Bambi vs. Godzilla

Mike Duran's stories have appeared in Relief Journal, Forgotten Worlds, Alienskin, and Dragons, Knights and Angels, with articles in The Matthew’s House Project and Relevant Magazine. He was also one of ten authors picked for Infuze Magazine’s Best of 2005 print anthology. Mike is an ordained minister, has led numerous small groups and developed discipleship-training curriculum for several churches. He and his wife Lisa live in Southern California , where they have raised four children. Mike has written an unpublished novel entitled What Faith Awakes and is currently at work on a second. You can visit him at www.mikeduran.com.

It's the title of David Mamet's latest book. Subtitled On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business, the book takes its name from a 1969 short animated film entitled Bambi Meets Godzilla. It was voted #38 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. The cartoon is just under two minutes, most of the time spent on credits. It begins with a fawn munching clover and ends with the critter plastered under a massive, reptilian foot. The battle lasts approximately the blink of an eye.

While Mamet is hardly at the bottom of the industry food chain, he speaks often as an outsider, eloquently ranting against the powers that be and the corruption of those powers. And in that, Mamet gives hope to all us bambis.

The publishing industry, much like Hollywood, can appear monstrous -- a lumbering, impersonal behemoth that leaves aspiring authors stomped in its wake. We clamber after the creature only to find ourselves flattened by naysayers, rejections, deadlines, sluggish sales, tough critiques, or just plain lack of genius. It's the nature of the beast.

But occasionally, some greenhorn will rise up in protestation, arm their sling, and challenge the brute. It may not be the best career move, but boy is it gutsy.

Recently, I visited a team writers’ blog and stumbled upon a courageous little stone slinger. Oftentimes, the comment sections of our websites are just echo chambers, platforms for atta-boys, amens and self-promotional snippets. Nevertheless, on this particular post, the aspiring author was challenging the assumptions of some industry luminaries. After the blast, you could hear a pin drop in cyberspace. And then the big reptilian foot came down... or at least, a curt, defensive rebuttal from the team members. I've unleashed my share of harsh, ill-timed, stupid comments upon unsuspecting webmasters. But in this particular case, I felt the “little” commentator had a good point.

Question: Should a wannabe novelist dare challenge the industry she is seeking publication in? Isn't it smarter to heed those who've "arrived," rather than question them? Aren't we better off rowing instead of rocking the boat?

There's a fine line between being a rabble rouser and an agent of change. Perhaps they are the same. Of course, under Taliban rule, agents of change are usually left limbless. Thankfully, CBA authors and publishers are a lot more civil. “Speak the truth in love,” the apostle Paul said, and elsewhere, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition…” Of course, how this translates into the "business" side of things is another story. If anything, it means the tone of our discussions and in-house debates should be different, less hostile, less ad hominem. Nevertheless, many of these exchanges still result in flattened fawns.

After several years hanging around religious writer-types, I'm beginning to see a growing divide. On the one hand are those who enjoy "faith fiction" -- inspirational stories aimed at Christian audiences with explicit biblical themes, minus the unwholesome elements (like sex, liquor, cussing and buckets of blood). On the other hand are those who aim for a broader audience. They tend to tolerate profanity, do not require a clear-cut inspirational resolution (i.e., the protagonist gets saved, baptized and quits smoking) and feel boxed in by the “Christian Fiction” label. Oftentimes, the disagreements between these two camps can become -- how shall I say it -- nasty. As a result, many authors, willingly or unwillingly, end up outside the CBA fold.

But is it an either/or? Either you play by the rules, or you play elsewhere? Either you row the boat, or you get out? Shouldn't there be a middle ground where writers like me -- people that have a stake, at least an interest, in the future of "Christian literature" -- can voice contrary opinions or express concerns without feeling shunned, frowned upon, or driven outside the camp?

Almost a year ago, a team blog was launched that I've watched with interest. Speculative Faith exists to mobilize what they believe is “a diverse and sizable audience hungry for Christian speculative literature.” In their mission statement, Mirtika Schultz writes:

~~We want to mobilize a reading and writing community that will impact the future editorial acquisitional decisions of CBA publishing houses. Right now, they are not favorably inclined toward speculative fiction.

~~We want better and more varied and just plain MORE novels from CBA publishing houses in our genre.

As such, Spec Faith exists to fill a hole in the CBA, to bring attention to what they perceive as an industry deficiency, or at least, oversight. Their tone is cordial, upbeat, Christian. But there is a fair share of banter. Most recently, the absence of a Visionary category in the Christy Awards has got them all abuzz.

I'm guessing that voices like this, though contrary, discordant -- even potentially annoying to some -- play an essential role in the Christian book industry.

Recently, CCM changed its name to "Christ. Community. Music." It’s part of an effort to broaden its appreciation of “Christian music,” to embrace believing artists outside the mainstream religious music industry. And this after 29 years of publication! In a recent interview, Jay Swartzendruber, editor of CCM Magazine, described this evolution:

Initially, the name CCM stood for “contemporary Christian music,” and we just assumed everyone just knew it. But by the late 90s, CCM was doing surveys, different things with readers and discovered that the name of the genre Contemporary Christian Music kind of had a smaller box than what the magazine wanted to cover.

According to Swartzendruber, many Christian artists “…started to quietly distance themselves from the term ‘contemporary Christian music’…” Bands like Sixpence None the Richer, P.O.D., Switchfoot and Jars of Clay were blazing trails into previously uncharted territory, getting airplay on secular stations and winning over non-believing fans. CCM was in danger of placing its artists and target market into a “smaller box.” The fact that after almost 30 years CCM would recast itself and rethink its objectives, says a lot about the group. Could a similar reevaluation be needed for the CBA?

Change, especially institutional change, starts slow, often occurring at the grassroots level before the executive. Kingdoms turn as much on peasants as potentates. But the bigger the kingdom, the slower the steering. While discussions about CBA boundaries, blind spots, and shortcoming can appear seditious, it may also be an important, much needed reformation cry. That these cries are issued from the peasantry should not lessen their urgency.

So here I am. Bambi. I love the Lord and His Church. Yet I've also got gripes about the state of Christian fiction. What do I do? Sure, throwing rocks at Godzilla may get him to look my way. But, it could also get me stomped. Oh well, maybe it's better to shut up and keep rowing.