Angel Fiction

Hey CactusWendy,

I'm from AZ too--some wet winter we're having. I live near Mesa.

Has anyone read C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce" or "Screwtape Letters"? I liked both of them. I tend to dislike a lot of writings about angels; too often the writing (especially books for kids) makes the mistake of making them too cute, or too worried about human life, or (my fave peeve) ex-humans themselves. ANGELS WERE NEVER HUMANS!! They were created by God as a different species, for a different purpose. Argh! I always want to write to those authors and ask them politely: "Ummm, excuse me, but have you read your Bible?? Don't write about spiritual issues if you don't know what you're talking about!" (sorry - private rant)

My favorite kid books about spiritual issues are Larry Libby's books. Scriptural, well-done, and a real blessing.

Lewis

Well, Screwtape is a fabulous book about FALLEN angels, anyway. I don't remember the role of angels in The Great Divorce--it's been so long since I read it. (Time for a re-read!) Lewis had an interesting theory on angels--he suggests in one of his writings that the Greek gods may have been the pagans' misinterpretations and deifications of angels--both holy and fallen. (i.e., grasping some of the truth but not all.)

Yes, the idea of humans BECOMING angels when they die is off from a theological/biblical standpoint, but it is the popular (mis)understanding. They are another race of beings, and in that sense I can say that I DO, in fact, believe in aliens--another race of intelligent beings with free will.

I generally don't like fiction that features angels because all too often it takes the focus off of God, and because it often tends to be overly sentimental. But I am sure there are some great works of fiction out there in which angels play a role.

Something that I would like to see.

This has struck a cord in me because of the archangels and it is a subject that you do not see very much on. I thought that there were only four archangels but a bible study software program mention more than a dozen so it would be interesting to see something done on the orignation of each archangel and give a biography so to speak of each. We know Gideon, Gabriel and Micheal and Lucifer was the fallen one but still the biography would be unique to do.

I've not read them yet, but I've heard good things about Theodore Beale's "Eternal Warriors" trilogy; I just ordered the first book a few days ago.

'The Vintner's Luck' by Elizabeth Knox

Betty W01 said:

Has anyone read C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce" or "Screwtape Letters"? I liked both of them.

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I've read both. The devils in Screwtape are some of the scarier devils I've seen in fiction, just by how malovent he makes them while avoiding the cliche of demons wanting evil for evil's sake. And The Great Divorce was definitely the sort of book that made me think, even if it was more about people than angles.

And yes, I'm also a bit tired of writing (movie scripts seem to be the worst offenders) where angels are depicted as dead people. It would be great to see a movie where an angel appears, and the first reaction the audience has is terror.

Matt, absolutely! It would be so appropriate. That's one of the reasons why the usual angel in fiction or movies bugs me so much: in the Bible, the appearance of an angel to a human was always followed by the angel saying, "Fear not!" To me, this says that angels are not cute little babies or lovely young ladies. An angel's appearance should not make someone say, "Awww, isn't s/he cute??" I have a great illustration I cut out of a Focus on the Family article once that shows a group of angels armed with swords and looking like fierce warriors. Still not as scary as a real appearance would be, I'm sure, but way more like what I imagine an angel looks like.

And skylar, what a good point to make about aliens - the definition of alien means "totally foreign to", "completely different than", so you're right - angels are aliens. And I'll bet they're way scarier (in a totally "other" sense) than ET or the aliens from Star Trek or so on could ever be, since all of those aliens are products of human imagination, and angels are products of God's imagination, so much wider and bigger and "other" than we can ever get our brain wrapped around.

All writers should praise Him, as the source of all inspiration and creative ability. Just think, each time we create a character or paint a scene or have a baby or do anything else that creates something (or someone), we are expressing that aspect of the Eternal Father. Isn't that a cool thought?

