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
Postcards from Pluto
Almost at Pluto, and I just had a thought: when I get there, you and I will be just about as far away from each other as possible.
Featured Recommendation
Braveheart is to my generation what Shakespeare may have been to an earlier and more literary generation. When it came out in 1995, my friends and I could quote entire scenes, especially the stirring speeches Mel Gibson gives as freedom fighter William Wallace. Although it's been accused (among other things) of historical inaccuracies and of fetishizing violence, the movie is a brilliant piece of storytelling and a model of good filmmaking. To dispense with those two criticisms (which I consider the most serious that have been levelled at the movie), the issue of historical inaccuracy is of course valid, but I'd prefer to view the movie as a springboard to entice people to want to learn about the historical William Wallace and his fight for Scottish independence from English rule. The movie isn't trying to tell a historical story—not in the sense that, say, Band of Brothers aimed to tell...
Latest news
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.
Confused Expressions #13: Proof Versus Evidence
(posted on 24 October 2011)
I'd be hard-pressed to find an expression more commonly misused by otherwise careful writers and speakers than the expressions I'm sometimes faced with when an agnostic or atheist friend discovers that I'm Christian. "But how can you believe in Christianity when there isn't any proof for it?" they'll say or write. Or, "Well, I believe in science, because it has a lot of proof going for it."
The Lost Stories: Now Available!
(posted on 16 September 2011)
The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures is now available for the Kindle on Amazon.com
