Book-Bat

Do the ends justify the means? Jason walks us through three episodes from the animated Star Wars shows - one from The Clone Wars and two from Rebels - and the lessons they have taught him about how to approach podcasting better.If you enjoy Star Wars, you may want to listen to two of our previous episodes:Perelandra and Star Wars: https://www.book-bat.com/podcast/2024/6/13/episode-31-perelandra-and-star-warsExploring The Bad Batch: https://www.book-bat.com/podcast/2024/7/25/episode-34-exploring-the-bad-batchLearn more about Book-Bat and what we do: https://www.book-bat.com/aboutLearn more about To Narnia and Beyond: https://www.book-bat.com/nonfiction

Karlissa J’s most recent fantasy novel is Davy Jones’ Aquarium. Jason has described it as the perfection of the way she wants to write. And it is a xenofiction story, where the main character is a quirky teenage merman. What inspired Karlissa to write a tale about a merman, and what did she enjoy about creating the world he would inhabit?You can learn more about Davy Jones’ Aquarium and my other books by visiting book-bat.com/books.If you have read and enjoyed Davy Jones’ Aquarium, be sure to post a review, we’d greatly appreciate it.

It’s Sonic the Hedgehog meets the Enneagram! Jason has made personality matches for a swath of Sonic-universe characters, and Sonic himself got the title of Peacemaker. Why did Jason decide this was a fitting label for the speedster?Jason Recommends… Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix CasefilesBlog about IDW Sonic characters:https://www.book-bat.com/blog/2026/3/4/sonic-the-hedgehog-new-characters-from-the-comicsLast year’s Month of Sonic episode and blog post:http://www.book-bat.com/podcast/2025/3/18/episode-42-the-first-month-of-sonic-the-hedgehoghttp://www.book-bat.com/blog/2025/3/8/sonic-the-hedgehog-on-the-small-screen-ranked

Xenofiction - stories told from a nonhuman perspective - is all around us! In this episode, Karlissa and Jason explore the appeal of xenofiction from a writer’s perspective and dive into a few examples of xenofiction. They discuss… Does it matter that Superman is an alien? Are hobbits truly distinct from humans? And what’s up with the animosity between the human Dr. Eggman and animal-people like Sonic the hedgehog? And of course, Karlissa sneaks in a quote from C.S. Lewis!

Welcome to 2026! Our main goals for the new year: release a book about Christian fantasy authors and talk about xenofiction!For those who already knew what xenofiction is and how to pronounce it… sorry, we will aim to pronounce it correctly next episode! (“zehn” not “zeen”)Learn more about To Narnia and Beyond: book-bat.com/nonfictionSign up to our newsletter to get updates and podcast highlights at book-bat.comLet us know your thoughts on the podcast: comment on our website or fill out the feedback survey on our newsletter

Does K-Pop Demon Hunters contain the best villain song ever? Is writing for a particular audience important? Why would Karlissa call Spy x Family an allegory? Jason and Karlissa reflect on what they’ve learned about writing this year and discuss stories they’ve been enjoying.Note: the director of K-Pop Demon Hunters is Maggie Kang (along with Chris Appelhans)To all our listeners: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank you for joining us for the third year of the Book-Bat podcast! Subscribe to the Book-Bat newsletter by visiting our website, book-bat.com, to get reminders of new episodes and updates on book releases!

Karlissa J’s latest book, To Narnia and Beyond, comes out next year! In this episode, she talks about the inspiration behind the book, her research process, and how she hopes readers will be inspired to pick up more classic works of fantasy!To Narnia and Beyond explores the fantasy novels of George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L’Engle.More about To Narnia and Beyond: book-bat.com/nonfictionPublisher’s website: siretona.comPreordering and Release: To Narnia and Beyond will be released in 2026; stay tuned to hear when it becomes available for preorder!

In this three-part series, Jason and Karlissa J each give their top fives in fantasy: top 5 animated fantasy shows, top 5 fantasy novels, and top 5 animated fantasy movies!It’s time for our top movie picks! Jason and Karlissa J each give their top 5 animated fantasy movies, reflect on when they first discovered these animated films, and explore what makes them stand out.SPOILER ALERT: some of the dialogue runs into mild spoiler territory!

