First off, let me say that I intended to embrace Objectivism.  I set out to learn more about it, and to determine whether Rand’s philosophy was a compatible view for Christians to hold, despite her atheism.  I determined that while I can certainly agree with it on many points, it is overall incompatible with true Christianity.

Essentially, Objectivism says that the world’s ills will be solved if mankind is entirely selfish to pursue their own ends.  It is juxtaposed against collectivism (socialism), which subjugates the self; suppresses the ego in an effort for all to become selfless.  In collectivism, the good of the many is placed over the good of the one, in a way that squelches individuality, self-worth, and many other fine traits. In Objectivism, the greatest creators did so because they wanted to please themselves in their work.  When a painter painted, he did not consider what the world would think about his creation.  When the architect designed, she did so with no care to how the public would receive the aesthetic design.  Ultimately, all the needs of the world will be met when every man pursues his own selfish ends.  Not to exploit others, but merely to please himself with his work.  I’m sure I’m over-simplifying it, and possibly even misstating Objectivism, but this is what I took away from it.

In Objectivism, there is no room for religion.  In Rand’s way of thinking, when considering any religion that seeks to promote serving one another, you ought to look for the power which is receiving the service.  When one promotes giving to God, one ought to look at who is taking that money.  When food or drink offerings are made, who is taking the food and drink?  Essentially, Rand might say, religion is merely a way for a power to enslave many people.  This is where Objectivism fails in the face of Christianity.

Regardless of what Rand thinks about this, Jesus explained that we DO have a responsibility to our fellow man. We OUGHT to feel charity (not pity, but compassion) for those among us who need it.  In true Christianity, one does this out of love for God and love for man. Jesus commanded that we help and serve one another; not to subjugate the self, but to fulfill what man is capable of. Jesus said that when we help the least of our brethren, we are helping Him. It was a command of God.  Essentially what Rand does not see is that we were created, as a close friend told me, to be social creatures.  Rand’s philosophy does not take into account love, as defined by God.  She is free to define love however she likes, but the Lord already has a definition, and His wins.  Love serves others, not necessarily hoping for something in return, but simply for the service itself.

I know there are those who say I have Rand’s philosophy all wrong, and that’s fine. When it comes to economics, Rand is right on. The truly free market is allowed to maintain an even keel when everyone serves their own ends. The profit motive is a strong one, and it truly turns the wheels of economic prosperity.  When it comes to a purely economic or individual liberty perspective, I agree with Ayn Rand.  We ought to be free to pursue our own interests.  As long as we are not quantifiably infringing upon the liberties of others, the government ought to have no say in how we are to live our lives.  These are important aspects of freedom, and these are the principles upon which our country was founded. This is where I agree with Objectivism.  However, I would classify myself as a Libertarian politically, and a Christian socially.  We DO have an obligation to serve our fellow man…individually.  This is not to be relegated to the church as a body, or to the government as a power. We are our brothers’ keepers, and if we all lived understanding that, with love in our hearts for God and for fellow man, the world would certainly be a better place.

The Lord does not promote slavery, contrary to what Ayn Rand would have us believe.  When He turns our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, regardless of the state of our nation, only then are we truly free.

Ultimately, however, the title of my post is meant to foreshadow its content.  Apart from that brief explanation of his death, I won’t mention it again.  I would like to mention that Robert Jordan was a true master of epic fantasy.

First off, in this post, I’m not meaning to slight Tolkien or his fans.  Tolkien certainly is a master of high fantasy, but it’s easy to see that Tolkien’s skills lay in perhaps a different direction than RJ’s.  Tolkient created languages first, and then told the stories to explain the languages. He created vast histories, which he detailed in his notes.  For all of that, however, his writing remained mostly dry-ish, reading in many places like a history book, which it almost is, considering all the work that went into his books in that regard.  And while Jordan’s world definitely has something on the order of 9,000+ years of history behind it, it is the organic creation of various people groups that really sets Jordan’s work apart in my mind.

