Fantastical Truth

This spooky season, what’s scarier than real-world evil? Imagine that Nazis are hiding in a prison mine where they try to torture their victims—that is, until a mysterious enemy in the dark forest rises up to destroy them with zombie-like plant creatures, a granite face, and supernatural symbols. Pastor and paranormal novelist Marc Schooley, author of König’s Fire, joins us to explore the problem of evil versus the amazing grace of our sovereign God. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Oasis Audio: The Mermaid’s Tale by L. E. Richmond Almost Paradise by Bryan Timothy Mitchell The Lorehaven Guild: join monthly book quests through the best Christian-made fantastical novels Concession stand Our other episodes defend/define some stories that are called “horror.” As we record, it’s Friday the 13th! Yet another portent of doom, or is it? Clearly this episode, like reality these days, covers darker subject matter. “See evil for what it is” may look different for people at different times. Sometimes you need whimsy, happy ideas, nostalgia, even distractions. But other times you need to confront evil so you seek answers in Christ. That’s what Konig’s Fire and its author help us explore, quite in-depth. Introducing author and pastor Marc Schooley Marc Schooley is a Texan, Christian philosopher, theologian, and pastor of the Five Solas Church in League City, Texas. He also has twenty-three years experience in the space program for NASA Johnson Space Center, including work for the James Webb Space Telescope. His fantastical novels include The Dark Man, Konig’s Fire, and Nightriders. 1. What is the ‘problem of evil’? If God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able to, then He is not omnipotent. If He is able, but not willing, then He is malevolent. If He is both able and willing, then whence cometh evil? If He is neither able nor willing, then why call Him God? —König’s Fire (2010), pages 21–22 This tributes an 18th-century writer named David Hume, who goes on: Why is there any misery at all in the world? Not by chance surely. From some cause then. Is it from the intention of the Deity? But he is perfectly benevolent. Is it contrary to his intention? But he is almighty. Nothing can shake the solidity of this reasoning, so short, so clear, so decisive. —David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, 1776 (yet published in 1907) Or as Lex Luthor phrases it (BvS, 2016): “If God is all-powerful, then He cannot be all good. And if he is all good, he cannot be all powerful.” Philosophers remind us that even the wisest minds find this challenging. Storytellers remind us that everyone confronts this in everyday suffering. As we record, you can look at the news and see people living this out. Even with Halloween decorations, people try to ignore/parody real evil. This gets even more complicated when innocent creatures suffer pain. 2. How does God’s word answer the problem of evil? Some people (even Christians) attempt to use reason over Scripture. We may be tempted to treat humans as passive actors in the problem. Ultimately we find our solution not in logical arguments but in the Bible. Some say Scripture shows God valuing human freedom > human good. Others say God values: His own glory = human good = human freedom. In other words, humans may be free, but our good God is always freer. God has decided to let us experience evil, to glorify Him by contrast. In effect, we might say that God does permit some kinds of horror. 3. How may nobledark horror help us see the truth? By “nobledark horror” we don’t mean slashers, violence porn, nihilism. “Nobledark” would be a story in which there are genuine heroes, but the story world is full of terrors and gritty. An epic struggle for good and evil is ongoing, but the heroes are holding their own. Barely. —Travis Perry König’s Fire would qualify as nobledark. Its darkness serves the light. Despite a lack of traditional “happy ending,” its heroes and God wins. Ultimately these stories help see beyond the present, to eternal future. They help us complete the story, hoping in the promises of Scripture. Romans 8:28–29 should be deep in our imaginations for hard times. As author Randy Alcorn notes, we study this now to prepare for later. Open discussion Mission update New review: Moonchild Rising by B. Ward Powers Coming article: How The Crucifix Shows Christ’s Salvation in Dark Fantastical Stories by Daniel Whyte IV Coming reviews: A Bond of Briars by Erin Phillips, Steal Fire From the Gods by Clint Hall and A Ranger’s Guide to Glipwood Forest by Andrew Peterson Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Com station Tom Darrow appreciated our ep. 183 critique of “banned” books: This podcast does a good job covering the same semantic issue I did here, which is that “ban” is typically semantic overreach (which is used for marketing rather than meaningful communication.) Oft