In this three-part series, Jason and Karlissa J each give their top fives in fantasy: top 5 animated fantasy shows, top 5 fantasy novels, and top 5 animated fantasy movies!Here on the Book-Bat podcast, we talk about movies, shows, even video games - but of course, we also talk about books! In Part 2 of our Rankings series, Jason and Karlissa J each list five fantasy novels that stand out as exceptionally well-written and memorable.Towards the end of the episode, Jason shifts the topic into exploring Karlissa’s book preferences and how she writes her stories.Jason’s review for his favourite book!

Here on the Book-Bat podcast, we regularly drop references to our favourite media and stories. Now, in this three-part series, Jason and Karlissa J each give their top fives in fantasy: top 5 animated fantasy shows, top 5 fantasy novels, and top 5 animated fantasy movies!In Part 1, Jason and Karlissa J discuss the animated fantasy shows they love and what makes these shows stand out!

After all our early hyping of the animated show The Dragon Prince, we ceased to talk about it as its final seasons released. Let’s just say our thoughts have changed. We review the show, discussing the good and the bad, and comparing it to the show it was designed to resemble, Avatar: the Last Airbender.SPOILER ALERT: this episode contains spoilers for the ending of both The Dragon Prince and Avatar: the Last Airbender. We begin the episode with a bit of spoiler-free territory, describing the show, it’s creation, and plot points covered in the first few episodes. Then, we discuss any potential content concerns for Christian viewers (6:33-10:10), and finally transition into our spoiler-heavy review (10:45+).

Last year, a Lord of the Rings movie was released that garnered little attention. We give our review of The War of the Rohirrim, along with thoughts on Tolkien-esque storytelling, Japanese perspective, spiritual themes in Tolkien’s books, and what people expect from tales about Middle Earth.SPOILER ALERT: we give notice when we are about to discuss an event that happens later in the movie (starting 18:15), though we never give away the ending.Note: Production companies included New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, WingNut Films, Sola Entertainment, Domain Entertainment (II).

With the release of Disney’s live-action remake on the horizon, Jason and Karlissa discuss what made 2002’s Lilo & Stitch among Disney’s best animated movies, diving into fun trivia about the art, voice acting, and storytelling.This episode contains SPOILERS for the 2002 Lilo & Stitch!Join the conversation! Are you more optimistic about the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch? Will you be watching it in theatres? Let us know in the comments!

Karlissa J is joined by Heidi Richardson, Canadian author of the Tower of the Deep series, to discuss what inspired her to write, why she chose to write fantasy, and some strategies she used in creating her fantasy world.  Synopsis for book one, The Prisoner and the Traitor:Hennelyn is only fourteen, born into a fierce, warlike race – the Starkhons. Her father, General Tai Kanow, has orders to conquer and enslave the remaining indigenous people who are still living free on the prairie toes of a beautiful mountain range west of the established Starkhon territories. These small people who were first in this land call themselves Bunjis. But Hennelyn is also the daughter of a woman from Luina, whose people are peaceful and kind. After being put in charge of her father’s first captured Bunji in their prairie outpost, Hennelyn finds herself drawn to the young man. She feels a need to act – but which legacy should she choose, her father’s or her mother’s? The bunji’s life is in her hands. She must decide what to do… even if her chosen path costs her everything. Visit Heidi’s Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Heidi-Richardson/author/B09QLW84NS?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

“Gotta go fast!” Why does Jason like Sonic so much? And where might one find some fun Sonic the Hedgehog stories? Jason and Karlissa look at Sonic’s history, his current comic book run, and more! Also, check out this month’s blog post for a ranking of Sonic’s animated shows: http://www.book-bat.com/blog/2025/3/8/sonic-the-hedgehog-on-the-small-screen-ranked

Time to nerd out! When is a superhero story not a superhero story? Jason is given the chance to gush about one of his favourite subjects as he and Karlissa J discuss movies, shows, comics, Batman, Spiderman, and even Shadow the Hedgehog.

Announcements for the new year, how we and our fans rank Karlissa J’s seven books, and behind-the-scenes insight into Karlissa’s creative writing process! Be sure to sign up for the monthly Book-Bat newsletter for exclusive updates, as well as links to our latest podcast episode and blog posts.

Jason takes over to ask the question: why does the way a story ends matter so much to us? Are we being fair by judging the story by its ending? Or do we miss out on the journey by emphasizing the end? Karlissa and Jason give some insights into their own writing process, explore thoughts on genre, and reflect on what they read growing up.Spoilers for Treasure Planet (Disney)!

Is C.S. Lewis’ final novel deserving of more attention, or too difficult to understand and get into? Karlissa and Jason both came out of reading it with differing opinions, and now, they want to discuss why Till We Have Faces has been largely forgotten.

