They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. This may be true philosophically speaking, but in today’s world of slick marketing, short attention spans, and digital media, a well designed cover is often as important as the contents in terms of sales.

How often have you walked past a shelf and reached out to something that has caught your eye visually? Do you click on weblinks because of the words, or the pictures that accompany them? Emotionally, people are attracted by pretty or interesting things.

Colour pallets, graphics, topography, layout and even title placement can all have a profound impact on how well a book sells.

So what kind of work goes into the process of producing cover art? And does the author have much of a say?

I’m sure this is different for everyone, but personally I’ve been lucky enough to work with a publisher who is very collaborative in this sense. Joe Gregory from Dangerous Little Books (DLB) came up with a great first round design for Hellbound (above), based off some sourcing templates I sent through. It was quite easy, but essentially all the creative came from his end.

For the pending release of Hellbound in hardcover, DLB came to me and said they wanted to do something special. Rather than replicate the original artwork, they wanted to approach a fine artist to collaborate with. I was very excited at the prospect. I’m a big art fan, despite having zero drawing skills whatsoever. In the end, we settled on an incredibly talented up-and-coming artist called Christopher Page. DLB connected Chris and I via email, and I had the privilege of going back and forth with him to create something new.

Below is a behind the scenes snapshot of how Chris went about evolving something original:

Round 1: I sent through a few images to Chris of pieces of art I liked for different reasons:
White Rose, by Gustave Dore, because I love etchings, The Omnipotent by William Blake, a classic piece I’ve always liked, and a few Ben Templesmith pieces, because I really dig the colour pallets he uses.

From here Chris and I got together on Skype and had a chat about what we wanted to do. We both thought an urban setting would suit well, since it reflected Hell in the book, and that the main characters of Satan and Michael would be walking through. After a week of sketching. Chris sent through some initial mock-ups. I’ve also included some rough sketches he sent me in terms of composition to illustrate how he sets up the spacial look of his sketches.

Comments from Chris: “Here is a sketch of the kind of thing that has been running through my mind for the cover of Hellbound. Bear in mind this is just a sketch. Let me know you’re thoughts on going down this kind of route. The ‘camera’ could change angle – be more birdseye for example. I think the font of Hellbound should certainly change. What do you think about it being a sign? The two characters are not worked out yet as you can see – i have been thinking mainly about the scene. The composition is not right either – should be more space above the title and below the feet of the characters.”

Tim’s response: I like the idea of the composition and the colours are great! I think the camera angel is fine. As you say I think the font needs to change and would prefer it to be laid over the artwork rather than part of it. Buildings looking good, would be great to see some older style ones in there also, like a modern take on the gothic style with gargoyles and or dark spires. Some new, some old if you get my drift. Characters need some work as you say but all looking sweet as a concept.

Round 2:

Tim’s feedback: I think it definitely coming along well. The buildings are looking much more menacing, and I think the colour is great. I would like to see the characters a little more dynamic. I think looking up and to the side, maybe with Satan pointing. I think Satan needs to look more menacing also. The city/sky look a little lifeless in terms that there isn’t any kind of movement. The city appears deserted. Maybe an addition of a silhouette of a helicopter, or bat, or lightening in the sky. Maybe a light shining from a building with a figure standing in the window.

Round 3:

This was the final approved art, which Chris came up with. Sketches on either side are combined and then colour is added in.

After this, the final step was for the DLB to place the fonts onto the artwork. This can sometimes be a little heartbreaking, especially for the artist. However, it would be commercial suicide out a book with no name and no author. After a few back and forth’s we finally settled on the below.

This is the final approved design, which is available now on Amazon.

A huge thanks to Christopher Page for being so professional and easy to work with and to Dangerous Little Books for allowing us to work together. To check out more of Chris’s work, please visit his website.

Meet Tim…

A homeschooler from rural Virginia, Tim dreams of attending Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University and becoming a pastor of his very own Church.