Happy “Banned” Books week, to all who celebrate. [1. Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash.] Yes, we’ve used scare quotes! Some of these books are scary and earn caution. Yet some people think you’ll be so happily scared by hearing these books are “banned” that you’ll want to support them automatically. About this trope, we have questions. Aren’t some books really horrible for some or most or all readers? If so, is this really a matter of whether these books should be banned? And if so, who should ban them from which kinds of readers, and why? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Oasis Audio: The Mermaid’s Tale by L. E. Richmond Almost Paradise by Bryan Timothy Mitchell The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore Concession stand “Banned Books Week” is led by the American Library Association. Some celebrants have genuine beliefs, including a basic freedom idea. We’re speaking directly to the marketing shtick that can appeal to fans. See some silly examples like, “Repeat after me: I read banned books!” Or see a more benign example: “These are the most banned books …” The list includes, say, Huck Finn, Animal Farm, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451. Do watch inflammatory (ha ha) terms like “banned” with implications. “Banned” does not mean “burned,” though you may make associations. Words like these are often used as shortcuts to “hack” your imagination. When we say banned, more positively, we only mean limited, restricted. Also, some “banned books” shtick isn’t political. It’s basically clickbait. Quotes and notes American Library Association: Banned Books Week (October 1 – 7, 2023) New York Post: School purges books published before 2008 in ‘illogical’ inclusivity push TED.com: One of the most banned books of all time TED.com: Why should you read “Fahrenheit 451”? 1. Some books are actually harmful to many readers. We not talking about age-appropriate books that describe some sin. Scripture similarly describes acts of evil to shock Israel, and/or us now. God’s very Law is intended to reveal the sin-corruption in our hearts. Thus, no Christian truly believes in ignoring evil; that’s a stereotype. It would be sentimentalism to ignore the reality that some books harm. Some activists try to turn this around; they claim the books show reality. That may be true if the book explores, say, Nazi Germany or racism. But it’s a bait-and-switch to take this principle and defend Sexualityism. Many books are basically porn and endorse/encourage rank perversion. Spoiler alert: these books should arguably be banned everywhere. This is the cause of many of today’s hottest “banned books” disputes. It may be necessary to share the book’s content to raise awareness. 2. Many books do deserve caution and reader limits. In our Lorehaven reviews, we include Discern and Best for sections. Of course we don’t try to “ban” books. Only recognize reader limits. Everyone does believe that some books should be limited like this. Stephen will risk a pitch: that’s partly why he cowrote his own book. He noticed some Christian materials presumed “discernment” is for kids. Our resources weren’t exploring different maturity/sensitivity levels. Little kids shouldn’t use matches. Older kids must learn to use them. That means we need real trust for their trainers: parents and/or teachers. 3. We only debate who should limit books and why. Some books should arguably be banned for some readers and places. And other books, arguably, shouldn’t be banned at all (but may be limited). Example: I don’t want When Harry Became Sally in elementary schools. That title would simply not be appropriate for those ages of readers. And yet the world’s top marketplace, Amazon, bans this book for all. Which books, then, do the “banned books” activists tend to focus on? Stephen says some people lack moral proportion to make these choices. For example, it’s wrong to treat Christian/conservative parents as villains. This reveals disordered moral priorities, but possibly some projection. We might guess some people are projecting their own family trauma. Unfortunately these habits can also “emotionally bribe” some Christians. The activist can “hack” your own backstory if you have suffered legalism. “I’ll make you feel like you’re fighting legalism like you grew up with.” “And in return, you’ll let me feed abusive poison to small children.” But the “banned books” issue isn’t about your own personal backstory. At the same time, some Christians have morally panicked in bad ways. Examples: 1990s parents who lost battles to block Harry Potter books. That “cry wolf” problem led to legal/moral resistance to parents today. Some otherwise decent librarians/teachers feel the “culture war” heat. Whenever possible, we need to apply positive social pressure on them. We’re all being subjected to some larger corrosive c

A storm is coming, and it will change your dreary Kansas land from its 1939 sepia tones into a magical world with a Yellow Brick Road plus little people and urban studio legends and a famously wicked Western witch. From movies to musicals to the original books by L. Frank Baum, we’re exploring The Wizard of Oz. What are the wonderful things he does? And why has this older fantasy captured the imaginations of so many people, including Zack’s own sister Nicole? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Oasis Audio: Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum The Lorehaven Guild The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore Concession stand As far as we know, L. Frank Baum was no Christian. He liked theosophy. We’ll not try to “find the gospel in The Wizard of Oz” or such-like. Still, any great story can’t help but illustrate some biblical virtues. 1. How does The Wizard of Oz show a sound mind? 2. How does The Wizard of Oz endorse human love? 3. How does The Wizard of Oz show good courage? Quotes and notes “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.” —C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters Mission update Join our upcoming book quest for König’s Fire Watch for upcoming Friday reviews and new articles Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Com station What real or fictional stories do you love about intelligence, love, and courage? Responding to episode 178 on our YouTube channel, Kahlil wrote: We need vulnerable writers who weave stories about how hard it is to do the right thing and how easy it is to succumb to the wrong desires of our hearts. Also, don’t write “good endings” all the time, because this world is not like that. Richard New was not a fan of our upcoming book quest selection König’s Fire: This was a seriously evil story. Major creepy and I did not enjoy it. To this, Cat replied: It deals with a very evil time in history, that’s for sure. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. So much has happened over the last few years that I’m looking forward to rereading it in the light of big shifts in culture and governance. Next on Fantastical Truth Some people like to celebrate “Banned Books” week. Did you see the scare quotes there? Indeed, some of these books are scary, and yet some people think you’ll be happily scared by hearing these books are “banned.” We have questions about this trope, starting with this one: if some books really are horrible, is this really a matter of whether these books should be banned, or who should ban them from which kinds of readers, and why?

Vincent is so done with Art and all that. But his mom and uncle just won’t stop going on about the amazing colors and composition of great masters like his namesake. Then his little sister disappears into a famous painting. What’s a lad to do? Join us for this fantastic journey Beneath the Swirling Sky with homeschool mom and middle-grade author Carolyn Leiloglou! Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Looking-Glass Illusion by Sara Ella The Lorehaven Guild The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore Introducing author Carolyn Leiloglou Carolyn Leiloglou (lay-LAW-glue) is the author of the middle grade fantasy novel Beneath the Swirling Sky and the picture book Library’s Most Wanted. Carolyn is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. She’s an award-winning author whose poems and short stories have appeared in children’s magazines around the world, including Clubhouse Jr. Carolyn also reviews her favorite children’s books on her platform, House full of Bookworms. Her newest book, middle-grade fantasy Beneath the Swirling Sky, released this month. CarolynLeiloglou.com TheRestorationists.com 1. Which artworks and ideas led you to this world? 2. In our digital-driven age, why delight in art? 3. What is next for you and The Restorationists? Quotes and notes How ‘Monkey Christ’ brought new life to a quiet Spanish town John Hughes video explains ‘Ferris Bueller’ scene at Art Institute Mission update Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Com station Nancy Pearcey herself saw Stephen’s social share of ep. 179: This post proves that artistic people understand books better than most people. Joe finds good men in anime/live-action One Piece: Usopp … as of his introductory arc in season 1, is a good young man. He lays his life down to protect his village, turns down an opportunity to inflate his ego, and acts as a father to his crew of young pirates. Another One Piece real man: Zeff, owner of the floating restaurant with the fighting cooks. That dude is such a giga-chad dad to Sanji, the way he sacrificed for him and mentored him. Also in the Lorehaven Guild, Mahina remarked: Theo from the Morgan L. Busse’s Secret in the Mist [is] willing to put his life [0n the line] and risk his reputation, fortune and safety to save those less fortunate than him by carrying on the scientific work that got his parents killed. Also taking care of and loving Cass in a respectful way. Next on Fantastical Truth This spooky season, a storm is coming, and it will change your dreary Kansas land from its 1938 sepia tones into a magical world with a Yellow Brick Road plus little people and urban studio legends and, just in time for Halloween, a famously wicked Western witch. From movies to musicals to the original books by L. Frank Baum, we’re exploring The Wizard of Oz. What are the wonderful things he does? And why has this older fantasy captured the imaginations of so many people, including Zack’s own sister Nicole?

