But I Digress…, Episode 35: A Review of ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’

“But I Digress…”
Hosted by Nathan Marchand

“And there came a day unlike any other”–

Oops. Wrong company and franchise. 😛

Anyway, in this episode I review DC’s much-hyped Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. But I’m not alone. I’m joined once again by my buddy Sergio. Guess which one of us liked the movie and which of us didn’t.

(By the way, Sergio’s awful couch makes skinny people look fat and fat people look…fatter). 😜

Please subscribe, comment, and share! Thanks!

My text review of the movie.

UPCOMING BOOK SIGNINGS: Gen-Con 2016 and National Library Week

You get two posts today, True Believers! A new story and an announcement.

I currently have two book signings scheduled for 2016 (more will probably be on the way). The first will be at the North Webster Community Public Library in North Webster, Indiana. It’ll be held April 11 3:30pm-6:30pm. It’s part of their celebration of National Library Week, which starts that day. I’ll have most, if not all, of my books with me, but I’ll be focusing on my newest ones, Ninjas and Talking Trees and 42: Discovering Faith Through Fandom. You can find out more on the library’s website.

The big one as usual, though, is Gen-Con. The “best four days in gaming” will be held at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium August 4-7 in Indianapolis, Indiana. I’ll be in Authors’ Avenue in the vendor’s hall, but you’ll probably also see me attending events and enjoying the con. I’ll hopefully have added one or two more titles to the long list of books I’ll be selling there. I can’t wait to see all my Gen-Con friends! You can find out more about the event on its website.

When I have other signings scheduled, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Resolution

Author’s Note: This is a sequel to “The Christmas Dance,” a story I wrote and posted back in December. Like that story, this one was inspired by a writing prompt from one of my writers’ group, which was to write a sequel story. I enjoyed it so much, I think I might do a series of 1,000-1,500 word stories about this young couple celebrating different holidays over the course of a year. Perhaps it’ll end with them getting engaged the next Christmas. ;P Anyway, enjoy this entry!

Resolution
By Nathan Marchand

“Welcome to the New Year’s Eve Bash in Central Park!” booms the emcee over the microphone. The crowd surrounding the stage cheers. I’m always amazed at how the local parks and recreation department finds ways to emulate New York City’s holiday celebrations just because our little city also has a “Central Park.” This year they have a stage with a giant screen showing Dick Clark’s famous giant disco ball.

They’ve outdone themselves, I think. Almost as much as I did last week with Kara.

Kara. My…”almost-girlfriend”?

I hadn’t seen her since she gave me her number at the Christmas dance. The holidays are busy for both of us. But we’d talked on the phone and texted almost every day since. It was her suggestion we come to this event. We were to meet at the park office to rent some ice skates at 8 p.m.

I’d just arrived—at 8:05 p.m.

It’s cold enough for snow, but none falls. I pull my sock cap an inch lower over my frozen ears. The crowd is thick, but I push my way through it wishing I could part this sea of humanity like Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments. I say, “Excuse me,” more times in the next two minutes than I have in half of my life.

I cut through the last of the throng, emerging triumphant.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Goodwill!”

My heart jumps into my throat when I hear that.

“I swear you’re stalking me, Jimmy,” I retort as I look to my left.

There stands my old rival clad in a three-hundred-dollar coat and with a giggling blonde on his arm. He looks as smug as ever.

“No, I’m just Sir Fate’s little way of putting you in your place.” The blonde giggles more.

“Whatever. I have better things to do,” I say, smirking before I let him have it. “Like a date with Kara.”

Jimmy scowls. The blonde glares at him.

I look away and start walking toward the park office, but Jimmy shouts his parting shot: “She’ll be disappointed at midnight when she learns you resolve every year to kiss a girl because you never have!”

I stop dead, feeling like I’ve been hit in the back with an arrow. He laughs at me. I huff and walk on.

It’s not long before I see Kara, the prettiest girl in town, standing at the back of the line for skate rental. She’s wearing a bright blue wool coat with matching leather boots. Her red-gold hair braid hangs out of her hood across her collar bone. Before I can call her name, she waves at me with a gloved hand.

My heart jumps back into my throat.