Indoctrinated in fundamentalist Baptist theology from toddlerhood, Tim is uniquely gifted to succeed in his pastoral training.

After some close encounters with gay activists, Jerry Falwell, napalm explosives, the FBI, ATF, Police, nudist missionaries, alcoholic alums, sword wielding Muslim roommates and death threats from a Kenyan Muslim…Tim got quite the Liberty Experience.

Tim, the preacher boy, took those things in stride but when he was challenged to read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins his life and faith would never be the same.

Controversial Book Reveals What Really Goes On at Liberty University

Over the last decade, celebrity atheists have become best-sellers for their work criticizing religion and advocating reason over faith. When Liberty University student Tim Short was challenged to read these authors in their own words and develop a counter argument–something unexpected happened…

Short, a lifelong homeschooler and son of a Baptist minister became an atheist. The experiment was seen by Liberty as a big failure–but a wonderful time of personal growth for Tim. As if becoming an atheist were not tumultous enough for a college student, Tim’s life spiraled out of control in the next three years and he experienced the cold shoulder of the Right. All his life he was destined to be a good ol’ boy, a preacher boy. He would have his own church and thrive in the narrow margins of his worldview.

Hilariously insightful, Preacher Boy is a one of a kind book. Tim offers what many atheists and freethinkers could never imagine–an inside account of being successful in a hotbed of Religious fundamentalism and political conservatism. Far from mean-spirited, Tim pulls no punches either and this shocking story has to be read to be believed. . .

A number of fellow graduates, Alumni and students at Liberty U welcome the publication of this book.

Kevin, a Liberty University Graduate says, “The burnouts from religious schools have never had such an entertaining mouthpiece as Tim Short”

Claire, a former student says, “I could eat this up I love it so…”

Colin a Liberty U drop out says, “If the terms ‘memory verse’ or ‘flannel graph’ ring familiar–read now!”

~~~~

“Preacher Boy: ” (ISBN: 978-0-9564276-9-4) by Timothy Michael Short will be available from Amazon, on Kindle and in all good bookshops from 13th November 2011.

ENDS

WORDCOUNT 525

NOTES FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS/BLOGGERS

REVIEW COPY

Please request a preview copy of this book here: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

COMPETITION PRIZE
If you’d like to offer your audience free copies of this book as a competition prize along with a review then tell us your plans and we’ll do whatever we can to help:
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WEBSITE LINKS

Author’s Blog: http://www.atheistplayground.wordpress.com

Publisher’s Website: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0956427693
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0956427693

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Tim is happy to provide free content in return for a ‘plug’ of his book. He is open for interviews, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, or other ideas. Please contact: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings

In July of 2010, secular activist, author, and student of Religious Studies, David G. McAfee published a controversial and thought-provoking book: “Disproving Christianity: Refuting the World’s Most Followed Religion.” In light of an overwhelmingly positive response to the work and McAfee’s newly awarded Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies, he has now signed a contract with Dangerous Little Books (the notorious upstart publisher specialising in atheist literature) to publish a revised and expanded second edition of his first book. The new book expands greatly on the original and contains additional content not present in its first release. Mr. McAfee has been a regular contributor for American Atheist Magazine and a columnist for Canadian Freethinker Magazine, in addition to maintaining his own website featuring secular literature.

LA-based McAfee explains, “This book is an attempt to compile popular and unknown arguments against the principles of the Christian canon. Christianity has become separated into many smaller sects, but retains some constant biblical tenets and divine ideas. It is these similarities that are crucial if my thesis is to be considered a ‘disproval’. In order to combat biblical fundamentalism and literalism, I have compiled essays and biblical analysis which discuss some of the contradictory and controversial passages from the Hebrew Scriptures (which Christians refer to as the “Old Testament”) and the New Testament, along with modern practices, beliefs, and teachings of twenty-first century Christianity in an attempt to make known the discrepancies which have largely been ignored within the Christian Church- especially in Western Society.”

In this introductory look into the world of Christianity and the refutation of its key principles McAfee sets out to arm rational-minded people with key facts to challenge dogmatism wherever it arises. Using (almost exclusively) evidence and passages from the Christian Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, McAfee is able to establish new arguments against the validity of the Christian religion as well as reorganize and reevaluate some of the more traditional debates. Through a close-reading of the Sacred Texts and years of studying the Christian theology from a secular viewpoint, David G. McAfee uncovers contradictions in the Holy Bible and contradictions in modern Christian teachings and why these reveal problems with the founding pillars of Christianity itself.

CJ Werleman, atheist author and commissioning editor for Dangerous Little Books says, “… (Disproving Christianity) offers a concise compilation of inconsistencies and discrepancies in the Bible that could be used to provide reasoned, specific challenges to Christianity. David does a fantastic job presenting the material in an objective, balanced way. We’re very proud to have added this important title to our growing list.”

