretty standard light-reading fare.
But those Christian Books cost at least double–sometimes triple–because of the Jesus factor.
Since when is Christianity about spending more to get less? About being lesser copies of what the world has to offer? Aren’t we supposed to shine and add savour?
I still cling to C.S. Lewis’ train of thought about needing fewer Christian books and more Christian authors of mainstream books. Everything I write is mainstream. My theory is that by enjoying my work and spending time in my worlds the readers will see Christianity as a thing that changes your inner life, gives you hope.
One of the greatest Christian characters in any work of fiction that I’ve ever read was actually created by an atheist. Father Philip in The Pillars of The Earth is Ken Follet’s picture of the type of Christian who lives by the book. Philip has one or two blind spots–as all humans must–but he strives to live a Christ-centered life. Readers come away from that book with a positive picture of what Christianity can accomplish.
Why can’t Christians write books like that? Oh, right. We can.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
kay, then. I may have been a tad humor-impaiared; it was time for me to eat and I was getting crabby.
ay, then. I may have been a tad humor-impaiared; it was time for me to eat and I was getting crabby.
I have long thought that categories such as “Christian fiction” and “Christian music” only exist because of an unhealthy separatist mentality that has lost the biblical notion of vocation and calling. Those genres should not exist.
When I tell people that my favorite “Christian fiction” authors are Tolkien and Solzhynitsyn, they look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
I feel that all creative output should be judged to the same standard and not out of “guilt.”
As in–I should like this product more because it’s Christian.
I think part of the reason for more trade paperbacks of Christian fiction and not the mass market ones is the economics of book publishing. From my time reading Star Trek novels, I recall a debate with the publisher over whether or not episode and/or movie novelizations should be hard cover, trade pb or mass market. (For years they were always mass market but nowadays are all HC or TB). Said editor wrote that it was due to the lead time in getting the books into production and the cost factor as to why some where HC and TB. Apparently Mass Market is best if you have a larger print run.
I’m sketchy on the details here, but hopefully you get what I’m trying to say.