Young Madeline and Roark are desperately running from the shadow that destroyed their home and is threatening their lives. One day, they encounter Tatus, an older man who has sworn to avenge the death of his family at the hands of the shadow, and they form an alliance with him. Tatus promises that he can keep them safe from the shadow if they will help him build a fortress. So they build.
But as fortress-building consumes their lives, Madeline and Roark are increasingly filled with anger and fear, and an unseen evil threatens to ultimately destroy them. When they finally face the shadow, he presents them with an unthinkable offer that will reveal shocking secrets of the forgotten past, the unseen present, and the unimaginable future.
We've all had the feeling that something's not quite right with our lives. It's bigger than any specific failure or disappointment. It's bigger than any person. No matter what you achieve or how much you drink or sleep, you can't shake it. It haunts you night and day and propels you to do something. So you build. You build and build the maze that is your exhausting life. Sound vaguely familiar?
The Seed: A True Myth is a journey into the personal labyrinths we create to protect ourselves and those we love from the pain of living in a broken world. Guzman's "true myth" takes the reader on an unforgettable journey that is, in essence, the grand narrative of God's redemptive work in the world. This page-turning Christian fantasy tale is packed with mystery and drama, and readers will feel the weight and power of redemption as they journey alongside Guzman's characters in their epic battle. The Seed deftly communicates the heart of Trinitarian theology through story without using theological language or Christian terms and reinforces biblical themes such as God's character and man's true identity and calling.
"It's rare, but sometimes one reads a book that is so absorbing that one can't put it down, so filled with truth that one can never 'un-see' it, and so profound that one will never forget it. The Seed is that kind of book. The 'experience' of reading The Seed will haunt me the rest of my life. I don't even have the words to describe that 'experience.' Experience it for yourself and then give this book to everyone you know."
Steve Brown, Author; Key Life radio broadcaster
"There are not adequate words to convey the beauty of this extraordinary journey. Erik has taken the journey, and tells the Story in a way that will awaken your imagination for it and reignite your desire for union and communion with Love for life without end in the Love Fractal. The Seed will grow on you and in you as you read."
Chuck DeGroat, PhD, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling and Senior Fellow, Newbigin House of Studies; author of Wholeheartedness, Toughest People to Love, and Leaving Egypt
"There are stories that we know so well they lose their power to overwhelm, transform, warm, and enlighten us. The story of God's love for sinners is sadly one. But here, in this beautifully written fantasy, Erik Guzman has done what many writers try to do without success. He's made that old story come alive in a new, illuminating way, the way of Love. The Seedwill both remind of the old story and teach you new truth about the repeating 'pattern of Love in the world' and how we are loved, not for what we do but because we are His. Buy this book. Share it with your family."
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, Author of Home: How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longing
"Erik Guzman is one of the most exciting, insightful, articulate, economic, and powerful writers on the planet. I hate reading fiction but I LOVED this book."
Jim Henderson, Executive Producer of Jim Henderson Presents: William Paul Young, Author of The Shack
"In his 'true myth,' Erik Guzman brilliantly tells all of our stories. Allow yourself the disorienting and reorienting experience of going backward to find the seed and discover all the unlikely places Love has been growing in between the empty, pain-filled, and cynical places in our hearts. No other story has invited me like The Seed to let Love find me, no matter how terrifying and startling, and then to let Love grow within and remake me."
Sharon Hersh, Professional counselor; adjunct professor; speaker; author of several books, including The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help Is Not Enough
"The Seed captures your attention and sizzles with fun and brave theological vitality. You don't know why yet, but it doesn't get any better than life in the Love Fractal. This story will lead you to explore the contours of what it means to hear God say, 'I love you because you are mine.'
Justin S. Holcomb, Episcopal priest; seminary professor; author of On the Grace of God and God Made All of Me
"Imagine hearing a brand-new version of your favorite classic song. You recognize the familiar melody immediately, even though the arrangement is new, the instrumentation original, the phrasing fresh. You smile. You have always loved this song, and now, thanks to the artist, you love it even more. Now open this book. If you're like me, you will find yourself smiling over and over again."
