Spelunking Speculative Fiction: Mike Dellosso: Horror and the Bible

Peter Ryan wakes up on a typical morning only to find his house empty, his wife and daughter nowhere to be found. His world is shattered after a phone call to a friend confirms the impossible: his wife and daughter died in a car accident he does not remember. Haunted by faint memories and flashes of details, Peter becomes convinced that something isn’t right and begins to question reality. When he discovers a note in his daughter’s handwriting, strange memories begin to surface that cause him to second-guess nearly everything he once believed. Suddenly armed men show up at Peter’s home, turning the mysterious puzzle of his past into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. On the run and unsure whom to trust, Peter has to discover what’s real and what isn’t…before he loses everything.

Today, a different take on things. I’m stoked to have Mike Dellosso join our conversation today. Mike writes speculative fiction—actually, get this—horror, from a Christian perspective. There’ve been a lot of heated discussions out there about how a Christian author can write anything but Truth as prescribed by the Bible.

But honestly, think about it.

The Bible is full of horrific stories: the demon-possessed, the slaughter of innocent newborns, giants, two mothers fighting over whose baby to eat first. Disturbing stuff. On the other hand, it’s also full of the miraculous: creation out of nothing, a shepherd’s staff that turns into a snake, healing, telekinesis, and—of course—resurrection. In the CBA (the Christian market), people can be dogmatic. (People on every side of every issue can. Let’s just lay that out there.)
Still, for those who believe Bible is Truth, what are we at liberty to wonder about? A Zombie apocalypse? Ghosts? Magick? Alchemy?

Mike’s here to tell you what he thinks. The floor is yours.

Thanks, I want to talk about how the supernatural plays into the realm of the natural. One of the things Christian supernatural fiction is taken to task over is that it is not “doctrinally” sound, that it is unrealistic and contradicts what the Bible teaches. Really? Does it? I guess, like anything else, it depends.

Let’s get one thing clear, just because we don’t understand something or don’t experience it on a regular basis doesn’t make it contradictory to what the Bible teaches.

Humor me for a moment while I tackle an issue I’ve dealt with in my own books. In The Hunted there is a beast, a monster if you will, that is the manifestation of evil. Call it a demon if you like. Then, in Darlington Woods, there are the darklings, demon-like creatures with a thirst for blood and death. They’ve both been called unrealistic, and I’ve had to defend them by reminding people it’s fiction, it’s not meant to be real. But are they really that unrealistic?

Here’s my line of thought. Can fallen angels take on the form of humans like the good angels can? Genesis 6 seems to hint at that when it mentions the “sons of God” (if you take that interpretation). Can Satan and his minions take on other forms? Well, in Genesis 1 Satan came to Eve in the form of a serpent, so it sure seems like it’s possible. So what’s to prevent them from taking on the form of a lion-like monster or a darkling?

Other questions: Can Satan control people? Sure he can. Judas Iscariot is a sad example. Can Satan control the weather? Yes. Job can attest to that. Can people receive visions and messages in their dreams? The Bible is full of such examples. Can God work through people in the form of miracles and supernatural power? Again, examples in Scripture are abundant.

Now, I know there are arguments on both sides about miracles and visions and such today and I respect the views of both sides. But what I deal with in my books is possibility. Is it possible that a demon can take on the form of a darkling or some other monster? Is it possible for a comatose boy to transmit messages from God? Is it possible for a man to be so controlled by Satan it’s as if he’s one with the prince of darkness?

I believe the answer to each of these questions is yes, it is possible. And I doubt that exploring these topics, these possibilities in fiction is doctrinally unsound. Trust me, the last thing I want to write is anything that could be called heresy or blasphemy. If I ever challenge the deity of Christ or the way of salvation, shame on me. If I ever exalt man above God, shame on me. If I ever portray God as anything but the Father of Light and source of all goodness, shame on me. And if I ever fail to point my stories to God, to show the power of His words, the comfort of His touch, and the possibilities of His children, again, shame on me.

The Bible is full of the supernatural, of miracles and wonderful strangeness, of evil in its cruelest and most vile forms. Can it still happen today? Is it possible? What do you think?

Love that, Mike. Thank you. 

Okay, peeps. Centralia comes out on JUNE 1st. It's available for pre-order now. Click here to snag a copy. And let us hear your thoughts in the comments.

Mike Dellosso is the author of eight works of suspense. His latest, CENTRALIA, releases June 1. Mike is also an adjunct creative writing professor and popular conference teacher and speaker. Learn more about him at www.mikedellossobooks.com and follow him at www.facebook.com/mikedellosso.