Breaking the rules?
The subject of the “edgy Christian fiction” genre has been of great interest to me for some time, and even after interviewing the writers in this
book, I still have yet to figure out just what the term “edgy”actually means. As in all genres of literature, there will always be writers who push the envelope, cross over dangerous boundaries, and walk that thin line between what is considered “suitable” for viewing by the public eye and what is considered “un-sanitized” in mainstream literature. So many questions arise on the subject of Christian literature, and so few real answers to the questions. As in all genres – whether it be horror, crime, western, romance, or historical – the subject of what goes way beyond the call of duty as a writer is more often than not avoided by the writer in question, and instead the writer will put up a wall between me and them, opting to detour
the conversation into a “safer” area where they don’t have to answer a question they really don’t seem to have a plausible answer for: What is edgy Christian fiction?
When has the subjects of sex, nudity, violence, foul language been taken too far in Christian-“themed” fiction? Where do you draw the line? Why write material that will surely offend other members of the Christian community, when you are claiming to be a Christian yourself? Are these writers setting aside their own personal faith and beliefs in order to make money in a struggling market? Would God approve of this? Are the writers really “writing for God,” in an attempt to show him they are taking advantage of their “God-given talents”?
Or, could it be that the reasons I’ve been given are merely excuses for writing such material, and there is really some other hidden agenda behind it
all? With the subjects of rape, abortion, nudity, sex, and graphic language involved, how could the Christian community not be at least curious, if not
somewhat offended? Have the film and publishing industries gone so “mainstream” in the pursuit of monetary gain that its influence has begun to seep over into Christian film and literature as well? Is nothing taboo anymore? In my view, we would be honoring the genre more by writing about the way it is, with all its warts and bruises and very damaged characters, rather than offering up a sanitized account of what it isn’t. Taboo subjects shouldn’t be sugarcoated for the sake of money or fame. They should be exposed for what they are, and placed into their own separate category, not hidden “between the lines” within Christian literature. That seems like trickery. Some of these acts of trickery I have found to be quite intentional on the author's part. That just gives Christians and Christian fiction a bad rap.
One genre that has honestly earned a bad rap, the horror genre – and it’s many subgenres – such as “suspense-thriller” {code word for horror these days} has gone through this ”edgy” phase since the 1980s, with such dark and visceral works as Clive Barker’s Books of Bloodseries, and the extreme horror of the Splatterpunk trend of the early nineties. The latter
featured a short-but-sweet intro by Barker himself: “There are no limits,” his own personal testament to the fact we would see a lot more “edgy”horror fiction coming in the future.
The splatterpunk trend began to fade fast, but it’s influences are still with us today, and the message these writers are sending us is all too clear; graphic violence, sex, nudity, and language are here to stay. Are some of the so-called “edgy”
Christian fiction books and stories headed down the same path? Maybe.
Now, edgy, fictional accounts may help readers escape the real world for a while and to feel safe inside the idea that good always
triumphs and evil is defeated. It’s no wonder that these kinds of books are somewhat successful and prop up one or two legs of the publishing business, especially while promoting a brand new subgenre that is getting so much unwelcome attention, in hope that it will catch on and reach a broader Christian audience with time. Now granted that the authors featured in this book have dealt with the messes that Christian fiction used to avoid, not to mention with the real people who are affected forever by
the tragedies they or their families have lived through, but I think a lot of it could have been handled in a more subtle manner. Authors writing “suggestive” material, or using “extended metaphors,” and claiming that the offending material in question merely insinuates something controversial, is a load of bunk. Still, for all of its controversy, it has yet to reach a broad
enough audience to accept it for what it really may be.
What is edgy Christian fiction?
I’ll let you decide.
book, I still have yet to figure out just what the term “edgy”actually means. As in all genres of literature, there will always be writers who push the envelope, cross over dangerous boundaries, and walk that thin line between what is considered “suitable” for viewing by the public eye and what is considered “un-sanitized” in mainstream literature. So many questions arise on the subject of Christian literature, and so few real answers to the questions. As in all genres – whether it be horror, crime, western, romance, or historical – the subject of what goes way beyond the call of duty as a writer is more often than not avoided by the writer in question, and instead the writer will put up a wall between me and them, opting to detour
the conversation into a “safer” area where they don’t have to answer a question they really don’t seem to have a plausible answer for: What is edgy Christian fiction?
When has the subjects of sex, nudity, violence, foul language been taken too far in Christian-“themed” fiction? Where do you draw the line? Why write material that will surely offend other members of the Christian community, when you are claiming to be a Christian yourself? Are these writers setting aside their own personal faith and beliefs in order to make money in a struggling market? Would God approve of this? Are the writers really “writing for God,” in an attempt to show him they are taking advantage of their “God-given talents”?
Or, could it be that the reasons I’ve been given are merely excuses for writing such material, and there is really some other hidden agenda behind it
all? With the subjects of rape, abortion, nudity, sex, and graphic language involved, how could the Christian community not be at least curious, if not
somewhat offended? Have the film and publishing industries gone so “mainstream” in the pursuit of monetary gain that its influence has begun to seep over into Christian film and literature as well? Is nothing taboo anymore? In my view, we would be honoring the genre more by writing about the way it is, with all its warts and bruises and very damaged characters, rather than offering up a sanitized account of what it isn’t. Taboo subjects shouldn’t be sugarcoated for the sake of money or fame. They should be exposed for what they are, and placed into their own separate category, not hidden “between the lines” within Christian literature. That seems like trickery. Some of these acts of trickery I have found to be quite intentional on the author's part. That just gives Christians and Christian fiction a bad rap.
One genre that has honestly earned a bad rap, the horror genre – and it’s many subgenres – such as “suspense-thriller” {code word for horror these days} has gone through this ”edgy” phase since the 1980s, with such dark and visceral works as Clive Barker’s Books of Bloodseries, and the extreme horror of the Splatterpunk trend of the early nineties. The latter
featured a short-but-sweet intro by Barker himself: “There are no limits,” his own personal testament to the fact we would see a lot more “edgy”horror fiction coming in the future.
The splatterpunk trend began to fade fast, but it’s influences are still with us today, and the message these writers are sending us is all too clear; graphic violence, sex, nudity, and language are here to stay. Are some of the so-called “edgy”
Christian fiction books and stories headed down the same path? Maybe.
Now, edgy, fictional accounts may help readers escape the real world for a while and to feel safe inside the idea that good always
triumphs and evil is defeated. It’s no wonder that these kinds of books are somewhat successful and prop up one or two legs of the publishing business, especially while promoting a brand new subgenre that is getting so much unwelcome attention, in hope that it will catch on and reach a broader Christian audience with time. Now granted that the authors featured in this book have dealt with the messes that Christian fiction used to avoid, not to mention with the real people who are affected forever by
the tragedies they or their families have lived through, but I think a lot of it could have been handled in a more subtle manner. Authors writing “suggestive” material, or using “extended metaphors,” and claiming that the offending material in question merely insinuates something controversial, is a load of bunk. Still, for all of its controversy, it has yet to reach a broad
enough audience to accept it for what it really may be.
What is edgy Christian fiction?
I’ll let you decide.