Nate Larkin, Founder of the Samson Society; author of Samson and the Pirate Monks: Calling Men to Authentic Brotherhood
"Why are we in so much pain? Why do we hurt each other? How is it that we've become so disconnected from the divine, ourselves, nature, and each other? In vivid parabolic storytelling, Erik Guzman channels George MacDonald and J. R. R. Tolkien in The Seed: A True Myth. Mysterious dragons, dark forests, living trees, and love fractals greet us as Erik lures us on a path where allegory meets biography. Highly recommended!"
Mike Morrell, Founder, the Speakeasy network; writer
"The Inklings taught us that we need good stories and Guzman has given us one here. Men build with bricks to keep safe, and despair is met with Love. At each turn of this book we meet truth breathed through myth the biblical story perceived through a vivid imagination. The geek in me loved every minute."
Ryan M. Reeves, MDiv, MA, PhD, Dean & Assistant Professor of Historical Theology, Gordon-Conwell
"I am undone. I just finished The Seed: A True Myth and I can't stop weeping. What a hope-building, eternity-embracing, eye-lifting, heart-exploding book. I am so grateful for Erik's work. Truly. I can't remember the last time a Christian book moved me in this way. You will not be disappointed."
Jessica Thompson, Speaker; author of Everyday Grace: Infusing All of Your Relationships with the Love of Jesus
"Along with Brennan Manning, Henri Nouwen, and C. S. Lewis, Erik Guzman has managed to write in such a way that the unconditional love of God is experienced through man's words. I have been profoundly affected by this True Myth."
Zach Van Dyke, Teaching Minister at Summit Church, Orlando, FL
"A colorful, right-brained feast that satisfies the soul and stimulates the imagination."
Frank Viola, Author; speaker; blogger at frankviola.org
"In a religious tradition frequently marked by walls, divisions, and differences, The Seed provides a grand story of spiritual journey one that is interwoven with all times, places, and beings, and where every action is completed with redemption. A beautiful and compelling book."
David Wimbish, Vocalist in the Collection
"You've never read anything like Erik Guzman's The Seed an ambitious, beautifully written yarn that skirts the line between allegory, fantasy, and myth in extremely inventive fashion. He has somehow managed to capture a great deal of the wonder and weirdness, urgency and beauty, of the biblical material that inspired it a major breath of fresh air, in other words. No matter how well you think you know the 'old, old story,' no matter how high or labyrinthine your inner walls have grown, this is truly a tale that will 'take you by the tail' and not let go! You've been warned."
David Zahl, Editor of The Mockingbird Blog; author of A Mess of Help: From the Crucified Soul of Rock n Roll
"Erik Guzman's retelling of the Bible's story of creation and redemption bears fascinating elements of Carl Jung, C. S. Lewis, and the Brothers Grimm. If you don't blink you can even spot Ayn Rand and Jack Kerouac. In short, there's something for everyone in this tale that takes you from the Garden of Eden to the City of God. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and you'll never be bored. Here's to the Love Fractal!"
Paul Zahl, Episcopal minister and theologian
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I want to preface my review by stating, I don’t usually read “fiction” books anymore. And quite honestly at first glance of this book I was tempted to pass by it like I generally do so many others in this genre. However, I managed to look at it just long enough to see the description of this book and felt drawn to read it. I was not disappointed! This is definitely a book I would recommend to others. Regardless of if you read “fiction” books or non-fiction books this book is great. From the start of the book Guzman does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story. Guzman wrote this book in such a captivating manner. I generally do a lot of reading but I was so drawn into the story of this book that I finished it in less than 2 days. Really if the first day had been longer I could have finished it then. One of the things I love the most about the book is although the book is “fiction” it is rooted in immense truth that defines who we are as people and the journey we all find ourselves in throughout our lives. Through metaphor and allegorical insight you come to see yourself in the story and through it become deeply connected with God’s story as well. In a style much like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis the reader embarks on a journey where things are not always as they appear. Allow your understanding of what is important in life be expanded. Come see how our most prized trinkets and pursuits, with the right perspective, can repulse us. How the things that once quenched our hunger and thirst don’t really satisfy. And see that we are all called into a larger story than what we often settle for.
