As I just finished a novel over the weekend I decided that this would be a good opportunity to share a bit of a larger artifact. I read the book Eternity's Edge, the second book in Bryan Davis's Echoes from the Edge trilogy. I have been a fan of Bryan Davis since third or fourth grade and have read his works extensively. I can now see that this has affected me in many ways. The motifs of light and darkness and epic battles between Good and Evil in his primarily Christian fantasy writing shaped the way I view the world.
The novel Eternity's Edge is imbued with many of the same traits as Davis's former writings, but there are some shifts in theme that reflect changes in culture that I have identified with strongly. The plot is based around the idea that there are three parallel universes. One can pass between the dimensions with a special mirror, music, and a bright flash of light. The protagonist is a teenage violin prodigy named Nathan. At this point in the story Nathan is teamed up with several people from different dimensions trying to stop "interfinity" which is the merging of the three worlds. "Interfinity" would cause mass chaos, destruction of the worlds, ect. Basically lots of bad stuff. Nathan's closest companion is a girl named Kelly. However Kelly has a rocky past, and hasn't been raised with the strong virtues that Nathan had. This causes some confusion for Nathan especially. He doesn't really know how to think of Kelly. She wants to be by his side for every adventure, no matter how dangerous. This conflicts his sense of chivalry to no end.
This novel does a good job of showing how the line between good and evil cuts through the heart of everyone. Everyone has a "fatal flaw" so to speak. It also shows that the purpose of Christians is to combat evil in whatever form it appears, especially if it is within us. It shows that we cannot redeem ourselves. We are broken lumps of iron, that only God can forge into a tool worthy of his purpose. Those living in the empire are shown to be in fear, but unable to do anything to protect themselves. Those who can see the light of the kingdom can see their own helplessness as well, but they understand that although they are broken, God can still work through them, showing his strength in their weakness.
How should chivalry be interpreted within modern culture?
What does battling evil look like in the modern empire?
Thanks for sharing about this book, Chase. I hadn't heard of it before, and you've drawn out some interesting themes related to our class. It's neat to see how science fiction and fantasy, as genres, can encourage us to view our world differently by offering a contrast that illuminates and exaggerates certain qualities--one of the reasons I enjoy Dr. Who!
ReplyDeleteEchoes from the Edge is one of my favorite series, so I'm glad to see that someone else enjoys them as well! I agree that Mr. Davis does a great job of bringing up the internal battle of good and evil as well as the complex external battle. In regard to Nathan's chivalry, I like the fact that he is chivalrous and respectful because he was taught and believes in these values. In a lot of modern movies (and TV, books, etc.) it seems like the characters are chivalrous for the purpose of getting the girl, not because they see the woman as worthy of respect.
ReplyDelete