“I’m so glad you made it, Ethan,” she says when I join her in line. “Even if you are a little late.” Her smile is as radiant as the sun.

“Yeah…sorry. I…ran into someone I used to know.”

Her smile flips. “You mean Jimmy?”

Hesitantly, I nod.

“Ignore him. He’s just jealous.”

“I’m sure.”

Within ten minutes, we get our skates and head to the frozen pond. Dozens of couples, some of whom we saw dancing last week, look graceful circling hand-in-hand around the ice. Kara and I sit on a park bench to put on our skates. She laughs when I pull off one of my shoes and reveal the Superman socks underneath. I blush.

“No, no! I think they’re cute,” she says, seeing my embarrassment. “Besides, I used to watch Lois and Clark as a kid. It made me want to read comics, but I always got geek-shamed when I walked into a comic shop, so I never read any.”

“I’m sorry,” was all I could say.

Her smile brightened. “Don’t be. One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to start reading comics.” She finishes lacing up her skates. “What about you? Any resolutions?”

I bite my lower lip. “Not…really.” I grab her hand to distract her. “Let’s go!” I say, motioning toward the ice. She beams, and we hurry out. Her jacket’s hood flies off, unveiling her beautiful hair.

Now I wish I could kiss her.

The next few hours are a blissful blur. I hadn’t skated since I played junior hockey in middle school, but it was like riding a bike. A few times I had trouble stopping, but I didn’t fall. Kara, on the other hand, despite being a great ballroom dancer, wasn’t as surefooted on the ice. She held my hand for dear life. Well, for balance, anyway. One time, though, she started to fall, but I caught her. “My hero,” she called me. I’ve never felt such awkward excitement.

“I need a quick break,” I tell her.

“Okay. I can take a few solo laps. But don’t be long!” she says, winking.

My heart thunders in my ears.

I skate to the edge of the pond and sit on a bench. My calves are burning, but I don’t care. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. Kara waves at me as she skates by, nearly losing her balance. I snicker, admiring her bravery.

“Only fifteen minutes until midnight!” booms the emcee over the microphone on the stage. “Have your sweethearts ready to kiss when the ball drops!”

Suddenly Jimmy and the blonde appear in front of me, pretending they’re oblivious to my presence.

“Why wait until midnight for a kiss?” the jerk says to the poor girl.

Before she can reply, he grabs her, dips her like a professional dancer, and plants a long-lasting lip-lock on her. I look away like a grossed out schoolboy. They finally come up for air and walk away, Jimmy laughing the entire time. I feel like throwing up.

“Ethan!” calls Kara.

I look up and see her sliding by, so I spring to my feet and jump onto the ice. It doesn’t take me long to catch up and grab her hand.

Minutes later, everyone stops. 11:59 has come too soon. We all turn our attention to screen above the stage. Dick Clark is rattling off numbers.

“It’s the final countdown!” someone belts out, adding a terrible impersonation of the song’s guitar riff.

I glance at Kara. Her eyes practically sparkle. She smiles knowingly, expectantly, at me. My stomach is turning in knots like it did last week. Does she want me to kiss her?

“Thirty!” the crowd cries in unison with Dick Clark.

I should—no, I can’t. I’ll just disappoint her. I can’t start her New Year like that.

“Twenty!” cries the crowd.

But I want to impress her, to make her happy. But should I be that forward? It’s only a first date!

“Ten, nine, eight,” begins the crowd.

Kara wraps her arms around my neck and her jade eyes look deep into mine. I’m breathless.

“…five, four, three…”

I blink. My head hangs.

The crowd screams, “Happy New Year!” Noise and confetti fill the air.

Shame stabs me with a knife. I unclasp Kara’s arms and skate away as fast as my tired legs can carry me, not stopping until I reach an isolated bench. I flop onto it and bury my face in my hands. My tears are barely kept dammed.

You’re a coward, Ethan, just like Jimmy thought you were, I think. Your first date with her will be your last.

But just as I’m about to drown in a sea of self-pity, a soft hand squeezes my shoulder. “What’s wrong?” says that wonderfully lyrical voice.

I glance up and see Kara sitting next to me.

May as well come clean. You owe her that, I think.

“I thought you wanted me to kiss you at midnight. I wanted to, but…I just…couldn’t. I’m sorry, Kara. I ruined everything.”

“Why couldn’t you?”

I look away. “Because…I…I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

I brace myself for her to leave.

After ten seconds of silence, she’s still here.

Her warm fingers touch my chin. She lifts and turns my head toward her, unhanding it when our eyes meet. “You didn’t have to kiss me if you weren’t ready. I wouldn’t have been disappointed.” She snickers. “Honestly, I might’ve been weirded out. It’s jerks like Jimmy who pull numbers like that, and I know you’re better than that.”

“So, you’re not upset?”

Kara sighs, rolling her eyes. “No, silly!”

My hand touches hers on my shoulder. “Thank you.”

She just smiles.

“Tell you what,” she says. “I’m exhausted from all that ice skating, so how about you escort me home and we talk about this tomorrow over lunch?”

“Deal!”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Kara presses two fingers against her puckered lips and then places those fingers on my cheek. I feel it burn.

“A preview of things to come,” she says.

I sigh to fight back tears. Then I reciprocate.

Magic is No Different Than Science in Fiction

That guy wrote “2001: A Space Odyssey,” so he should know! 😛

This is a subject that I’ve been pondering for a while, but it was brought to a head for me this week when I, once again, heard a new host on a podcast I listen to make the typical “magic is always bad/evil in fiction” comment that all-too-many Christians have made for years. I’m shocked there are still people adhering to this anti-Dungeons & Dragons propaganda that was prevalent during the ‘80s (the ‘80s, people! Thirty years ago!) What made this even more ironic was this particular host was my age or a little younger.

This host (who shall remain nameless) has made it clear on several occasions that he thinks magic, particularly when presented in a dark fashion, should never be presented in fiction. He even said when he guest-starred on podcast run by one of his co-hosts while discussing Wonder Woman’s origin in the animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters, that he liked her “more science-based” origin. The more I hear him, the more I realize that it isn’t just “dark” magic he opposed, but all magic. It makes me wonder if he hates Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings just because they include magic, despite them being written by Christians.

Admittedly, I once held to similar views, so I can’t fault him too much. But with age (and education) came new ideas. I’ve now concluded that magic is no different than science in speculative fiction. In other words, they aren’t evil in and of themselves.

First—and I owe my college chum Aaron Brosman for pointing me toward this—while magic is regarded by many Christians as evil, they forget that evil is incapable of creating. This idea comes from J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings (I wish I could remember where he said it). Here’s the logic behind it: 1) God is wholly good. 2) Everything was created by God. 3) Everything God created was good (Gen. 1:31). 4) Everything that is now “evil” was once good. 5) Ergo, evil can only corrupt what was once good.

By extension, this means that God, not Satan, created magic. One only has to look at the miracles performed by prophets like Elijah, the Apostles, and, yes, Jesus Himself to see “magic” at work. They call fire from the sky (2 Kings 1:10), healed the sick (Acts 3), and even raised the dead (Elijah – 1 Kings 17:17-22; Jesus – John 11:1-44). In other words, fire magic, healing magic, and necromancy (sorta). And these were God-fearing men and the Savior Himself, not people like the Witch of Endor (no, she didn’t hang out with Ewoks).

The difference here is twofold: 1) the source of the “magical” power, and 2) the motivations for using it. The purpose of magic, whether in real life or in fiction, is ultimately to acquire power. This manifests as command over the elements, animals, spirits, and/or people (curses, love spells, etc.). This grants the user certain abilities and/or privileges. So, the reason God forbade the practice of magic in passages like Deuteronomy 18:9-12 isn’t because the practices themselves but because mankind would use it to seek power separate from Him. This has been humanity’s tendency since Adam and Eve sinned. God knows this and doesn’t want anything to come between Him and His creation. Along with that, the source of much of those magical powers was demonic, so it’s also a form of protection. The Devil and his angels may promise power to those willing to ally with them, but in the end they will only exploit and torment those who fall into their clutches.

Now, that isn’t to say that all depictions of magic in fiction should be forbidden. The sources of the magic aren’t always demonic. Even when they are, they’re presented as evil, or at the very least in a negative light. For Christians to shy away from the realities of evil is arguably naïve.

