Review of Christian Science Fiction Magazine Dragons, Angels & Knights Magazine

Science Fiction and Fantasy is a genre on the rise throughout Christian Fiction. For a very long time, Sci Fi and Fantasy novels were often passed over or not well marketed because publishers in the CBA, (Christian Booksellers Association), operated their submission process in a rather lock-step formation: every manuscript needed to follow a formula: all good guys must be life-long or recently born again Christians, the bad guys must be clearly evil, sinners, and unsaved. Everything needed to fit in a safe little box in the end: the story's resolution needed to reinforce good's triumph over evil. No out "of the box" thinking was allowed: theology and ideology were heeded; all theological points and plot twists had to correspond with relevant scripture references: ie. no alternate universes, alien life on Mars, or magical lands where animals talk, men look into crystal balls for answers, and swords are magically released from stony prisons.

The inherent problem with this narrowing of focus to accepting only stories of evangelical nature excluded a large number of life-long Christians who simply love to read for relaxation or entertainment, not for an additional Bible study. It's a little daunting to wonder how many Christians have read secular novels over the years instead of novels produced by Christian publishing house, taking the risk of encountering offensive material just to also encounter a good story.

However, the tide has turned as of late - the success of recent novels such as Waking Lazarus, Comes A Horesman, The Hidden, Relentless - has opened up a market starving for above all originality and a little more freedom to use God-given creativity to craft well told stories, not Sunday School lessons. One online magazine in particular working hard to advance the cause of Christ and great stories is Dragons, Knights, & Angels: An Online Magazine of Christian Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Founded in 1999 by Rebecca Shelley, DKA Magazine had two goals: glorify God, and to explore the love of literature, specifically, the sort found in fantasy and sci-fiction. Since then, DKA magazine has worked hard to promote creativity that was glorifying to God but creative; edifying yet fanciful, speculative yet holy. Their name stands for what the magazine believes in: Dragons represent the mystical, unknown world; dangerous, magical and huge beyond reckoning; Knights represent the horizontal, selfless but moral humans fighting the good fight with feeble flesh and faith, and Angels represent the vertical, messengers of an almighty God, purveyors of Providence, proof of the unprovable, denizens of a supernatural spiritual reality.

DKA Magazine accepts poetry and fiction, as well as providing links to other works of Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy. All of their past issues are archived on their site, and unlike a lot of other digest publications, DKA's content is free to the viewing public.

If you're a fan of science fiction and fantasy, doesn't pass up this great online publication. Support it with your patronage and readership, tell your friends about it, link it to your blog or website - or goodness - submit some poetry or fiction yourself! DKA magazine is a beacon on the hill for those who love speculative fiction and love the Lord; don't pass up this opportunity to support such a fine publication.

Visit DKA Magazine today, and support their continuing efforts to grow!