What an incredible story! Erik does a masterful job weaving the biblical narrative of creation/fall/redemption into the human struggle of validation through blood/sweat/tears. I could hardly put it down. I've now gone back and tried to find various foreshadowing and biblical truths to underline and ponder. I'm literally looking for people to share my thoughts on this book with, starting with my friends. My only critique would be that it needs an illustration of the labyrinth. Although its description helps the imagination, I still want to see it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fiction and is tired of beating their head against the walls of their own labyrinth. You should read this!
I rarely read fiction. One book per year, often less. I was excited to read Guzman’s “The Seed” to meet my yearly quota, only to be disappointed upon realizing as I finished it that it is not fiction. As the subtitle suggests, it is “a true myth.” It is the gospel wrapped in poetry and metaphor dipped in the aromatic scent of the new heavens and new earth. The last four or five chapters are hard to read as your eyes may get a bit misty, I know mine did. That is because of the powerful truths he so beautifully captures. The book excellently portrays the depth of human sin and self-deception, the vanity of self-righteous attempts to save ourselves, the pride that is common to men, and the love of God that is greater than the sin of man. I also deeply appreciated the laughter of Love in his book. Chesterton wrongly concluded that Jesus had no mirth, Guzman helpfully corrects this error. I can't recommend this book enough. I long for the great day I leave behind my failing flesh to get lost in the "Love fractal." You should too. In "The Seed" we get a glimpse of the "sad things coming untrue" as Tolkien once hinted at. My hope is that this book and this author join the ranks of Lewis, MacDonald, Chesterton, and Tolkien. It's that good.
Eric Guzman is a producer on the Steve Brown Etc. radio show that I enjoy regularly by podcast. When I heard him talk about this book on the show it piqued my interest. It reminded me of C.S. Lewis' space trilogy in that the ideas it is illustrating are more interesting than the story itself. The characters are relatively flat and the details of the story not quite as vivid as the best fantasy writing yet there is enough story and development to pull you through Guzman's imaginative visualization of the relationship between God, Satan and man and between the God-heads of the trinity. Like Lewis' works, the story is the vehicle to get a greater, better message across and Guzman succeeds at that. Thanks to Guzman, the reality of Christian theology sinks in a bit deeper for the reader.
I tend to read a lot more non-fiction works than novels. But how could I resist a book compared by so many others to C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien? Madeline and Roark live in constant fear of the shadow—a mysterious creature that appears to suck the life out of anything it touches. The shadow has been pursuing them for as long as they can remember, so they are constantly on the run. Tatus’ life has also been forever altered. Many years ago, the shadow took his family. But rather than run, Tatus has chosen to chase the shadow, seeking his revenge. Tatus serves the flying serpent god named Wyrm, who gives him unnatural strength and longevity. And most importantly, Wyrm offers Tatus a way to destroy the shadow once and for all. But Tatus needs help. He convinces Madeline and Roark to stop running, and to join him in fighting the shadow. Together, they build an elaborate labyrinth, based on a design given to them by Wyrm. The ever-expanding formation provides protection. And once completed, it should allow them to trap the shadow and kill it. But Love is about to enter the story. And Love will disrupt everything they think they know about Wyrm, the labyrinth, the shadow, and themselves. As one might expect, Erik Guzman’s The Seed: A True Myth is an allegory. And as with any good allegory, much of the exact meaning is left to the reader to determine. But speaking from my own interpretation of the story, I found plenty to appreciate. For example, it was refreshing to see God presented first and foremost as Love. And the Trinity (though all analogies of the Trinity eventually fall short) was displayed in one of the better ways I’ve seen. I can’t get into too much of it without giving away spoilers, but I will mention one element that I found a bit troubling. Much of the story revolves around an allegorical retelling of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. According to this version, the primary task given to the Adam character was to kill the Satan character. He had to carry out this violent act before he could take his rightful