What if sixteen-year-old Alice fell into that famed rabbit hole and discovered Wonderland is actually a dystopian world? A place where you must survive the annual and deadly Wonderland Trials, then confront The Looking-Glass Illusion? Sara Ella, author of these two whimsical fantasy adventures, joins Lorehaven to explore how fictional stories reflect curious realities. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Looking-Glass Illusion by Sara Ella The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore The Lorehaven Guild Introducing guest Sara Ella Once upon a time, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a castle. Now she spends her days homeschooling her three Jedi in training, braving the Arizona summers, and reminding her superhero husband that it’s almost Christmas (even if it’s only January). When she’s not writing, Sara might be found behind her camera lens or planning her next adventure in the great wide somewhere. She is a Hufflepuff who finds joy in the simplicity of sipping a lavender white mocha and singing Disney tunes in the car. Sara is the author of the Unblemished trilogy and Coral, a reimagining of The Little Mermaid that focuses on mental health. Her latest novels are The Curious Realities duology, starting with The Wonderland Trials (2022) and finishing with The Looking-Glass Illusion. 1. What ideas and pictures led you to Wonderland? 2. How may literary ‘foolishness’ point to real truth? 3. What are readers saying, and what’s next for you? Mission update New review: Wrought of Silver and Ravens New book quest: Konig’s Fire (starting in October) New article: How to Help Your Teens Engage Dystopian Tales Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Next on Fantastical Truth Vincent is so done with Art and all that. But his mom and uncle just won’t stop going on about the amazing colors and composition of great masters like his namesake. Then his little sister disappears into a famous painting. What’s a lad to do? Join us for this fantastic journey Beneath the Swirling Sky with homeschool mom and middle-grade author Carolyn Leiloglou!

“Hey there, pilgrim. Welcome to the world of the Real Man.[1. Photo by Saman Rashidi on Unsplash.] We’re hard-livin’, hard-drinkin’, gray-area kinds of scallywags. We ride fast horses an’ drive faster cars. We got eleventeen girlfriends and one on the side. Sometimes we even shoot folk with guns and abandon our families and never cry or get diseases and we don’t ask folks nicely for nothin’. Ya wanna know why? It’s cuz we’s Real Men.” And now, inspired by Nancy R. Pearcey’s new book The Toxic War on Masculinity, we shall compare this notion of the “Real Man” with the good men in fantastical stories, and especially the best Hero of all. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Eternity Gate by Katherine Briggs The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore The Lorehaven Guild Concession stand I am but one man, and can’t speak to all issues involving sex differences. But lately I’ve been noticing “Real” Men vs. Good Men in fantastical tales. Like my solo shows, this one feels more personal, with favorite examples. For all the disclaimers about “toxic masculinity,” Pearcey handles those. She’s not here today, but I daresay her book speaks to most questions! 1. Expose our stories’ toxically masculine ‘Real’ Men In The Toxic War…, Pearcey traces how society has portrayed men. American culture shifted from pioneers/Puritans to industrial workers. This often separated men in “the world” from their families at home. People began to think that women were spiritual and men were crass. Then we got overcorrections: men ought to be “wild” or “barbarian.” Pearcey points to the first Western ever written: The Virginian (1902). It “laid out the pattern that would be followed by all other Westerns.” Loners, gunmen, cowboys, outlaws, and/or lawmen become the heroes. Settlers, farmers, husbands, fathers, leaders become side characters. Most Westerns aren’t fantastical, but they heavily influenced later tales. Just when I thought of Burroughs’s Tarzan of the Apes, she goes there. Now we hear men ought not “evolve” but are just “wild beasts at heart.” Some of these images persist in geek culture. e.g. Wolverine, Deadpool. Captain Kirk is an interesting case, caught half between “Real” and Good. Han Solo is an exception (at first): a “Real” Man who must become good. 2. Explore our stories’ biblically virtuous Good Men Jesus Christ, of course, is the top example of the most perfect Man ever. What does this look like? Biblical, virtuous, firm yet compassionate. A