Dani Oliver

Recently, I came into a mother lode of books. As an avid reader I was starved for reading material (other than computer-related manuals) after my own collection had been confiscated. During lean times, rebuilding it had not been a priority. So this windfall was a particularly passionate experience for me. It also had the delightful effect of feeding into my spirituality.

I tend to favor the Science Fantasy genre - where logic and reason meet ideas that aren't always just pure fantasy. While the worlds depicted in these books are generally fictitious, they pull elements from the "real world" to formulate new ideas. For example, the religious, philosophical, or ideological building blocks of various belief systems that may be used to create a new religion symbiotic to the culture and environment of the world in which the story takes place.

In most of these worlds there exist dragons, special powers granted from the creator/s, soul-testing quests, and the inevitable victory, or simply the achievement of a quest goal. The timeline is vague with hints of times long past, or a future yet to unfold. In other words, it's generally impossible to compare it with our own current timeline, although the general feel is medieval.

Keep in mind, I'm referring to my own specific collection of books here, and not the genre in general.

Where do we come from? What is our goal in life? These are the type of soul-searching questions asked by the main character right before they set out on their Life Quests. Who created us? How do we contact them... or they us? It's the search for answers to questions like these that typically define our hero*. As the plot progresses, they are challenged to keep an mind open, and to watch out for signs. The signs themselves generally require some sort of interpretation and may challenge the hero's belief system.

Sharing these discoveries with others may slow the hero down. Sometimes the sharing itself becomes part of the journey and the fateful "party" is formed. Their coming together and the subsequent bonding empowers them as a group. As the plot draws out, we see how each individual character contributes to the story: their shared visions, dreams, or epiphanies generally providing some sort of guidance to one or all members of the group. By the end of the story, it's hard to imagine how the hero's journey would have unfolded without those particular bonds of friendship.

By the time I get to the end of a book, I want to feel uplifted, inspired, and that my faith has been fortified. I generally find these requirements fulfilled by reading Science Fantasy novels. And to my great fortune, I was presented with three boxes of these types of books.

The ironic twist of fate that brought these books into my possession is a windfall experienced by the previous owner, who plans to replace her books with an e-Reader. And here I am, a computer enthusiast who wanted to do more reading offline. The combined timing and genre worked to provide a strong infusion of faith at a much-needed time. A fantastical miracle of sorts.

I dedicate this blog to our friend Jerry who presented us with these books, to Ozzy for choosing them for me, to the woman who unwittingly helped me start rebuilding my collection, to all my fellow Dragons who understood how important these books are to me, and to Sheryl who inspires me more than she realizes.

"Life is a journey,
and the world is whatever you
choose to believe it is.
And in my world, there be dragons."
by Dani Oliver

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*For simplicity's sake, "hero" refers to both hero and heroine.