In anticipation of the first of the final trilogy in the series coming out in a few days, I have begun re-reading the entire Wheel of Time (WoT) series, beginning with the prequel novel, A New Spring. In beginning this epic journey, I quickly remembered what held my attention with Jordan’s writing, and it wasn’t always thr story.

Jordan weaves mythology, history, and legend into his works to give them some of that epic scope that he succeeded in creating. Other authors have done this arguably more or less successfully than Jordan, but I don’t feel that this kind of storytelling is where he succeeds. The various characters have relationships with powerful mythological figures that tell us something of their purpose and goals in the series, but it’s not what kept me reading through 12 books.

Speaking of the characters, they’re certainly interesting, with flaws and strengths that are mostly believable.  However, while there is some character development throughout the series, there is also a great deal of repetition in terms of phrases and sayings they each (over)use.  I’m not saying there’s little character development…it’s just that there are other authors who have accomplished this more significantly in their works, and it is not what has captured my attention for so long.

The story itself is grand and compelling.  But any story can lose its luster when you’re talking a dozen books.  There were books where Jordan’s story seemed to lose its way.  It was as though it had gotten too big for its britches…too epic.  In order to continue the telling of a story that spanned the whole of his known world, he had to tell pieces of the story about characters who were not what most of us considered the “main characters”.  At the very least, in order to get some sense of the story moving along, he had to leave certain main characters for an entire book in one case.  When he had to start doing some of this, getting through his books became a little more tedious.  For me, a low point was the book or two after A Crown of Swords.  The increasingly longer wait between books certainly didn’t help. But while the story is compelling, and I want to know how it ends, I couldn’t class Jordan as the best storyteller of his age.  This is all opinion, of course, and I’m sure there are those who would disagree, but I would say that enjoying books is a very personal activity, and I do not compel anyone else to share my opinion in their heart of hearts.

So what, if not story, characters, or research, would cause me to list Jordan as a master?  His building of his world.  When I came back to this series, I was immediately struck with the fact that I could tell the ethnicity of most characters he was writing based on a simple description of how they spoke, how they were dressed, or how they were otherwise adorned.  Jordan did not have to say something as easy as “A man, obviously from Illian, approached me an began to speak.”  It’s simple enough to use phrases like that, of course.  But it seems that Jordan asked himself how he would recognize someone from a different culture, and developed cultures that were recognizable from speech or dress; and did a darn good job of it.  For example:

As I approached the dock, a large man with a beard that left his upper lip bare barred my way.

Now, anyone who has read enough of Jordan’s work would recognize that man as an Illianer from the beard.  (Also his proximity to ships, which Illianers seem more than fond of.  Had he spoken, he might have said something to the effect of, “Where do ye be going?”  That manner of speech smacks heavily of Illian.) See a man wearing a veil that doesn’t quite conceal thick bushy, mustaches?  You’re looking at a Taraboner.  A woman wearing a clinging silk dress that manages not to reveal anything while actually emphasizing everything underneath?  She’s from Arad Doman.  Topknots, bells in hair and on clothes, and braided cords looped over the head indicate men from the Borderlands, specifically Shienar, Arafel, and long-dead Malkier respectively. Dark skin with visible tattoos, and you are in the presence of one of the Atha’an Miere, or Sea Folk.  In addition to fads and dress, Jordan’s use of commonalities in language and prejudices will also reveal the ethnic origins of any character in his stories.

Now, why does this make him a master?  Well, in fantasy, fantastic races are the norm.  Elves, Orcs, Gnomes, Dwarves, and Trolls are common.  Emphasizing the differences in race is not even necessary.  If someone says “there’s an orc”, there’s no question as to what gave the speaker that impression.  The same holds true for any of the other races.  Jordan’s world, however, is a world almost entirely dominated by humans.  There are ogier (good guys), trollocs, and myrddraal (both bad), but none of them are exactly common.  Yet Jordan’s humans are from many nations, and distinguishing between them is a very important aspect of his storytelling, and helps keep the human dominated landscape from going stale. What’s more, power struggles of the nobility and various racial preferences and enmities are also important in certain story arcs.  Understanding that Tairen nobility are pretty dismissive of their commoners can become important to understanding Tairen character motivations and the like.