good man cares for people and defends the good (see ep. 178). Many great superheroes exemplify this: Superman, Spider-Man, Batman. So do the great Starfleet captains: Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Archer, and Pike. Stephen stans Captain Christopher Pike from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Meanwhile, manga/anime hero Himura Kenshin is a repentant samurai. He swore off manslaying, but uses a reverse-blade sword to defend life. Another recent example is One Piece and its winning live-action version. One Piece shows many different varieties of flawed yet good men: Monkey D. Luffy, dreamer, future king of pirates who loves his nakama. Roronoa Zoro, stoic, rash, ambitious, yet sworn faithful to his captain. Usopp, comedic, cowardly, zealous to become a brave warrior of the sea. Sanji, stylish, flirtatious to a fault, yet altogether a defender of women. 3. Explain how ‘Real’ Men can become Good Men First, focus not on bad men but on God who created us originally good. Focus on Jesus, the perfect and actual real/Good man who saves people. Focus on the Holy Spirit, who supernaturally changes bad/”Real” men. Secondly, plug into great nonfiction books that apply truth to your life. Third, get involved in a local church. Practice at small disciplines. You may also find wisdom in common-sense books by non-Christians. Fourth, for single men, pursue a calling with advice from friends/family. Even if it seems small and boring, everyone needs to start at that place. Fifth, watch how you “feed” your imagination! Don’t enjoy junk “food.” Get great stories that help “train” your heart to enjoy good-men heroes. Six, always guard against “Real” Men stereotypes and idol temptations. Seven, pursue man’s chief end: glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Mission update Look for a new article: How to Help Your Teens Engage Dystopian Tales. This Friday we review the fantasy novel Wrought of Silver and Ravens. Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Com station Jason emailed us about episode 177: I’m writing this as both a Christian and as a fan of things many mainstream churches easily frown upon, including J.K. Rowling. When I tell people what I love to read and do, I don’t give trigger warnings or nuances for why I enjoy them, so I don’t explain how I can enjoy the fiction of someone with clearly opposing politica

We hear a lot about “evangelical bubbles,” even on this podcast.[1. Photo by Juliana Romão on Unsplash] People say that Christians ought not live in their insular spaces, but make better stories that help reflect our world. Some encourage believers to plant oases of imagination to serve the common good. Others seem to put their own “oases” onto armored platforms to roll around the territory, firing paintballs. Are these our only choices: influencing mainstream culture versus more aggressive work to “own the libs”? Today, we shall explore pros, cons, and legit Christian-alternative stories that help relieve all our “culture wars.” Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Eternity Gate by Katherine Briggs The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore The Lorehaven Guild Concession stand This is almost a very quickly developed sequel to episode 176. This is something many of our listeners will have thought about. And in our last episode 177, Marian Jacobs set this up by the end. For those hoping to “engage the culture,” you can’t ignore “culture war.” And for those hoping to move past real conflicts, you also can’t ignore it. Some people have other conflicts going on. They can’t handle this “war.” In that case, it helps to know whether/how to support those who can. Quotes and notes Why Storytelling Can Save Conservatism, The Daily Wire Spencer Klavan, Sept. 1 tweet (the original first tweet was deleted after we recorded—not sure why!) Episode 62: How Can Christian Fans Share Great Stories Without Becoming ‘Support Zombies’? Episode 176: How Can Christians Plant An ‘Oasis of Imagination’? | with Ted Turnau 1. Culture War: “stories are too good for the enemy” James Davison Hunter coined the phrase “culture wars” in a 1992 book. Here’s the back cover from Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America: A riveting account of how Christian fundamentalists, Orthodox Jews, and conservative Catholics have joined forces in a battle against their progressive counterparts for control of American secular culture. That sounds about right. But these “wars” are bigger than just the U. S. They affect all of our imaginations and the kinds of books that we see. Some of