Karlissa has recently read Watership Down (Richard Adams), so we’re going to talk about novels with animal protagonists, with a focus on the rabbit tale – including thoughts about the movie!New vocabulary: Animal Xenofiction (stories told from the perspective of an animal).Books Mentioned: Warriors (Erin Hunter), Redwall (Brian Jacques), Guardians of Ga’Hoole (Katherine Lasky), Silverwing (Kenneth Oppel), The Incredible Journey (Sheila Burnfield), Jim Kjelgaard books, Walt Morey books, Sonic the Hedgehog stories, The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud (Jenny L. Cote), Runt the Brave (Daniel Schwabauer), The Green Ember (S.D. Smith).Join the conversation! What is your favourite animal-led novel?

Are the characters in Redwall Abbey religious? Karlissa explores spiritual themes in Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, and Jason brings his love of and familiarity with Jacques’ books to the conversation!

Why is it so rare that we see stand-alone fantasy books? Is it a marketing scheme? Is this what readers really want?? Jason cracked some numbers, and he has some questions!

Time for more sci-fi! Jason contemplates themes in the Star Wars animated shows. Then, Jason and Karlissa discuss their favourite scenes from The Bad Batch.Books Mentioned: George MacDonald, “Lilith”; H.M. Richardson, “The Prisoner and the Traitor” and “The Winged Warrior”

Time to talk about George MacDonald, and his final novel, "Lilith"! Karlissa gives six reading tips for understanding what's going on under-the-surface in this philosophical, magical story.Fernando Soto’s article “The Worm as Metaphor in Lilith” was published in 2006 in North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies, and can be found on the George MacDonald society website, at https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/northwind/

What does CS Lewis’ novel The Great Divorce have in common with Dante’s Divine Comedy? Is The Great Divorce a fantasy book, or not quite? Jason and Karlissa have finished reading The Great Divorce, and discuss its themes, before Karlissa tells Jason about her experience reading The Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso).Much of Karlissa’s understanding of The Divine Comedy comes from Jason M. Baxter’s guide, A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Jason finished reading CS Lewis’ Perelandra! What did he think? Karlissa and Jason use this as a launch point for talking about hard and soft sci-fi, Star Wars, CS Lewis’ novels, and more!Spoiler warning for Perelandra! This is the second book in CS Lewis’ Space Trilogy, between Out of the Silent Planet (book one) and That Hideous Strength (book three). Books Referenced:Perelandra (CS Lewis); Sonic the Hedgehog, Volume 10: Test Run! (IDW Comics); Paradise Lost (Milton); Shivering World (Kathy Tyers); Out of the Silent Planet (CS Lewis); That Hideous Strength (CS Lewis); The Divine Comedy (Dante); The Great Divorce (CS Lewis); Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis); Notes:Milton’s (Paradise Lost) first name is John. John Milton.Perelandra was referenced in the Language of God podcast, “166. Molly Worthing – Science and the Journey to Faith.” Molly Worthing states, “For the most part, I don’t find Mere Christianity to be this very powerful apologetic intervention that I think many people think it is, and for me, The Space Trilogy is most absolutely his most powerful apologetic work.”Alister McGrath has talked about the racism concerns in Lewis’ books on the CS Lewis Podcast.

Davy Jones’ Aquarium is now available through Kobo ebooks! Karlissa and Jason talk about some changes to the podcast, what Karlissa has been up to in getting her latest book published, and where physical copies of the book will be available!

Did you know that Karlissa’s latest book, “Davy Jones’ Aquarium,” is coming out soon?? After Jason’s impromptu ad, he and Karlissa discuss the things that make them love the fantasy genre!

What are the pros and cons of the recent state of Christian Fantasy? Jason and Karlissa consider the value of Christian-written fantasy, and areas where the ‘genre’ could grow by moving away from market trends.Currently Reading: “Silverwing” graphic novel (Kenneth Oppel), “Sonic Volume 16: Misadventures” (Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley), “The Divine Comedy” (Dante, English translations), “A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (Jason M Baxter), “Perelandra” (CS Lewis).Correction: “The Divine Comedy” was written about 700 years ago (not 600)!

What is allegory? The word “allegory” often gets brought up in discussions about Christian fantasy - but what do people really mean when they use that word?Karlissa is currently reading: “The Divine Comedy” (Dante, various translations); “A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (Jason M Baxter).