I feel Robert Jordan has created a political world with enough depth that I feel like I have spent some time there. While I may not be a native to Randland, as it is often called, I definitely understand its people in a way that I have never understood the people of any other world flowing from an author’s pen. I’m looking forward to the release of the next book, The Gathering Storm, and the eventual conclusion of this most epic story.

And on Sundays I elude the Eyes,
and hop the turbine freight
to far outside the Wire
where my white-haired uncle waits.

Jump to the ground
as the turbo slows across the Borderline.
Run like the wind
as excitement shivers up and down my spine.

Down in his barn
my uncle preserved for me an old machine
for fifty-odd years.
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream.

I strip away the old debris
that hides the shining car.
A brilliant red Barchetta
from a better, vanished time.

I fire up the willing engine
responding with a roar.
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime.

Wind;
In my hair;
Shifting and drifting;
Mechanical music;
Adrenaline surge!

Well-weathered leather;
Hot metal and oil;
The scented country air.
Sunlight on chrome;
The blur of the landscape;
Every nerve aware.

Suddenly ahead of me,
Across the mountainside.
A gleaming alloy air car
Shoots towards me, two lanes wide

I spin around with shrieking tires
To run the deadly race.
Go screaming through the valley
As another joins the chase.

Drive like the wind
Straining the limits of machine and man
Laughing out loud with fear and hope
I’ve got a desperate plan.

At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded at the riverside.
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle at the fireside.
– Rush, Red Barchetta from the album, Moving Pictures. (1981)
Based on the short story A Nice Morning Drive, by Richard S. Foster. (1973)

I’ll let you know how well we fare.  We’re in the middle of the Fellowship of the Ring at the moment.  ;)

The last post on his blog at Dragonmount, a Wheel of Time fansite, indicated that he was doing well, and that rumors of a priest administering last rites to him were false, and that he’s tired, but aside from that, he was doing well. He had been receiving his priest at his home on a weekly basis to administer the Lord’s Supper to him.  Jordan professed faith in Jesus Christ as a member of an Episcopalian congregation in South Carolina. Our hope is that he is in a better place.

Please pray for those close to Jordan, like his wife Harriett and his brother (either in spirit or in truth) Wilson.

As the news stories have all been reporting, he was working on the 12th volume of Wheel of Time.  What I’ve not seen mentioned anywhere is that A Memory of Light (the name of the book) was to be the last in the series, which has been in existence since Jordan published Eye of the Word in 1990.  17 years is a long time to wait for a series to be completed, and we all wondered if the Lord would give him the time to finish the series. Looks like the answer to that is “no”.

For fans who did not follow his blog very closely, I will report that last week, Wilson posted on the blog that Robert Jordan spent 2 and a half hours telling him and Harriett ALL THE DETAILS of how the series was to end.  I thought it was a strange thing at the time, because he’d always played his cards so close to the vest.  The story will end, then, if not how we would have liked it to have ended.

RIP, Robert Jordan (real name, James Oliver Rigney, Jr.).  Your storytelling will be missed.

Man, this Friday couldn’t come soon enough. I’ve had a lot going on this week, and it’s just made me more and more tired.  I’m sure staying up until midnight almost every night reading Kate Elliott’s Crown of Stars series isn’t really helping, but I can’t help it.  I’ve got a lot of books on my to-read list, and I’m not getting through them fast enough. (Never thought I’d say that.)

Yesterday was nice for a couple reasons. To begin with, because I worked for 3 hours from home on Wednesday, I was able to get off work a couple hours early and come home to my beautiful wife.  Kim had planned for us to go to Yesterday’s Books, which is always a fun trip.