So, I have a question for you: If magic is about the acquisition of power, how is it “holier” than magic?

Stop and think about it. In both real life and fiction, sinful people use science to acquire power apart from God. Some perhaps think that by using science they can become gods themselves, in some way. Stories like Frankenstein by Mary Shelly touch on this theme. Dr. Frankenstein seeks to overcome death itself by conducting experiments to reanimate dead bodies. He uses science to violate the natural laws put in place by God Himself (mind you, death didn’t exist before the Fall, but I digress). In real life, humanity used science to create the nuclear bomb, a weapon whose power rivals that of mythical gods, if not God Himself. Speculative fiction is replete with mad scientists who seek power through the use of science. Are they any different from the sorcerers in fairy tales? But just like magic, God created science, so science isn’t inherently evil.

This is why Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that it wasn’t enough to simply not murder or commit adultery. No, it someone was angry at his fellow man or lusted after someone, he was already guilty because he sinned in his heart. It’s relatively easy to keep rules. Even the Pharisees did that. But Jesus cut through that and went straight to the, well, heart of the issue. It wasn’t enough to keep rules: what truly mattered was one’s motivations and thought life. He later said, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19).

So, no, magic isn’t the Devil’s creation. Writing characters who utilize supernatural power that isn’t demonic and for the right reasons isn’t immoral. Writing characters who do use demonic magic for acquiring power for evil purposes is true to life.

I would encourage you to take a closer look at what the Bible says about magic. It’s not as simple as you think.

P.S. I understand there are people who may choose not to read/watch/play such stories because they were once involved in the occult, and I can respect that. That’s like an alcoholic avoiding beer.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Are magic and science no different?

In Defense of Extroverts

You may find it strange that I’m blogging about this. Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage, would have you believe that we live in an “extroverted world” since one in four people are introverts.

Then I, somehow, made friends in most of them. Seriously, most of my friends are on the introvert side of the spectrum. I have no idea how or why that happened.

It’s these sorts of statements that upset me. >:(

Sadly, I’ve also known pretentious introverts who did nothing but sing the praises of introversion—and, by extension, themselves—to the point of negatively stereotyping extroverts (insensitive, unintelligent, etc. Heck, one introvert I know even called them “vampires” since they re-energize being around other people). There are numerous articles saying that introverts are attractive and sexy—one even comparing them to James Bond—using descriptions that I thought were what any man should be in order to attract women. While they don’t come out and say it—and I admit I could be reading into this—the implication seems to be that introverts make for superior spouses. Perhaps even superior human beings.

So, while I apparently live in an extroverted world, I’ve run in circles that derided extroverts or at least my extroverted tendencies. I’ve often hated my own personality because of it. I wasn’t allowed to get animated or boisterous: these were always unattractive social faux pas, no matter the context (I was even accused of being homosexual because of it, since, apparently, straight men are always introverted [note the sarcasm]). I can recall playing video games with a particularly pretentious introverted “friend” (who later stabbed me in the back) telling me the excited squeal I made when I pulled off something crazy was a sound that was meant only for the bedroom (I’m sure you get what he meant). Disliking loneliness was a weakness. Being talkative was a sin. It even seemed at times that introversion was the “more Christian” personality to have.

Stop it with the stereotypes! Extroverts (and introverts, for that matter) are far more nuanced than many people realize. Just read this article on extroverts. It dispels the myths. Just because extroverts like being around people doesn’t mean they can’t stand being alone. Extroverts are human beings, and that means they sometimes lead some time to themselves. The opposite is true of introverts: humans are social creatures, and studies have shown that they are happier when connecting with each other, so introverts can’t hide in their rooms forever. One is not superior to the other. Anyone who says so is a narcissist trying to obliquely brag about how awesome he thinks he is.

Maybe this blog, in the long run, will serve less as a defense of extroverts and more a defense of my own personality. I admit that I take it personally any disparaging things said about extroverts. As you can see, it’s something that didn’t happen in a vacuum.

It’s time extroverts and introverts alike learned to appreciate one another and learn from one another. We’re all wonderful people with much to offer. We are equals.

Don’t silence the extroverts—silence the prejudice.