Dark Star Confessions of a Rock Idol

Dark Star Confessions Of A Rock Idol
By: Creston Mapes
Format: Paperback: 400 pages.
Publisher: Multnomah Pub (06/01/2005)
ISBN: 1590524721

Review by: Mike Furches



Not in a very, very long time, have I had as much joy and pleasure with reading a book as I just had with Dark Star Confessions of a Rock Idol by Creston Mapes. This book, the first of a three part series is in one word, G-R-E-A-T!

Mapes recently sent me Dark Star along with the second in the series book Full Tilt. I had had the book for a month or so and finally decided to give it a read. Well, to say the least, I couldn’t put the book down. Not only is Dark Star responsible for giving my mind a good work out, while working out at the gym, doing my cardio, it gave my body a work out. I didn’t miss a day at the gym until the book was completed and the read extended my workouts on the exercise bike for the longest time frame in about 3 years. I was so enthralled with the story in Dark Star, that my body literally forgot it was working out.

I love Rock N Roll as is evident from my past experiences. Unfortunately, in most “Christian� circles you see the genera knocked down and ridiculed, the truth is that what has been written in the past, from a Christian perspective, including the novels has been largely trash. Not worth the trees it took to make the books. Dark Star is as far on the opposite end of that spectrum as one could imagine. It is a breath of fresh air, that not only Christians will read and enjoy, but so will those who simply love a good story, whether Christian or not.

Mapes does as good a job of story development as anyone I have read since Ted Dekker, Rene Gutteridge, Dean Koontz, and Tim Downs. He understands the importance of characters the reader can relate to. It is why all kinds of people, no matter what their religious persuasions will enjoy these books. They will find someone in the story that they can relate to, thus drawing them deeper into the story.

Dark Star revolves around Everett Lester a young man growing up in a troubled family. His father doesn’t understand the concept of love. As a result Everett turns at an early age to Rock N Roll. What transpires is every boys or girls dream who has ever dreamt of being in a Rock N Roll Band. He along with several friends forms the group Dark Star and the rest is legend. All of the stories about Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll are found to be true and Everett indulges in all of them as much as is humanly possible.

Everett Lester is an individual we see as searching though despite his own indulgences. He is searching for meaning and truth in life, he realizes his escape mode and just don’t know how to get out of it. It is through his association with Endora Crystal, a popular psychic to the stars that the story unfolds. Creston mixing in murder, mystery, the occult, hypnotism, a trial, and Rock N Roll has written one of the great stories of the last year. What we have is a page turner that will have you laughing, crying, angry, sad, and every other imaginable emotion that you can think of.
Dark Star is not just a book that is a fun read; it is a book that will cause you to reflect on your own life, and your own journey. What role have others played in the development of your personality? How much are you willing to compromise truth for your own self gratification? What is the reality of consequences for your actions? And on and on questions are asked and the reader provoked into thought. One of the beautiful things about this book is that not only does it ask the questions; it dares to give the answers to those questions. It gives the answer in such a way that some will appreciate and have life changing experiences, and others will scoff at and go on in their own way, experiencing their own reality of never experiencing joy of fulfillment.

I can’t think of any author right now that I would rather read than Creston Mapes. He has earned a spot right up there with Ted Dekker, Rene Gutteridge, Tim Downs, Dean Koontz and I could name numerous others.

The book was so good, that it wasn’t 5 minutes after finishing it that I picked up and started reading the next book in the journey Full Tilt. I appreciated them both so much that I listed them in my Virtual Pew Store for sale. I became not only a reviewer of this work, but a fan, and that is saying something. I can’t think of any book I can recommend more than Dark Star. If you are wanting a good read, while at the same time getting some valuable nourishment you could do yourself well by visiting the Virtual Pew and ordering a copy.

On a scale of 1 – 10, for one of the most enjoyable reads of my life, I give an energetic and exciting, very rare 10.

Scimitar's Edge

Scimitar’s Edge
By: Marvin Olasky
ISBN 0-8054-4183-2
Broadman & Holman
Review by: Mike Furches

I recently finished reading Scimitar’s Edge by World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky. This Middle Eastern thriller is written with an insight into Islamic thought and tradition not often tackled by contemporary writers, certainly not writers who are concerned about being Politically Correct. Olasky, takes his hard hitting approach used in World Magazine into a world of political and religious zealotry not many consider when looking at the contemporary world we live in.

I should note that I read this book and saw the movie United Flight 93 during the same time period. It is with the refreshment of memories related to September 11, 2001 from watching the movie that this book caused me to think in ways I hadn’t contemplated, or for that matter, even desired.