~~~~

“Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings (2nd edition)” (ISBN: 978-0-9564276-8-7) by David G. Mcfee is available from Amazon, on Kindle and in all good bookshops now.

ENDS

WORDCOUNT 433

NOTES FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS/BLOGGERS

REVIEW COPY

Please request a preview copy of this book here: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

COMPETITION PRIZE
If you’d like to offer your audience free copies of this book as a competition prize along with a review then tell us your plans and we’ll do whatever we can to help:
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WEBSITE LINKS

Author’s Website: http://www.DavidGMcAfee.com

Publisher’s Website: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0956427685
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0956427685

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
David is happy to provide free content in return for a ‘plug’ of his book. He is open for interviews, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, or other ideas. Please contact: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

www.DavidGMcAfee.com

Atheist Author Pens Humorous Account of Genesis

Warning: Laughter may lead to deconversion!

Our Lord and God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all of its creatures, has a high standard. He is without blemish or error. He is sinless. He is holy. It is therefore no wonder that He demands perfection from us. But, alas, this is something we simply cannot ever achieve in our sinful state. It truly is impossible. What then shall we do? Left to ourselves, we are utterly doomed! Fortunately, God has a plan. And He is known for achieving the impossible:

•  He can all-lovingly strike down evil foes with His holy knife whenever called upon.
• In all-purity, He can ogle naked ladies from above.
• At the first sign of danger, He can all-powerfully run away the fastest.
• He all-knowingly cannot remember your name.

With powers like these, God should have no problem at all shaping His creation more and more into His perfect image.

Bible Spoof picks up right at the beginning of God’s master plan in this creative and hilarious retelling of all the chapters of Genesis. It takes the script from the Scriptures and flushes it out with clever humor and wit. Laughter is sure to follow the crazy exploits of God, but be forewarned that it may lead to something dangerous: rational thought.

“That’s ultimately the point of this book,” says author Damon Spaun. “I want the reader, whether atheist or Christian, to think for themselves. I’m using humor to expose what’s really in the Bible. Thus, if a reader is offended by something in my book, hopefully they’ll go to the original source and compare. Likewise, if a reader laughs at some absurdity in my spoof, hopefully they’ll curiously turn to the Bible. In either case, they may find that they experience the same reaction when they read the words that supposedly come from a holy God.”