Betty W01 said:

Matt, absolutely! It would be so appropriate. That's one of the reasons why the usual angel in fiction or movies bugs me so much: in the Bible, the appearance of an angel to a human was always followed by the angel saying, "Fear not!" To me, this says that angels are not cute little babies or lovely young ladies. An angel's appearance should not make someone say, "Awww, isn't s/he cute??" I have a great illustration I cut out of a Focus on the Family article once that shows a group of angels armed with swords and looking like fierce warriors. Still not as scary as a real appearance would be, I'm sure, but way more like what I imagine an angel looks like.

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Well, in some parts of the Bible, angels are mistaken for men. There isn't much talk about their appearance, so I would presume they looked like nondescript Middle Easterners when the people saw them. Since angels are spirits, this may not be their natural form, but that they simply have a power to manifest themselves in human form. Although there are no scenes in the Bible where angels disguise themselves as women, I wouldn't consider a writer heretical for writing a story in which they can do that. Of course, the story shouldn't imply that was their natural form!

Hmmm...I think of guardian angels alot! Sometimes I can walk into a room filled with people and if I think about how many guardian angels are in that room ...well I'm a bit in awe....

I think the fear factor part of an angel is not that he is scarey and I don't think he fills us with the terrifying fear that demons do...I think it is just an overwhelming feeling that cuts right to the very core of our being and I think he carries the presence of God with him. In the old testament I think that when people encountered the Holy Angels they must have felt that presence. In the new testament the apostles encountered angels and were not afraid. Maybe because they knew what the presence of God was and felt like.
I heard such things as our angels taking on our appearance also...like when Rhonda thought it was Peters angel at the door.
So in that respect I think our guardian angels can take on a female form.
But ya know...if we put God in a box expect to be surprised

Eowyn Eomer said:

Have you read any novels about angels that you really liked?

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Last year, I read Elo'esh: The Whisper of Angels by AW's very own Kaylea May.

OMG - It was fantastic!

Lavern08 said:

Last year, I read Elo'esh: The Whisper of Angels by AW's very own Kaylea May.

OMG - It was fantastic!

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okay now I got to get that book! Thank you for posting this )))hug(((

Drawing on Roman Catholic mysticism here...specifically, the apparition of Mary at Fatima, which was preceded by visitations from an Angel. The three children in question described the angel as androgynous (not their word, of course) but looking like a young boy or girl as opposed to a human adult man or woman.

My understanding is that angels have neither gender as we understand them, since angels are pure spirit and do not have bodies. Angels can assume whatever form best serves the purpose for which they manifest. I recall reading a Guideposts story many years ago in which a woman prayed for help and a dog suddenly appeared and accompanied her through a dangerous area and then disappeared just as suddenly.

I haven't yet read a fiction book about angels that I liked, but I have a list to check out from this thread!

I did not get the book yet...I looked it up and my husband said it was to expensive I don't think it was....but we are use to buying paperback books that don't cost much...

callalily61 said:

Damiano, Damiano's Lute, and Raphael by R.A. MacAvoy.

Interesting, different, and she's one heckuva writer.

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I adore these books.

Ever notice that angels in art always have navels? Even as a child I used to think, That can't be right!
Christopher Walken scared me as the Archangel Gabriel

Lisa Grace just published the first one (two?) of a series about angels. I love her tag line: "The difference between vampires and angels? Angels are real."

I think that's how it reads, anyway. These books are getting rave reviews, I'm just too under the weather due to bronchitis to remember their names. Worth a look-see, IMO.

Deb Kinnard said:

Lisa Grace just published the first one (two?) of a series about angels.

I love her tag line: "The difference between vampires and angels? Angels are real."

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Ohhh, I love that ^

Hi,

New to talking on the forums but remembered this thread from a bit a go and thought I'd share another title for all of you.

I finally got my book Broken Faith published by Blue Oranda as an ebook and one of the main characters in it is an angel. I think some of you might like it becaue my angels are not 'winged humans', I tried to stay close to the way they are presented in the Bible.

If anyone would like to check it out - here are some links-

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008G6OPQK/?tag=absowrit-20

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/177444

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/103537/Broken-Faith