The story of Scimitar’s Edge centers around former college roommates Hal Bogikian, and Malcolm Edwards, both who are atheists who despite their disagreements on most every subject, decide to take a transatlantic trip to Turkey alongside Malcolm’s aunt Phoebe du Pont a wealthy Christian widow and her beautiful assistant, Sally Northaway. While on this trip, the four become targets of a terrorists kidnapping. What transpires is a delving into the Islamic terrorists mind and reasoning as presented by author Olasky.

I have to be honest, what transpires is not an enjoyable story. Olasky doesn’t take the typical perspective in Scimitar’s Edge, unfortunately, he takes an all too realistic approach which helps drive home the horror, and conflict that currently exists in our world. As I was reminded while watching United Flight 93, Olasky presents a story where we have no easy answers to the world’s problems. I think that is part of his intent. He could tell a beautiful story, with a wonderful conclusion but that wouldn’t represent the real world we live in or, the realistic difficulty in trying to understand the minds of terrorists.

While there are characters and components of Scimitars Edge that I really liked, I didn’t find this an enjoyable read. Truth be told, I wish there had been more character and story development. I wanted to know more about the mind of the Islamic Terrorists, as well as the conflicts and inner thoughts of the primary characters of the book. If anything I think the book focused on to many sub plots and thus the story itself was not as easy of a read as I would have anticipated or it could have been.

Those things being said, it does not mean I wouldn’t recommend the book. I would strongly recommend it, especially to those who think the solutions to the issues between Islamic thought and the West are easily dealt with. The truth is, there is much disagreement between the religious thoughts, and the history between the two worlds. Scimitar’s Edge does as good a job at presenting that conflict as anything I have read in recent years.

Does Olasky have a hit novel on his hands? The June release of the book will answer that, and while I think the book will do well, I also believe that readers will have some of the same issues I did, not just from a storytelling perspective, but from a thought provoking, confused as ever perspective regarding the political issues that exist.

On a scale of 1 – 10 for a thought provoking story, minus the four primary characters and Turkish Police Officer I’ll give a compelling and interesting 5.

The Gospel According to the World’s Greatest Superhero

Reviewed by Scott Roche

Product Details -
Author: Steve Skelton
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (May 15, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0736918124

Amazon Link

Sample chapter here.

When I was first contacted by Steve Skelton about this book I was a little skeptical. I'd seen a number of books sitting on shelves that look at my religion in light of some pop culture icon. My favorite concept (haven't read it yet) is The Gospel According to Harry Potter. Personally I have nothing against either the Potter books or movies. I read the first book and have seen the first three movies. Harmless and fairly well written fantasy, but hardly the first thing I think of when I think of Christ. This sort of book always struck me as being very gimmicky. I then chastised myself. After all, some of the reviews I've written attempt the very same thing on a much smaller scale. And, I asked myself, "Self, isn't Supes arguably one of the best known pop culture icons of the twentieth century?". Combine those two things with the fact that Superman Returns is coming out this summer and I was sold.

When I got the review copy in my sweaty paws I was excited to see that the last chapter contained clues as to what we might see in the movie. Out of respect to the author and to you my dear readers I won't dish, but what I read (and yes I waited and read everything in proper order) didn't disappoint. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I knew going in that the original creators Siegel and Shuster were Jews and I saw parallels to Moses and other Old Testament figures. I also knew that I saw some definite Christic parallels in both the comics and the movies. I was eager to know how much of that was on purpose and what details I might be missing so I plowed ahead.

Skelton spends the first three chapters doing an excellent job of laying out the groundwork. He shares the origin of his love for Superman which stemmed largely from the movies. This was reinforced later in life by Smallville and rumors of an upcoming movie sequel. We're also given a clear picture of his approach to looking at entertainment and looking for the gospel in it. He points out that both Christ and Paul used stories and concepts found in everyday life to communicate eternity and our place in it. In his eyes this makes movies, books, and television fair game. In some cases he believes that the authors may be sending these messages intentionally, but that is by no means a necessity.

The rest of the book is divided into three sections; Origin, Mission, and Destiny. The chapters in each section do a thorough job of examining the similarities between the two men. In spite of the fact that the comics were not central to Skeleton's youth as the movies were he has done his research. He uses examples not only from the comics (1940s-Present), but also the radio series, all of the television shows, and a host of books and articles. No detail goes unexamined from his uniform and symbol to the names of the people in his life. I was amazed at the number of connections and I agree with most of his conclusions.