Jason and Karlissa talk about how they got into fantasy, books they haven’t read in a while, books they finished reading recently, and the books they are working on writing!Recent books read: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Rewriting Adam” (Connie Mae Inglis), “JRR Tolkien: the Mind Behind the Rings” (Mark Horne), “The Woodcutter” (Lorn Wolf), “A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War” (Joseph Loconte), and “Let the Ghosts Speak” (Bryan Davis).

Lord of the Rings; Harry Potter; The Dragon Prince; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – what do all have in common with a verse from the book of Hebrews?Spoiler Warning for “The Dragon Prince” show from Wonderstorm! (Also, be aware that this series contains abundant LGBTQ+ content and some dark themes.)Currently Reading: “The Woodcutter” by Lorn Wolf; “J. R. R. Tolkien: The Mind Behind the Rings” by Mark Horne.

Karlissa’s mind made a connection between an astronaut interview and a CS Lewis quote. Is there something there that will help us find stories that “cool us” and give us a bigger perspective on the world? This tangent leads her and Jason into discussing the book of Revelation and Dante’s Divine Comedy as they search their minds for stories that can fill this role for the average person. Episode Resources: BibleProject podcast, “Chaos and the Cosmos: an Astronaut Interview – Chaos Dragon Episode 19” (Dec 11, 2023); and CS Lewis, “On Science Fiction” (as printed in “On Stories”).Currently Reading: Rewriting Adam (Connie Mae Inglis), The Medieval Mind of CS Lewis (Jason M. Baxter), Thrawn Treason (Timothy Zahn).

Do we over-emphasize romantic relationships to the detriment of our understanding of friendship? And where can you find good friendship stories in Christian fantasy, and fantasy in general?Currently reading: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Leoshine Book 1” (N. MacCameron), “The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis” (Jason M. Baxter), “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (Akira Himekawa).

We’re back for this podcast’s second year of adventures through fantasy! On this episode we tease what’s ahead for 2024!Currently Reading: “Thrawn Treason” (Timothy Zahn), “Tales Before Tolkien” (edited by Douglas A. Anderson), and “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” manga (story and art by Akira Himekawa).

What creative goals do we have in mind for 2024 and beyond? Tune in to find out!

We have invited an author onto our show for the first time – not really – to do an author interview! Karlissa J talks about her books, her inspiration, and the life experiences that have shaped her as an author.Karlissa is currently reading: “On Stories” by CS Lewis (hence her multiple CS Lewis references).Further notes: the Blackhawks won.

What would it look like for Christian fantasy to tackle more difficult subjects and questions? We give some ideas, like drawing from deeper history and acknowledging complex emotions. We also give writing updates, and thoughts on how Christian norms affect our writing.SPOILER WARNING for Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J)!CORRECTION: in The Great Divorce, Lewis does mention that the mentor ghost is George MacDonald. Mentioned: Thinking Out Loud podcast with Cameron MacAllister and Nathan Rittenhouse (toltogether.com/podcast); Lilith (George MacDonald); The Divine Comedy (Dante); The Great Divorce (CS Lewis).

In a subgenre – Christian fantasy novels – largely aimed at youth, is there even room or desire for tackling difficult or complex subject matter: like mental illness, tragedy, or denser theology?What are the Christian expectations for fantasy novels? Why don’t more people know about or read C.S. Lewis’ adult fantasy stories: The Cosmic Trilogy and Till We Have Faces? How ought authors to challenge their readers, and can the Bible give us some ideas on how to approach mature storytelling?We move from early 2000s Christian fantasy to works from classic authors as we sort through our thoughts on this topic.Mentions: Till We Have Faces (CS Lewis), Children of Hurin (JRR Tolkien), Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J), The Cosmic Trilogy (CS Lewis) including Out of the Silent Planet; the CS Lewis podcast (with Allister McGrath); The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings (Philip and Carol Zaleski); and the Bible Project series on Parables.

Does Christian fantasy need more ‘mature content’? What IS maturity? What is the role of spiritual maturity, difficult themes, and deeper thinking in fantasy? We will be exploring these questions and more in our series on mature content, as we take a look at classic literature and what authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien can teach us.Don’t worry, this episode’s content is suitable for all ages!Quote from C.S. Lewis comes from his article “The Lord of the Rings,” which can be found in his book On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature.This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Does constantly reaching for the familiar stunt our creativity? In this episode, each co-host answers how he/she makes a point of stepping outside the box of familiarity to strengthen their writing abilities.