Christian-made fantasy goes bad thanks to “the culture wars.” Authors may see their story as a tool in the fight, rather than a story first. Now we’re also seeing cultural conservatives say, “hey, we need fiction.” The late Rush Limbaugh “wrote” time-travel history fantasy with his wife. Newer publishers are selling virtue-oriented children’s picture books. The Daily Wire is filming even now in Hungary for The Pendragon Cycle. We’ve had some of these folks on here before, and heard questions. What are these pundit types doing, trying to make popular culture? Aren’t they just stuffing books and shows into cannons to fire at folks? On one hand, branding may be difficult, given audience expectations. In most battlefields, too many will use any thing just to “own the libs.” Often this isn’t even about real victory, but mere good “vibes” of victory. Some of this stuff is indeed propaganda, shiny-looking, but not helpful. Other stuff looks really good, coming from a sincere love for storytelling. I use our five-questions set to find the graces/idols in “culture war” too. Soldiers have always tactically “retreated” to stories and humanity’s best. Remember that without serious war, we wouldn’t have Tolkien and Lewis. Some “culture warriors” can also make their way to this old tradition. 2. Culture Pacifism: “stuff creative flowers into rifles” Many of our listeners may find this view attractive. They are tired of war. Either they’ve been in “culture wars” or are simply sick of hearing them. Sticking with the metaphor, PTSD is real; this is a much milder version. Or maybe folks just recognize that “all fighting, all the time” isn’t healthy. So in reaction, some Christians embrace this kind of culture pacifism. E.g. Art and stories and imagination are the key to renewing humanity. “Because walls and weapons wound people, let’s do away with them all.” “In fact, any criticism (even gracious and firm) will hurt people, so avoid.” “We know that ‘the world is watching,’ so let’s be on our best behavior.” But what does “the world” mean? Particular groups? Victims or enemies? Enemies often have real tragic backstories, yet they’re still our enemies. Jesus never said “you have no enemies.” He said, “love your enemies.” Love means saying “no” to an enemy. Many view this as an act of war. Stories and imagination won’t heal sinfully dead hearts. Only Christ can. And we must admit that some culture conflicts are necessary (Romans 13). Governments should reward good and punish evil, as God’s servant. In any culture (especially a republic), citizens act as part of government. But we must also see the good here. “Culture war” folks must discern.

Alas! We must report that another back-to-school season has come upon us, and we Muggles haven’t gotten our letter to Hogwarts.[1. Photo by Gabriel Kraus on Unsplash.] But since the 1990s, that infamous wizarding world has received plenty of Howlers, not just from concerned Christians but from zealous fans and even sexual activists. One recent podcast, “The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling,” brewed all this into a bubbling cauldron of controversy. Now our own staff writer Marian Jacobs, who’s crafting her own book about a biblical Christian worldview of fictional magic, appears in our studio to help teach defense against these dark arts. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Savage Bred by Victoria McCombs The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore Michelle M. Bruhn: Songflight and Stormdance Concession stand This is less about the Potter series and more about this “Witch Trials” podcast. Just like Rowling, let’s be careful to discern between victims and victimizers. This podcast includes gross worldviews and misogynist, vulgar quotes. When we say “legalism,” we mean any unbiblical rules treated as biblical. When we say “fandom,” we mean any group of story readers/viewers. When we say “sexual activism,” we mean a new political/religious/social cause. This newer religion prizes human sexual autonomy over traditional human views. Stephen calls this novelty religious/social belief system “Sexualityism.” When leaders use this to alter policy, he calls this “sexual imperialism.” This all seems very philosophical—thus our Back to Magic School series! But we think this podcast is vital to help Christian fans discern our world. Reintroducing guest Marian Jacobs Marian Jacobs has created Lorehaven stories since the first print issue, exploring Jesus, monsters, and spaceships. Her work has also featured at Desiring God and Stage and Story. Follow all Marian’s progress at MAJacobs.com. Sign up and get her free steampunk fantasy Automated. Her first nonfiction book, a scriptural analysis and guide to discerning fictional magic, is set for summer 2025 release from B&H Publishing. 