Yesterday’s Books is a used bookstore, which will take some books in exchange for cash or store credit.  They often have out of print books and the like, which can be difficult to find elsewhere. In this particular instance, Kim had convinced me to get rid of some books.  Many of you know that I am quite the packrat when it comes to…well…anything. Books are no exception; I hate to throw them away! These books were of the happy-clappy theology variety, which I had purchased long ago. I knew I’d never read through them again, as I felt their theological worth was fairly low, considering the wealth of writings from the Reformers or early church fathers. The end result was that we had books to turn in…a fairly sizeable bag of them!  WOO!

They didn’t end up taking many of them, but any amount of credit is nice, since there is always something I can find there, and when Kim initiates a trip to Yesterday’s Books, it means that she’s agreed to spend some money on books!  I’ll take that when I can get it.

I bought my first “The Saint” novel, by Leslie Charteris. Many of you have probably seen the movie, starring Val Kilmer. It was a good movie.  Some of you may have even seen the series, starring Roger Moore. Few of you have likely read the books, however. Obtaining and reading some of The Saint novels by Leslie Charteris has been a goal of mine for some time. I grabbed the only Saint novel they had. I feel special.

In addition to “The Saint”, a good espionage series that I’m sure most, if not all of you know is the James Bond series. The original James Bond novels were written by Ian Fleming, and were very excellent, if short, stories. After the death of Ian Fleming, John Gardener was licensed to continue the Bond Series.  His books do justice to the character of Bond, if they don’t contain the exact same sense of mystery that the original books do. I picked up a couple of John Gardener Bond Books: Licence to Kill (A novelization of the movie by the same name), Nobody Lives Forever, Brokenclaw, and Death is Forever. (I think those are the ones I purchased.)

Finally, I purchased a book I’ve been wanting to read, which was written by an author named Neal Stephenson. The book I’ve read by him is called Snow Crash, and is an excellent work of over-the-top cyberpunk! Well worth reading, if anyone is interested in that genre. There are a couple scenes in that particular book that are for over 15, I would say, but overall, it’s a very well-done book.  The book I purchased yesterday, however, is called Cryptonomicon, and I have really no idea what it is about. It’s one of those books that I’ve been wanting to buy for a couple years now, but never really had the opportunity. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Cryptonomicon, so I’m not expecting something absolutely stellar, but if it’s enjoyable, I’ll be sure to write something on here.

I think that was all I got, but I am very happy with the purchases.  There are several from a previous trip that I have not yet spoken about, nor have I read.  I’ll have to dig them up.  See, the problem is in a fundamental disagreement that I am having with my wife.  She doesn’t like having massive stacks of books on the headboard. I, on the other hand, LOVE having massive stacks of books on the headboard, as it’s what reminds me to read them.  Without that stack, I forget what books I’ve yet to read, and which books I’ve already read.  Many of my books are parts of series’, so it’s very difficult for me to remember, say, which James Bond books I’ve read, and which I’ve not.  Anyway, my new purchases have been put away already, which is sort of why I’m writing about them here! If I can refer back to this post, maybe I’ll actually be able to figure out which ones were new!

I’m looking forward to this weekend, as well, but I already wrote about what’s going on.  I’ll only add that Shawn, who forgot that Sacramento was not in the Bay Area, ended up being able to come to Kim and my house for the weekend, so he’s going to be able to participate after all!  :)  See you all on the flip side.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
“Bethankit!” ‘hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

The Translation

Fair is your honest happy face
Great chieftain of the pudding race
Above them all you take your place
Stomach, tripe or guts
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm

The groaning platter there you fill
Your buttocks like a distant hill
Your skewer would help to repair a mill
In time of need
While through your pores the juices emerge
Like amber beads