The evolution of the word stereotype, the invention of the term Mary Sue, our dislike of James Bond, what Ironman has in common with Paw Patrol… our discussion of Mary Sue and Gary Stu characters leads to multiple random reflections!  Dictionary.com article on Mary Sue: https://www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/mary-sue/The actor who plays Superman in the CW’s “Superman & Lois” is Tyler Hoechlin. The Tolkien Society Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/faq/

Karlissa came up with a list of ten fun things to say about John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, among other books.Resources mentioned: the CS Lewis Podcast with Alister McGrath; J.R.R. Tolkien’s letter to Milton Waldman; “On Fairy Stories” (J.R.R. Tolkien)Jason Fisher’s Article “Reluctantly Inspired: George MacDonald and J.R.R. Tolkien”: https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/northwind/vol25/iss1/8/

Do we have a type? Can a villain be a favourite character? Can a character be separated from their story? We explore our thoughts on favourite characters!SPOILER ALERTS: George MacDonald’s “Lilith,” “The Dragon Prince” (Wonderstorm).Other books mentioned: “The Silmarillion” (JRR Tolkien), “Tales of the Diversity” (Karlissa J), “Till We Have Faces” (CS Lewis), Sonic Comics from IDW, “Rise of the Guardians” (William Joyce), “Chronicles of Narnia” (CS Lewis), Redwall series (Brian Jacques), “All-New Wolverine” (Tom Taylor)… the Bible!

Which are better: characters that exemplify who we wish to be, or ones that remind us of who we already are? Jason and Karlissa discuss the Bible, superheroes, Sonic the Hedgehog, and even throw in a reference to Disney's "Treasure Planet"!“When a character is relatable, the audience can see themselves in them, and they are more likely to invest in their story.” - neilchasefilm.com/relatable-characters/ - by Neil Chase2 years ago, the website Comic Vine did a poll that asked which voters preferred: Aspirational or Relatable. Now, out of the fourteen that voted, the results were 57-43 in favour of “Aspirational”.According to Falcon At the Movies “An aspirational hero is somebody to look up to and fights for the right thing. I think they CAN make mistakes and even have flaws, but they can NEVER question fighting for good.” - https://falconmovies.wordpress.com/2021/07/23/great-debate-what-is-an-aspirational-hero-movies/

Jason and Karlissa discuss magic: a topic that sometimes gets brought up in Christian circles concerning fantasy. Together, they consider the complexities that often get overlooked.Resources used: “The Gospel According to Tolkien” (Ralph C. Wood); “Narnia, Middle-Earth, and the Kingdom of God” (Mark Worthing); “The Fellowship: the Literary Lives of the Inklings” (Philip and Carol Zaleski); and a few dictionaries!A nod to Madeleine L’Engle, who brought up the magi and the stars in her book, “Penguins and Golden Calves.”And George MacDonald’s “Lilith” indeed has many odd, magical moments - Karlissa recommends reading it!

Jason tells the story of how he discovered Brian Jacques’ Redwall series; then he and Karlissa give some ideas on where to find fantasy books.Books Mentioned and Corrections: The Heart of George MacDonald (edited by George MacDonald scholar Rolland Hein), The Gospel According to Tolkien (Ralph C. Wood), The Green Ember (S.D. Smith), Tales from the Perilous Realm (J.R.R. Tolkien).This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!Join the Conversation! Where did you discover your favourite fantasy novel?

Karlissa and Jason share their lists of fantasy books that deserve more attention: forgotten books from renowned authors, personal favourites, and recognized classics that are just hard to market.Recommended books: Phantastes (George MacDonald), The Children of Hurin (J.R.R. Tolkien), Lilith (George MacDonald), The Thrawn Trilogy (Timothy Zahn), Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis), Tales of the Diversity trilogy (Karlissa J.), Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis).Resource mentioned: The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis (Jason M. Baxter).This episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

What is manga? What makes it similar to our comic books and graphic novels, and what’s different? And why is Christian media largely lacking in graphic novels and the like?Main resource:  New York Public Library - https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/12/27/beginners-guide-mangaThis episode is from back when the Book-Bat podcast was focused on Christian fantasy books. Visit book-bat.com/about to learn more about who we are and our goals for the podcast!

Who was George MacDonald? And why are his works a vital part of Christian Fantasy? Ten things you should know about this oft-forgotten author.George MacDonald's stories include: "Phantastes," "Lilith," "At the Back of the North Wind," "The Princess and the Goblin," "The Golden Key," "The Light Princess," and more.