[Zsinj]

Now usually Idon't go for the Christian-influenced horror/thrillers,simply becauseI find them too preachy and more of a propaganda type deal disguised as a novel, but one christian-influenced horror/thriller novelist that looks kind of interesting to me is Frank Peretti. And I was wondering, has anyone read anything by this author, and if so, is he any good, or is he simply another preachy, Christian propaganda spreader who disguises his sermons as novels.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian myself, but I absolutely hate it when what looks to be a good novel turns out to be a bunch of preachy propaganda. If I want to be preached to or read something inspirational, I'll go to church, or read the Bible! I read novels as an enjoyment and an escape from the worries and pressures of the world, not to be dictated to on how to live my life! :mad:
Now, I'm certainly in no way trying to start a religious-based flame war here, but one of the things that causes my free-thinking hackles to raise is that Peretti is supported by Focus on the Family, which in my opinion isone of the most fanatical, right-wing Christian radio organizationsin the world. Their leader, Dr. James Dobson, is always calling on his "troops" like some dictator to boycott anything andeverything that doesn't agree with his ideas. Lately they've even boycotted the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing company and the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain of all things!! It's ridiculous I tell you!! :mad:
But anyway, I should probably digress before I really start spouting my infernal mouth off and really offend somebody! :D
The main thing I'm wondering is is Peretti any good?

[Miriamele]

Although I don't touch it anymore, when I was a teenager much of what I read was Christian fiction. I read the book that made Frank Peretti famous--This Present Darkness. Later I read Piercing the Darkness, and started to read The Prophet but got bored and gave up.

It was about ten years ago when I read these books but I'll try to remember them for you.

If you're worried about a heavy Christian message then you probably won't like these books. They're basically about spiritual warfare--i.e., the battling of demons and angels in the "heavenly realms." And it is the actions of people, Christians and those who serve Satan, who determine the outcome of these battles. At least that's how I remember it. It's a very black and white thing--people are seen as serving either one side or another.

The idea of spiritual warefare is pretty cool, but what turned me off about these books is the kind of stuff that Peretti portrays as completely evil and coming directly from Satan. If I remember correctly the main source of evil in This Present Darkness was a sort of New Age yoga retreat where people meditated and stuff like that. It was the woman who led this place who basically unleashed all the demons by her "satanic" activities. It's typical that Christianity sees any type of remotely spiritual activity outside of itself as a ploy of Satan to turn people away from the "truth". I find this view a little bit arrogant.

In Piercing the Darkness the situation is a satanic attack of some sort against a church--I can't remember, I think there is a lawsuit against this little church or some such thing and it is portrayed as being an attack of Satan's minions because the church contains "true believers" and Satan feels threatened by it. Or something like that.

The Prophet was another very heavy, Satan vs Christians type of book and I wasn't able to get past the first few chapters so I don't remember at all what it was about.

If Christian groups who label various things as inherently "evil" bothers you than Peretti's books might bother you as well. They certainly express the author's very strong opinions on what is evil and what is good. However the descriptions of the angels and demons are pretty well done. You might like the books for that reason.

I hope that helps Zsinj. :)

(Incidentally, it made me laugh that you think Focus on the Family is 'fantatic.' I know some people who are so fantatic themselves that they think Focus on the Family is weak and wishy-washy in their message, even that they're not true Christians!)

[Zsinj]

Thanx, Miriamelle! Your info helped a lot! :D I think that it's best that I probably stay away from Frank Peretti. While I do think that the angels vs. demons spiritual warfare thing is truly awesome, the "regarding the New Age Movement as satanic" thing really ticks me off and turns me off. I think it's absolutely atrocious how some Christians are so judgemental and religiously intolerant that they condemn any religion/belief/idea that's goes against their beliefsand ideas as coming from satan. I think the old horned bastard is flattered that some of us Christians blame so much on him. Andby being so religiously intolerant, these Christians are directly disobeying the chief commandment Christ gave us,"Love one another".
But anyway, I'm sorry if I got too preachy there, it just makes me mad how people like Peretti can be so arrogant and judgemental. But, suffice it to say, Peretti's books are definitely not for me! :)

P.S.: Maybe I misrepresented myself by saying that FOTF was fanatical. Maybe that wasn't the right word I was looking for, but I'll tell you one thing, they've got some pretty ridiculous views and beliefs that are way out in left field!

[Miriamele]

I'm glad I could help. I hope that my assessment of the books was correct because, as I said, it's been a very long time since I read them. :)

[trentdick2882]

I've read The Visitation and This Present Darkness. I found them to be horribly preachy, but the thing that bothered me the most is the representation of the demons. The demons would sit on people's backs and tell them what to do, pretty much absolving anyone of any responsibility for their actions. I found that pretty annoying, some guy saying anytime I do something wrong it's just Satan behind me telling me what to do.

[Zsinj]

Yeah, Trent. That's pretty unrealistic in my opinion. The way I see it is, mankind is responsible for his own actions, and when mankind does wrong or evil, it's his own fault, he chose to do evil. Blaming it on the devil is just a lame copout. Satan isn't sitting on your back with a gun to your head saying "Do evil, my little puppet!" which is exactly what Frank Peretti is saying when he writes this drivel.
By the way, Trent, is that a picture of God...ahem...Michael Moorcock you have for your avatar, there? :D

[trentdick2882]

Yes and No, it is a picture of God, but it is Philip K. Dick :)

[kyamanda]

the only Frank Peretti book ive read is his new one called 'the oath' i thought it was pretty good but really unrealistic i mean it had a dragon in it,,,it did have some preachy stuff in it but i think it would just be best to leave him alone

[theDood]

I was thinking of reading his book Monster, which looks like some sort of Sasquatch story. Does anyone know if its the same sort of thing with that book?

[Zsinj]

Well, Dood, I saw his "Monster" book the other day in the bookstore, but I didn't bother to look at it because I was sure it would be the same ol' thing from him. I just looked it up on fantasticfiction.co.uk, and it just basically said it was a story about an unidentified monster going around killing people, but I bet ya anything that within this book is an anti-evolution propaganda, i.e. the monster is thought to be a Sasquatch but is actually a demon sent from Satan to fool people into accepting the Sasquatch as the missing link in evolution thus "invading and poisoning their minds". Having never read anything be Peretti, but just hearing about his works, I find his apparently shallow and narrow-minded writing style to be highly predictable.
Plus there's the fact that 98.9% of the people I've talked to/heard from that like Peretti are of the attitude/belief that the REAL horror authors, i.e., Lovecraft, King, Straub, McCammon, Herbert, Campbell, Cave, Stoker, Shelley, Poe, Little, Lumley, Wilson, etc., are/were evil and are/were doing the work of the devil in their writing. :rolleyes: