SHINE A LIGHT TODAY. AKA: SALT
The Christian & Faith-Based go-to media review series that spotlights faith-driven books, films, and podcasts worth your time.
Bryce and the Lost Pearl (Lightglider Origin Story)
Bryce and the Lost Pearl is a tie-in novel to the Christian virtual world Lightgliders. Focusing on the origin of Bryce, a character and Lightglider from the video game ecosystem, this story goes through his first foray into the realm of Glideon, a fantastical land threatened by corruption and held together by hope. After taking a forbidden ride to a mysterious island, Bryce loses his horse and is forced to go searching through untamed wilderness. Soon he finds himself taken out of his old world and thrown into a new one filled with monsters, heroes, long-lost technology, and strange new friends.
Brand of Light
Brand of Light is the first book of Ronie Kendig’s Christian space opera epic series The Droseran Saga. On a low-tech planet, a prophecy is formed that will shape the fate of the space-faring civilizations around it. Kidnapping, regicide, forbidden technology, corruption in the military, conspiracies in the nobility, ancient prophecies, and illegal human experimentation are all wrapped up in this first foray into Kendig’s richly woven tetrology. With a subtle, well-placed thread of Christianity running through the story, Kendig throws the reader into a world of treachery, danger, and romance without coming across as preachy.
The High Crusade
The High Crusade is a tongue-in-cheek chivalric space opera by renown science fiction writer Poul Anderson. In this book, the conquering Wersgorix aliens arrive in fourteenth century England with the intention of scaring the locals into submission. Unable to anticipate the ferocity of the local English baron, Sir Roger de Tourneville and the fervent faith of the Englishmen under his leadership, the aliens are overpowered. With the captured alien ship, Sir Roger packs up the entire town of Ansby with the intention of assisting King Edward III in the Hundred Years’ War, not knowing that journey will take a detour of a few hundred lightyears.
King of Justice (Volume 1)
King of Justice is a Christian manga by Andrew Rowland. In this first issue, the homeless Jaden Theologia is given incredible power become Elohim’s champion against evil. After an arduous journey to gain these new powers, will he be able to vanquish the first villain he encounters?
That Hideous Strength
The final entry into C.S. Lewis’ The Space Trilogy is an author-described “fairytale for adults”. That Hideous Strength is part Arthurian legend, part dystopic nightmare, part study on the intricacies or both human nature and spiritual warfare, pulling no punches on any of these topics.
Perelandra
The sequel to C.S. Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet and second installment of his space trilogy, Perelandra, is a blunt, breathtaking, and intricately crafted allegory on the temptation of sin and retelling of the Biblical story of Eden.
Out of the Silent Planet
Out of the Silent Planet is the first installment of C.S. Lewis’ space epic The Ransom Trilogy. In this 1938 novel, a philologist named Elwin Ransom is kidnapped by two scientists, Devine and Weston, and taken to the planet of Malacandra to be handed over to the natives. Through a twisting and turning adventure across this alien world, Ransom confronts new species of sentients, strange ethereal beings, and perils of all kinds, including hunger and cold. Through this, Ransom discovers the cosmos is not what he thought it would be and that it is, in fact, teeming with life and sentient creatures beyond his imagination.
The Shift
The Shift by Angel Studios is a genre-breaking tale of endurance and faithfulness through trials on a dystopic backdrop. Part multiverse-hopping quest, part underdog rebellion, part romance, this Job-influenced epic is sorrowful, joyful, and has set a new standard for Christian speculative fiction in movies.
Displaced: Aboard the Leto
Displaced: Aboard the Leto is a shiny new scifi series from creator Sam Rieck with art by Duh Dude and writing by Brannon Hollingsworth. The premise of the story is Norm, a 33-year-old couch potato that finds himself thrown into the middle of a chaotic and violent conflict between the crew of the Leto and their enemy, the Drose. Armed with nothing but a lot of confusion, Norm has to survive not only the impending Drose invasion, but also the crew of the Leto’s distrust.
Nova
Chuck Black’s first book of the Starlore Legacy series, Nova, is a fighter-pilot space opera for middle-grade to YA students. Crafted in the vein of Dune and Star Wars on the foundation of Biblical retellings, Nova promises great adventure and political intrigue, all wrapped up in a star-spanning, coming-of-age tale.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time has long been held as a staple in middle grade science fiction and fantasy. A mind-bending adventure across the stars in an ultimate battle between obviously good and obviously evil, this story paints a beautiful and fantastical adventure for children of all ages.