‘Necessary Evil’ and Sci Phi #3

Stephen J. Barringer, one of my 3.6 Loyal Readers, has a new story up at Kaleidotrope. ‘Necessary Evil’ is a high fantasy short with a flavour of Scotland; a tale of two clans, two religions, two brothers, and two magical talents, all in mutual collision.

In other news, Sci Phi Journal #3 is out, and available in print as well as ebook form. (Also in .mobi and .epub formats from Castalia House.) It features another of the stalwart 3.6, Brian Niemeier, with a story called ‘Strange Matter’. As the blurb says: ‘What would you do if the world kept ending and you were the only one who knew it?’

Check them both out, by all means.

Magic vs. sacraments

Magic attempts to use preternatural forces for natural ends. Sacraments use natural matter for supernatural ends.

—Fr. Dan Pattee (as paraphrased by Brian Niemeier)

Fr. Pattee is associate professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Brian Niemeier is a Loyal Reader and a good fellow with a sound head on his shoulders. He demonstrates this last point admirably in his recent blog post, ‘Squirrel Chasing’.