When asked about the warning label on his book, Spaun replied, “That was born out of my own personal experience. I once was a very devout Christian, living out my entire life for God. It took an intense journey of thought and study before I was willing to walk away from my faith, but the final motivator was indeed laughter. When someone got me to laugh at a story in Scripture, I was able to see things that I never could before. While I didn’t entirely agree with his view, his humor nonetheless caused me to think differently. When you’re able to laugh at God and the Bible and Hell and faith, it enables you to look at things with a different perspective. And it’s my hope that this book can do the same for others.”

~~~~

“Bible Spoof: The Real Story of Genesis” (ISBN: 978-0-9564276-7-0) by Damon Spaun is available from Amazon, on Kindle and in all good bookshops now.

ENDS

WORDCOUNT 447

NOTES FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS/BLOGGERS

REVIEW COPY

Please request a preview copy of this book here: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

COMPETITION PRIZE
If you’d like to offer your audience free copies of this book as a competition prize along with a review then tell us your plans and we’ll do whatever we can to help:
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SYNOPSIS

Come and see the absurdities of the Bible flushed out in all their glory in this fictional comedy’s chapter-by-chapter retelling of all the stories of Genesis done in satirical fashion!

Follow along with the all-holy God of the universe who graciously abuses and lovingly exploits his creation at every turn as his unwilling assistant, the logical Spirit, does his best to object and stand up for true righteousness. They’ll interact with some of your favorite heroes of the faith in such classic events as:

• It’s Hard to Steer an Ark When You’re Drunk!
• Amazing Sheep Genetics! (No, Really! You Just Need a Couple of Twigs!)
• Fiery Skies Forecast for Rainbow Parade!
• Faithfulness Exam Time: When the Pressure’s on, Will You Light Your Own Child on Fire?

Funniest (as with any parody) if you have some familiarity with the original source, but the stories and characters are comical enough for all to laugh, even those without knowledge of the Bible.

THE AUTHOR

Damon Spaun is a former evangelical Christian who did a lot for his faith (spiritual leader, evangelizer on multiple continents, blah, blah, blah) and went through a lot to give up his faith. He now happily has a home on earth as opposed to waiting for one in the clouds.

WEBSITE LINKS

Publisher’s Website: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com

Author’s Website: http://biblespoof.com

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0956427677
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0956427677

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Damon is happy to provide free content in return for a ‘plug’ of his book. He is open for interviews, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, or other ideas. Please contact: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

“Not only do I believe that it is possible to maintain moral standards without the crutch of religion but I would argue that it is the only way to achieve true goodness.”
- David G. McAfee

Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings compiles popular and lesser-known arguments against the principles established by the Christian canon. Using a phenomenological approach to build his case based on in-depth study at the University of California, Santa Barbara McAfee analyzes the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament doctrine to build a logical and reasonable case against their validity. From contradictions between lived and portrayed religions to factual errors within the texts themselves, no stone is left unturned in this fully updated and expanded refutation of Christianity.

Come and see the absurdities of the Bible flushed out in all their glory in this fictional comedy’s chapter-by-chapter retelling of all the stories of Genesis done in satirical fashion!

Follow along with the all-holy God of the universe who graciously abuses and lovingly exploits his creation at every turn as his unwilling assistant, the logical Spirit, does his best to object and stand up for true righteousness. They’ll interact with some of your favorite heroes of the faith in such classic events as:

• God Creates Porn!
• It’s Hard to Steer an Ark When You’re Drunk!
• Amazing Sheep Genetics! (No, Really! You Just Need a Couple of Twigs!)
• Fiery Skies Forecast for Pride Parade!
• Faithfulness Exam Time: When the Pressure’s on, Will You Light Your Own Child on Fire?

