Welcome
Welcome or welcome back to Ooter's Place, the online home of author Karl El-Koura. Primarily a writer of fiction, Karl works in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction and horror to mainstream and detective fiction, as well as in lengths ranging from short stories to novels. Almost all of his work can be classified as theological fiction—a Christian deeply interested in the "big" questions, Karl's stories explore issues of theology and spirituality even when he doesn’t consciously intend them to do so. For those who care to know, Karl is a Greek Orthodox Christian.
On this website you can check out his published books, read some of his short fiction, view his bibliography, or catch up with the latest news and articles on his blog. So stay awhile, have a look around, and feel free to contact Karl with any questions, comments, or feedback you may have. Thanks for stopping by!
Featured Book
Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith, and Love
13 Short Tales
Featured Short Story
The Man Who Mistook Himself for a Superhero
So he was a superhero! He’d suspected as much when he’d woken up in the alley behind the Chinese restaurant. He couldn’t remember his name, or how he had gotten there, but there was a mirror tossed out in the dumpster and his eyes were working fine.
Featured Recommendation
Casablanca was shot in black-and-white, as were most movies made in the 1940s. That, and the fact that the film is considered a classic, has probably contributed to many people avoiding it who might otherwise give it a chance (expanding Mark Twain's definition of a classic to "a movie that everybody wants to have watched and nobody wants to watch.")But if other classics can be accused of being difficult to relate to for a modern audience, Casablanca effortlessly dodges the charge. Immediately the films plunges us into its story and we're not allowed to come up for air until the tale has been told—a tale of murder, war, intrigue, love lost and regained and lost again, and most of all, of sacrifice.
Latest news
Confused Expressions #13: Knowledge is Power
(posted on 16 April 2012)
The expression "knowledge is power" isn't confused in and of itself; I agree that knowledge can be powerful. The confusion arises because, in most instances, the speaker seems to think that's the end of the story, as if the single-minded acquisition of knowledge or power is all that matters, as if that acquisition of knowledge or power makes one more powerful. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Without the wisdom to use it appropriately—how to use it and when to use it and why—having lots of power can be much worse than having no power at all, because it may be the power to blow yourself up, or (even worse) the power to blow up your friends, your neighbourhood, or your planet.
No one thinks a little boy with a big shotgun is powerful, for instance; everyone thinks he's a danger, and as much to himself as to anyone else. But the same shotgun in the hands of a hunter is a powerful tool, because presumably the hunter has the wisdom to use it well.
By itself, knowledge is interesting at best and dangerous at worst. Knowledge is power in any good or useful sense of the term only when it's governed by wisdom.
The Lost Stories: Serialized
(posted on 7 March 2012)
The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures is being serialized on Wattpad. The introduction from the book is up now; the plan is to post the first story this Friday (March 9) with new stories to follow every Friday after that (see schedule below).
Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol
(posted on 15 November 2011)
Christmas will be here sooner than I expect. I know that, but I haven't started Christmas shopping yet; my Christmas tree and all the lights and other decorations are still in storage; Christmas parties are starting to fill up my schedule but I haven't given them much thought. But I did read a book I try to read every year around this time—Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the subject of my latest recommendation. I hope you get a chance this Christmas to pick up this wonderful little book and allow its story to haunt you and infect you with its laughter and good-humour.