place in creation. And it was ultimately his hesitation to kill that led to the Eve character’s disobedience. This would suggest that God not only agrees with the myth of redemptive violence, but has actually commanded his people to carry it out from the beginning. It would furthermore suggest that humanity fell because Adam showed too much compassion. This goes against everything I believe Jesus taught about non-violent enemy love. That said, I understand that it’s an allegory. I may be pressing the symbolism further than Erik Guzman intended. So I won’t let this one part ruin the whole thing. All in all, I enjoyed The Seed, and I’m happy to recommend it as a whole. Is this really the next best thing since Lewis, MacDonald, or Tolkien? Well, that’s an awfully high expectation for it to live up to, so I’ll just let you decide. I can definitely say that it was an engaging story which left me with much to think about. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from SpeakEasy in exchange for an honest review. This review has been adapted from one originally written for my blog, HippieHeretic.com. Update: After I posted my review, Erik took some time to chat about it with me on Facebook. So I thought I’d share some of our conversation (with his permission) in order to clear up some of what was bothering me. On the one hand, he agreed with my take on allegory: I like what you said about the story being left to the reader to interpret. I very much want that. I see this book as a mythic spiritual memoir, and by telling my story I hope to tell the story that’s common to all—Love’s story. I really don’t want to impose my meanings, but invite people into it to see themselves. On the other hand, it seems I did indeed read something into the story that Erik had not intended: It was really interesting to me that you saw taking the tail as Love’s endorsement of violence. I hadn’t thought of it that way. He went on to offer a different way of looking at it: When Love and Wyrm made their deal, I hoped to convey that Love was offering him redemption and life. In fact, that’s what Love was always offering to Wyrm—eternal life and freedom. But Wyrm, using his freedom, chose to be all that is not Love and life. His obsession with reason and justice (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) led him to not trust Love. With full foreknowledge, Love knew the beginning from the end, and at the beginning offered to give Wyrm what he wanted, but it wasn’t really pity or a mercy killing in my mind. It was more letting death be death. And by offering humanity the ability to take death by the tail, Love was offering mastery over all that is not Love and life. But this next bit was what really clicked with me: Also, in writing this book, I started out knowing Madria and Ruak were aspects of my personality. During writing, I came to realize Tatus was too. Beyond the writing, I’m seeing that Love and Wyrm were me too. Love is me in union with God. Wyrm is that part of me that wants to fade to black. I’d like that anti-Love part of me to do just that (along with Tatus—the old man, my ego). Now that’s an interpretation I can get behind. Not committing violence against any personal being, but destroying that which is harmful in my own life. Thanks for the clarifications, Erik, and thanks again for an enjoyable book!
The plot in this book is so thick and twisty, that I really didn’t know who to trust. The book has incredible visuals weaved into the storyline, but I was also a bit confused at times with some of the characters. By the end of the book I was really able to see how every character and action was weaving together to create the story.
The Seed is complex, yet easy to read, smaller book. The storyline moves at a good pace and the characters are well fleshed. They are deep and dramatic, without being over-characterized as sometimes happens. I enjoyed the understory of God’s love and redemption that unfolds within the overall story. Great allegory.
“The Seed” is one of the most mesmerizing books that I have picked up in quite some time (and I read a lot of books).
The Seed tells an imaginative and highly allegorical version of humanity’s fall and redemption, and with its mythic style, the story has a unique and engaging pull from beginning to end. For fans of myth and allegory, The Seed would be a perfect read.
This book was an interesting and unique book filled with lots of twists and turns and a lot of thought provoking content. I liked how it was written in a fantasy type manner which made it all the more interesting and engaging. It brought some excellent truths to light in such an engaging manner and really kept one thinking long after the final page was turned. A truly delightful and unique book that I highly recommend. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.