His knife having seen hard labour wipes
And cuts you up with great skill
Digging into your gushing insides bright
Like any ditch
And then oh what a glorious sight
Warm steaming, rich

Then spoon for spoon
They stretch and strive
Devil take the last man, on they drive
Until all their well swollen bellies
Are bent like drums
Then, the old gent most likely to rift (burp)
Be thanked, mumbles

Is there that over his French Ragout
Or olio that would sicken a pig
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust
Looks down with a sneering scornful opinion
On such a dinner

Poor devil, see him over his trash
As week as a withered rush (reed)
His spindle-shank a good whiplash
His clenched fist.the size of a nut.
Through a bloody flood and battle field to dash
Oh how unfit

But take note of the strong haggis fed Scot
The trembling earth resounds his tread
Clasped in his large fist a blade
He’ll make it whistle
And legs and arms and heads he will cut off
Like the tops of thistles

You powers who make mankind your care
And dish them out their meals
Old Scotland wants no watery food
That splashes in dishes
But if you wish her grateful prayer
Give her a haggis!

I know there are plenty of authors that have jumped on the subject of whether or not Harry Potter is compatible with the Christian faith.  Most broad evangelicals believe that Harry Potter is actually harmful, which is a notion so absurd that I don’t have time to cover it in this article, but suffice it to say the magic in Harry Potter shares NOTHING with real-world magic except the name. Magic in Harry Potter is simply technology in a different form.  I mean, heck…you put your pizza in a box that makes it warm in a mere 30-45 seconds.  Such a contraption could very well be created by Arthur Weasley in his pursuit of learning about muggle devices. At any rate, the question before us is whether Harry Potter is a Christian book?

Well, as others have pointed out, the question is flawed.  What makes something Christian or not? Ultimately, the question that should be asked is whether the books are compatible with the Christian faith, and I feel that the answer has never been more “YES” than since the last book came out.

This article printed in the local paper this weekend, and I must say it does have a great deal of insight into the faith-based aspects of the ending of Harry Potter.
http://www.kansas.com/194/story/139479.html

Elements of the final chapters are very Christian, and quite allegorical to the life and actions of Christ. I’m not saying that’s what she’s always intended, or that’s the only possible meaning of what J.K. Rowling wrote. A mark of great literature is that an author’s writing has more meaning than he or she intended, I’ve said for many years. And the discussions that can and have been sparked by the themes and events that have transpired in the Harry Potter books have ranged far from what Rowling originally intended.  But especially after this last book has come out, it has become far easier to see the Christian allegory inherent in the story.  I’ll not go into details, but if you’ve read the last book, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The final chapters will not be enough to silence the Christians who hate the series, as the actual series has usually not even been read by its critics, so its contents are pretty much irrelevant to them, anyway. I’m not really trying to convince anyone.  The article I linked to above was a great read, and I recommend anyone who has read the series check it out. But if you’re one of the Christians who thinks Harry Potter is turning children into demon-worshiping hellions, I doubt it’ll do anything for you.

How much did I like it? I think I can honestly say that the Harry Potter series is one of the most masterfully written fantasy series I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I’ve read all of Robert Jordan’s thus far, most of George R. R. Martin’s thus far, all of Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as the Hobbit and Silmarillion, and 3.5 books of Kate Elliot’s Crown of Stars series. (Among others.) All of what I have mentioned are excellent series’, believe me. Any or all of them would reward your time admirably. But none of them comes close to the quality of the 7 books of the Harry Potter series.

To begin with, J.K. Rowling started off the series intending to write 7 books and end there…which is exactly what she did! (gasp!) I think this makes her one of the few series authors in the history of the world who has done exactly what she set out to do. To be fair, her story format (1 book for each year at Hogwarts, the wizarding school) lends itself well to holding her to her 7 book promise. However, she could have broken some of the thicker books up into multiple books, and I doubt many people would have complained. That was never her intention, however, and she stuck to her guns.

The Characters in this book are some of the most interesting, fleshed-out characters I’ve ever read. She does such an excellent job of creating personalities with catchphrases, quirks, and flaws, that you often forget that these people aren’t real. In some places, she writes a line of dialog, and purely by the words they use, you have a pretty good idea of who is saying it.

Character development in this series is also handled well. These kids are in a time of their life where they’re growing and learning about themselves and the world around them, and Rowling handles it well.

But the meaning of the series, with its emphasis on love, sacrifice, and good triumphing over evil precisely because they have love, is what makes this series one of the greatest I’ve read. Very few series have brought me to tears, and Rowling has done that at several points throughout it.

It is for that reason that I am even more angry when Christians attack the series claiming ridiculous notions that it is turning children to wicca or what have you. Rowling has written a most stirring story of love; something that can truly be called a masterpiece, and all these people can do is baselessly attack it. Most of these people haven’t even read the series to verify any of their own claims, thinking that a demon will possess them or something. (Are we back in the Middle Ages, living in fear from vampires, werewolves, and demons that somehow manage to have sex with humans???)

If you have not read this series, I highly recommend that you do so. The first couple of books are quite whimsical, as befits a child being thrown into a magical world that he never knew existed. But the series gets darker as the events get darker, and I would say that after about book 3 or 4, it takes a child of a certain maturity level to get through it and understand the concepts therein presented. It is an amazing tale of love, sacrifice, friends, family, and the importance of doing right, and well worth reading.

Conan Doyle’s primary inspiration for Sherlock Holmes was a man named Dr. Joseph Bell.  From Dr. Bell, Holmes gets his amazing deductive powers.  I read in these materials an account Conan Doyle relates of Dr. Bell’s interaction with a patient and his students.  This is what he said:

In one of his best cases he said to a civilian patient: ‘Well, my man, you’ve served in the army.’ ‘Aye, Sir.’ ‘Not long discharged?’ ‘No, Sir.’ ‘A Highland regiment?’ ‘Aye, Sir.’ ‘A non-com officer?’ ‘Aye, sir.’ ‘Stationed at Barbados?’ ‘Aye, sir.’ ‘You see, gentlemen,’ he would explain, ‘the man was a respectful man but did not remove his hat. They do not in the army, but he would have learned civilian ways had he been long discharged. He has an air of authority and he is obviously Scottish. As to Barbados, his complaint is Elephantiasis, which is West Indian, and not British.’ – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Memories and Adventures, p. 330.

I loved every letter of this exchange of Dr. Bell’s, but it sounded familiar to me, somehow.  Almost as though I had heard Dr. Bell speak…in fact, I even had a particular gruff voice I was assigning to him in my head.  All of a sudden, I realized that Dr. Bell sounded eerily similar to Fox Network’s Dr. House of the show House, M.D.  In reading this, I realized that Dr. Joseph Bell could very well have been the inspiration for Dr. House.  I did some quick research and found that I was not far wrong, actually.  David Shore, creator of Dr. Gregory House, based House almost entirely upon Sherlock Holmes, and thus Dr. Joseph Bell is the inspiration for House.

You can read the connection on Wikipedia here. So far, I REALLY very much like the Sherlock Holmes stories.  Holmes could very well have been what I based my own intellectual pursuits on, had I actually known much of Holmes before now.  Holmes seeks to know about many different subjects, although we find that he has a very specific purpose in mind.  I, also, seek to know as much as I can about many different subjects, though I don’t have a specific goal in mind.  I just like to know things, and I dislike very intensely NOT knowing things.  :)

Anyway, if you’ve never read the Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I highly recommend getting your hands on some.  If you’ve never seen the show House, M.D, and you have a television set at home I also recommend that. I think it comes on Tuesdays at 9pm in California.  (Check local listings.)  Hugh Laurie does an excellent job…especially if you’ve seen Jeeves and Wooster.  Hugh Laurie played an excellent Bertie Wooster, I must say!  :)