Funny. Thought-provoking. Eye-opening. Whether you react with laughter or with anger, you’re about to see something you might never have before: what’s actually in the Bible.

Koran Curious is arguably the most concise examination of the Islamic faith on bookshelves today.

Werleman bravely goes where only angels dare tread, and he does so in a manner that Muslims will find revealing in regards to the historical origins of their own faith.

An end-to-end read of Koran Curious will leave you with not only a deep-level understanding of Islam, it will also explain why the world’s fastest growing religion has indeed been hijacked and misinterpreted by Islamic extremists and Christian-Jewish influences alike.

‘Koran Curious’ is arguably the most concise examination of the Islamic faith on bookshelves today. Werleman bravely goes where only angels dare tread, and he does so in a manner that Muslims will find revealing in regards to the historical origins of their own faith. An end-to-end read of ‘Koran Curious’ will leave you with not only a deep-level understanding of Islam, it will also explain why the world’s fastest growing religion has indeed been hijacked and misinterpreted by Islamic extremists and Christian-Jewish influences alike.

78% of Americans Agree – Science Is Evil (or at Least Wrong)!

In late 2010, a Gallup poll released findings about American beliefs relating to the creation and/or evolution of humans. It found that 40% of those surveyed believed that humanity was created by God in our present form, with 38% believing that humans evolved to our present form, with God directly guiding the process. Astoundingly, only 16% of those surveyed believed that humans evolved without any influence from a god. This infers that scientific evidence about the evolution of plants, trees, bacteria and animals (including us) is meaningless to 78% of Americans!

For far too long, religious leaders have hammered their beliefs (often based on biblical tradition) into the open hearts and minds of their awaiting congregations, with little or no attention payed to the facts. Worse still, despite insurmountable contradictory scientific research and evidence, many religious leaders continue to force feed their parishioners blatant mistruths and lies. The outcome in some states has resulted in a lack of evidence-based public policy (public school curricula, healthcare, etc) and federal budgets have actively supported the continuation of myths, despite overwhelming evidence and rational discourse to the contrary.

‘In Letters to Christian Leaders; Hollow be Thy Claims’, Jake Farr-Wharton, of the ImaginaryFriendsShow.com Podcast, RustyLime.com and 2010 Sexiest Atheist Alive (self appointed), directly addresses the many claims of several of the world’s most prominent Christian leaders and disproves the hell out of them!

Issues examined include the age of the Earth; whether humans and dinosaurs lived together before Noah’s flood; whether Adam and Eve propagated humanity; and the validity of claims by fundamentalist Christians that homosexuality, contraception, euthanasia, evolution, and science are evil… and so much more! The book uses a few hundred years of science and reason to dispel the myths many Christians are taught to believe as Truth (notice the uppercase ‘T’, which, in church circles, denotes supernatural authority).

Jake Farr-Wharton, previously Christian, says, “Christianity is, in large part, responsible for creating the current systems of higher education, but for some reason, is actively trying to keep believers from progressing past the logic and intellect of 1st Century humans. You microwave a burrito for breakfast, leave your heated home, program your satellite navigation system to guide your hybrid car along paved roads to your Mega-Church, where your pastor or priest tells you that science is meaningless and that humanity learned everything worth learning, 2-5 thousand years before we knew what a frigging electron was!”

He continues “While it is always important to have an open mind, on most subjects, your mind should not be so open that your brain falls out.”

For Christians: ‘Letters to Christian Leaders: Hollow be Thy Claims’ provides you with the best evidence and information available about a multitude of baseless claims that YOUR Christian leaders make, and presents it in a light hearted and accessible manner. For atheists: this is a compilation of ‘their’ claims and the evidence refuting them, so keep it in your back pocket (but don’t throw it at them, it has sharp corners!)

To sum up Jake has this advice: “By all means, believe in God and Jesus, but do it on your own terms, not Pastor Ted’s!”

~~~~

“Letters To Christian Leaders: Hollow Be Thy Claims” (ISBN: 978-0-9564276-4-9) by Jake Farr-Wharton is available from Amazon, on Kindle and in all good bookshops now.

ENDS

WORDCOUNT 525

NOTES FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS/BLOGGERS

REVIEW COPY

Please request a preview copy of this book here: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

COMPETITION PRIZE
If you’d like to offer your audience free copies of this book as a competition prize along with a review then tell us your plans and we’ll do whatever we can to help:
http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

WEBSITE LINKS

Jake’s Podcast: http://www.imaginaryfriendsshow.com
Jake at RustyLime.com: http://www.rustylime.com/profile.php?id=18
Jake’s Articles: http://www.rustylime.com/author_articles.php?id=18

Publisher’s Website: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0956427642
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0956427642

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Jake is happy to provide free content in return for a ‘plug’ of his book. He is open for interviews, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, or other ideas. Please contact: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

A Historical Biography of The Real-Life Jesus

Written with the express aim of disproving the notion that Jesus is God, ‘The Christ Conundrum: The Skeptic’s Guide to Jesus’, re-examines the evidence to reconstruct the life and times of the historical Jesus – and guess what? Jesus was a mere mortal man. In fact, as the Christ Conundrum so aptly demonstrates, Jesus was a monotheistic Jew and as such he would have been abhorred and disgusted that Christians have got his story so wrong.

Author, Andrew Carruth says, “I wrote the Christ Conundrum because I wanted to show evangelical Christians that their claims about Jesus are so absolutely wrong. All you have to do is look at the historical evidence for yourself and it’s clear to see Jesus was a Jew of his own time – he wasn’t god, and he most certainly was not a Christian!”

There are sure to be surprises and intrigue as the ‘Christ Conundrum’ takes you on a fascinating journey into a distant past where people believed that disease was caused by demons, where political activity meant crucifixion, and where people thought the end of the world was just around the corner. Into this explosive mix Jesus emerged.

“It’s interesting that many Jews of the period were expecting an imminent end to the world order,” the author says. “We see this same expectation in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Jesus’ mission is largely concerned with it. Indeed, in the gospels Jesus explicitly predicts that the end would occur within the lifetime of the disciples who were listening to him. Two thousand years later and the end that Jesus predicted still hasn’t come, clearly he was wrong – Jesus was a false prophet!”

CJ Werleman, author of the now infamous ‘God Hates You, Hate Him Back and Jesus Lied’, ‘He Was Only Human’, praised ‘The Christ Conundrum’ saying, “The book gives a very thorough argument, it’s an intriguing exploration of the life and times of Jesus, and the rapidly expanding readership for atheist books will surely love it.”

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“The Christ Conundrum: The Skeptic’s Guide to Jesus” (ISBN: 978-0-9564276-5-6) by Andrew Carruth is available from Amazon, on Kindle and in all good bookshops now.

ENDS

WORDCOUNT 331

NOTES FOR EDITORS/JOURNALISTS

SYNOPSIS

Using the latest scholarly research this book deciphers the mystery behind the mythical figure of Jesus and aims to demonstrate, once-and-for-all, that Jesus was a mere, mortal man. By looking at the ancient sources through the lens of the historian, Andrew Carruth reveals Jesus to be a man of his time; Jesus was a first century Jew, with a very Jewish mission and was hardly unique – in fact there were several other historical miracle workers and ‘Sons of God.’ Entertaining, historically accurate, thought-provoking and controversial the Christ Conundrum is a must read for skeptics and believers alike.

REVIEW COPY

Please request a preview copy of this book here: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact

COMPETITION PRIZE
If you’d like to offer your audience free copies of this book as a competition prize along with a review then tell us your plans and we’ll do whatever we can to help:
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WEBSITE LINKS

Andrew Carruth’s Website: www.god-proof.com
Andrew Carruth’s blog: www.god-proof.com/blog
Andrew Carruth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AndrewCarruth
Andrew Carruth on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Andrew.Carruth
Publisher’s Website: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0956427650
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0956427650

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Andrew Carruth is happy to provide free content in return for a ‘plug’ of his book. He is open for interviews, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, or other ideas. Please contact: http://www.dangerouslittlebooks.com/contact or email andy –@– god-proof.com

THE AUTHOR
Andrew Carruth is a former journalist and narcotics control officer who has lived in the Maldives and Indonesia, but who has returned to his native UK to focus on his writing. It was during his travels that Andrew came to realize that people are all essentially the same and that it is foolish to divide them according to which superstitious fable they happen to believe in.