Now lest I come across as some blathering fanboy, I have to say that the book isn't perfect. Some of the detail he goes into seems to stretch the point more than a little. I'm thinking mainly here of when he's talking about the suit and symbol. The "Afterword", a chapter where he deals with other possible ways of looking at the man in blue is rushed. He raises some interesting contrasting opinions, but then dismisses them too quickly. I'm also confused as to who the audience is for this book. It would seem to be limited to Christians, but he makes a few attempts to make it accessible to "seekers". In spite of these limited shortcomings though, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Given its timing (impeccable), research (thorough), and narrative voice (engaging) I think you will too. Especially if you like what we do here.

Q&A with the author.
I was able to ask Steve a few questions.

1) Describe the purpose of your ministry.

At The Entertainment Ministry, we believe that many stories which transcend social, racial and cultural barriers today, do so because they contain spiritual truth for which all people have a God-given hunger.

For example, we've done a series of video-based Bible studies using classic television episodes as modern parables. In our study with the Andy Griffith Show, we've identified an underlying theme of love for fellow man. In our study with the Beverly Hillbillies, it's an underlying theme of morality versus materialism. Or Lucy, with an unerlying theme of forgiveness and grace.

The ministry promotes a grassroots approach to using popular entertainment to engage a Christian worldview. In doing so, whether it is with Superman of Metropolis or Andy of Mayberry, we equip the church with ways to reach the world beyond.

2) Who do you view as the audience of your book?

Superman fans. All kinds--young and old, male and female, believer and nonbeliever. Here's a pertinent example. There's a review of the book over at www.supermanhomepage.com. The review is by a writer named Neal Bailey. Neal is an atheist...and he loves the book. In fact, in his review he says something along the lines of, If I like this book and I'm a-religious, I can only imagine what it will mean to those of you who are religious.

3) What did writing this look like? What sort of research did you do?

The book has been in the works for about two years. Lot of research through all the different ways we've seen Superman. Starting with the newspaper comics, then on to the comic books, then the radio show, the George Lowther novel, the George Reeves television show, the Christopher Reeve movies, the Death of Superman comic book storyline, Smallville and up to the minute with Superman Returns. These are the works that I believe make up the popular canon. They define the generally known story of Superman. And they parallel the Gospel story in amazing ways.

4) Do you write any fiction?

Only when I bounce a check. Which is never on purpose, mind you. Other than that, it's nonfiction.

Actually, some of the things I wrote in the book were looked at as if they were fiction until the sources were checked. Such as the quote from the Superman Returns teaser trailer. You know what I'm referring to. As Superman floats over the Earth, his father says, They can be a great people, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capactiy for good, I have sent them you--my only son. Some folks had a hard time believing that quote at first. But it is simply the latest illustration of how the movie makers have purposefully promoted Superman as a Christ figure.

And he addressed some of my concerns:

First thing. You mention similar books, such as the Gospel According to Harry Potter. I think, if I do say so myself, that the thing that distinguishes this book is that we have the Superman storytellers themselves on the record confirming that they make the connection between Superman and Christ. In other words, it's not just Steve's opinion.

I'm thinking specifically of Tom Mankiewicz, the writer of Superman: The Movie with Christopher Reeve, who said, "The metaphor was clearly there when Jor-El [the father] sends Superman to Earth with God sending Christ to save humanity."

Or David Nutter, the director of the Smallville pilot, who said: "I thought there were a lot of metaphors between Clark [Kent] and Jesus actually. And I tried to throw in as many of them as I could." (While the two Executive Producers of Smallville, Al Gough and Miles Millar, voiced their approval in the background.)

And Bryan Singer, the director of Superman Returns, who said: "Superman is the Jesus Christ of superheroes." And that Superman Returns is "a story about what happens when messiahs come back..."

IMHO, not only is the confirmation of the Superman storytellers themselves what sets this book apart--but from the standpoint of equipping folks with the knowledge of the spiritual history of Superman, the confirmation of those Superman storytellers is HUGE. (I, myself, have seen it convince the skeptical.)

Second thing. In the review, you wonder who the audience for the book is. I always intended it for the general Superman fan first, the Christian Superman fan second and the skeptical Superman fan third. However, the actual response is even better than I could have hoped for.

The best, most public, example of what I'm talking about can be seen in the review of the book at www.supermanhomepage.com. There, Neal Bailey begins his review by stating that he is an atheist...and he loves the book! You can see his review at the link below:

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/other/book-reviews/book-reviews.php?topic=gospel-superhero


Hope that wasn't information overload, but I think this book deserves every bit of attention it can get.

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