Episode 18: Christina Bieber Lake and Matt Mikalatos

Joel takes over the podcast for an episode all about speculative fiction! He is joined by two first-time guests for a wide-ranging and enthusiastic conversation about the importance of reading speculative fiction, and the crucial role such literature can play in our culture. Christina Bieber Lake is the Clyde S Kilby professor of English at Wheaton College where she teaches courses in subjects like contemporary American literature and literary theory. Her work helps readers explore the moral imagination, particularly through deep engagement with fiction and poetry. She also has a passion for helping teachers succeed in their work, evidenced by her most recent book: The Flourishing Teacher: Vocational Renewal for a Sacred Profession (which was just published this past summer by IVP Academic). Her other books are: Beyond the Story: American Literary Fiction and the Limits of Materialism, The Incarnational Art of Flannery O'Connor, and Prophets of the Posthuman: American Fiction, Biotechnology and the Ethics of Personhood. Matt Mikalatos, a resident of Portland, Oregon with his wife and three daughters, has been engaged with non-profit work all over the world for over 20 years, and is a co-host of the Fascinating Podcast, in addition to being a prolific writer. His writing has been featured in publications like Time, Relevant, Nature and Daily Science Fiction, and his wide array of books include titles like: Sky Lantern: The Story of a Father's Love for his Children and the Healing Power of the Smallest Act of Kindness; Good News for a Change: How to Talk to Anyone About Jesus; The Sunlit Lands fantasy book series (currently including The Crescent Stone and The Heartwood Crown).Books mentioned in this episode:The Flourishing Teacher: Vocational Renewal for a Sacred Profession by Christina Bieber LakeBeyond the Story: American Literary Fiction and the Limits of Materialism by Christina Bieber LakeThe Incarnational Art of Flannery O'Connor by Christina Bieber LakeProphets of the Posthuman: American Fiction, Biotechnology and the Ethics of Personhood by Christina Bieber LakeSky Lantern: The Story of a Father's Love for his Children and the Healing Power of the Smallest Act of Kindness by Matt Mikalatos Good News for a Change: How to Talk to Anyone About Jesus by Matt MikalatosThe Crescent Stone (book 1 of the Sunlit Lands) by Matt MikalatosThe Heartwood Crown (book 2 of the Sunlit Lands) by Matt MikalatosJourney to Love: What We Long For, How to Find It, How to Pass it On (forthcoming) by Matt MikalatosThe Story King (book 3 of the Sunlit Lands, forthcoming) by Matt MikalatosA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engleLord of the Flies by William GoldingFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyThe Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. LewisThe Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le GuinThe Thanatos Syndrome by Walker PercyThe MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret AtwoodParable of the Sower by Octavia ButlerThe Children of Men by P.D. JamesStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangExhalation by Ted ChiangThe Culture Series by Iain BanksThe Foundation Series by Isaac AsimovThe Transhumanist Wager by Zoltan IstvanDoomsday Book by Connie WillisA Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. MillerThe Road by Cormac McCarthyThe Necessary Beggar by Susan PalwickSpeak by Louisa HallThe Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea StewartElatsoe by Darcie Little BadgerA Memory Called Empire by Arkady MartineThe Rage of Dragons by Evan WinterThe Wheel of Time Series by Robert JordanThe Three-Body Problem by Cixin LiuThe Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu