Top 10 Series

When Rachel Starr Thomson featured me on her blog a few weeks back, she asked me about what Christian science-fiction and fantasy books would rank at the top of my list. I gave her a general list at the time, but since then, I’ve thought much about that question. For I often tailor a list dependent on whom I’m talking to, but what if someone didn’t care? What would I recommend?So here’s the list I’ve put together, of what I consider the best of Christian science-fiction and fantasy that I’ve encountered:

# 10-6: Fun reads and good content, but flawed in some way for me:

Tie for 10th: DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul and The Shadowside Trilogy by Robert Elmer

9. Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire by Bryan Davis

8. Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers

7. Echoes from the Edge by Bryan Davis

6. Legend of the Guardian-King by Karen Hancock

The top 5 slots are characterized by content that’s deep and thought-provoking but doesn’t take over an excellently written and entertaining story (e.g. Lawhead lacks deep content with his excellent craft; Hancock’s content sometimes seems to overwhelm the story):

5. Unknown. I haven’t found a series that qualifies for this fifth slot.

4. The Sword of Lyric by Sharon Hinck

3. The Gifted by Lisa T. Bergren

2. The Lamb Among the Stars by Chris Walley

And my top slot, what I consider the best balance of craft and content, goes without question to:

1. The Firebird Trilogy by Kathy Tyers

I hope someday I can write a novel a well-written and balanced as hers.