Beliefs In Science Fiction And Fantasy

It was a few years ago when I had an email conversation with Karina Fabian about the subject of religion and science fiction. I’m adding fantasy to this conversation here.

Our conversation, to my memory, was about how some thought if you were religious or had any strong belief system you couldn’t mix it with the science required to travel space. How do you mix it with fantasy…dragons, fairies, magic. And the opposite of the question…why wouldn’t there be religion or beliefs in space…science fiction. Why not in fantasy?

Writing is difficult enough and now you’re adding this element which can touch off so many heated arguments. How do you find the balance? Why shouldn’t this element of so many lives be excluded from our fictional writing?

MuseItUp Publishing has never shied away from out of the box thinking manuscripts. Our authors have/are exploring other beliefs, their legends, and asking a bunch of what if questions.

In Live and Let Fly,  Karina uses humour and fantasy and barely touches on anything that would cause a heated debate. But some may wonder about a dragon and a nun private investigating team. Hope you visit Vern and Sister Grace…he really does try the patience of, well, everyone.

When a dragon and a nun play secret agent, all Hel breaks loose!

Back Cover:

For a dragon detective with a magic-slinging nun as a partner, saving the worlds gets routine. So, when the U.S. government hires Vern and Sister Grace to recover stolen secrets for creating a new Interdimensional Gap—secrets the U.S. would like to keep, thank you—Vern sees a chance to play Dragon-Oh-Seven.

No human spy, however, ever went up against a Norse goddess determined to rescue her husband. Sigyn will move heaven and earth to get Loki—and use the best and worst of our world against anyone who tries to stop her.

It’s super-spy spoofing at its best with exotic locations (Idaho–exotic? Well, Idaho’s exotic to them), maniacal middle-managers, secret agent men, teen rock stars in trouble, man-eating animatronics, evil overlords, and more!

Excerpt:

Charlie started to close the door behind us, his other hand gripping the handle of his dagger so tightly I could hear the leather wrap on the handle strain, as we listened to the footsteps coming our way, slow, bored. My predator’s instincts rose; then I had a great idea. I shook my head at Charlie and winked, and he shuffled out of my way, leaving the door ajar. I settled myself with my back to the door, just inside the shadows and let the script play itself out:

CLUELESS MINION enters Stage Left. He pauses, hearing a noise, but does not report it. Instead, he fondles the stars on his nametag and moves toward the empty hallway, his mind on adding another. (Probably saying, “I was proactive today!”)

CLUELESS pauses at door, hesitating. He stands and, back to the door, reaches for his walkie-talkie.

Suddenly, a well-muscled and gorgeously scaled tail whips out from the crack in the door and wraps itself around his neck. He only has time to grab ineffectively at the tail before he’s drawn into the darkness. The door shuts behind him.

Pan shot of the empty hallway.

FADE TO BLACK

I slammed my victim on the floor and pinned him with my forelegs, then I leaned my face in nice and slow, making sure he got a good look at my fangs before he saw my eyes. “Where’s the girl?” I growled low and menacingly.

“Wh-What g-g-girl?”

Charlie crouched down by Stutterboy and glanced at his nametag. “Look, Philip, we’re in a bit of a hurry. We know Rhoda Dakota’s being held captive somewhere nearby. Now you can be a good survivor and tell us where…or you can be dinner.”

“I-I don’t—”

“Phil A. Minion.” I mused and drooled a bit for effect. I live for these moments, I really do. I licked his cheek and asked Charlie, “Can I have fries with that?”

“Why not? This is Idaho.”