1. Her fictional wizards uncloaked Christian legalism. “Witch Trials” episode 2 focuses on this, with great sense of proportion. One implicit point: Christian critics should have seen Rowling as human. Unlike one infamous Onion satire, she was never a witch, just a woman. We need the biblical anthropology that Rowling reflects in her world. But she needs the biblical theology Christians have in the real world. Rowling shows compassion toward HP’s conservative Christian critics Largely, so does the podcast, with sympathetic portrayals on all sides. Yet many Christians must answer for being driven by secular media then. (Similarly, we must practice better discernment with conservative media.) John MacArthur and John Hagee make cameos; only Hagee gets named. Todd Friel of the Wretched ministry also makes a cameo, but not named. (Friel is also a much later HP criticizer—not in the era being described. 2. Her bestselling books built a next-gen fandom. Podcast episode 3 really focuses on how Harry Potter met internet. MuggleNet: founded in 1999 by 12-year-old Indiana homeschool kid! Early fandom bullies and trolls had disproportionate power in forums. We can view “trolls” as similar to the biblical term fools (as in Proverbs). Starting around 2012, Rowling observed a negative shift in fandoms. Rowling does well showing “critical appreciation” for her own fandom. As in our last episode 176, this shows some amazing common grace. In the ’90s, people hoped for “collective consciousness on the internet.” Now we’re dealing with reality. Digital worlds connect yet divide us. On person on the show said, “Social media has corrupted the dream …” No, that was human sin—the greatest ignored villain in this whole series. Of course, Big Tech profit motives, valued over humanity, is also an idol. The show cites nonfiction book Kill All Normies about 4Chan vs. Tumblr. This meme seems true: Tumblr was a big source for synthetic morals. By “synthetic morals,” we mean inorganic, social lab–grown “holiness.” For example, notions of “cultural appropriation” and “problematic” sins. Tumblr, et. al. made expressive individualism go viral at popular level. These cultural influences aren’t like earlier “cancel cultures,” either. Tumblr spread ideas to Twitter, which spread them to elite journalists. This made a far disproportionate influence on culture’s thought leaders. 3. Her new critiques anger modern sexual activists. Who said this: “You will die alone and you will burn in Hell!”? In this case, it was not a fundamentalist Christian zealot, but an activist. Ep. 4 shared wisdom about internet trolls wi

Our great and creative God has called every person to create stuff using his stuff. But as we know, many Christian leaders and churches have gotten busy or really ignorant. They don’t heed our sovereign Creator’s call to lead a rich imaginative life for the common good in our world. How can we cultivate this vital mission? Ted Turnau, author of Popologetics and coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent (with Stephen), has a new big book out: Oasis of Imagination: Engaging our World Through a Better Creativity, and a shorter companion, Imagination Manifesto: A Call to Plant Oases of Imagination! Ted now makes his Lorehaven debut to help our creative gardens flourish. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Savage Bred by Victoria McCombs The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Dr. Jared Moore Michelle M. Bruhn: Songflight and Stormdance Introducing guest Ted Turnau Ted Turnau is Chair of Literature and Culture at Anglo-American University, Prague, Czech Republic, where he also teaches on popular culture, the media, religion and social theory. He is the author of Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective (P&R, 2012), The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ, with co-authors E. Stephen Burnett and Jared Moore (New Growth Press, 2020), and Oasis of Imagination: Engaging our World Through a Better Creativity (IVP, 2023). He speaks widely on popular culture, the media and Christian cultural engagement. He and his wife Carolyn have three adult children, three cats and a rabbit. 1. Engage our world as a God-worshiping individual Popologetics part 1: Popular culture is full of religious worldview ideas. Popologetics part 2: Christians have adopted many bad views of culture. Popologetics part 3: We’re called to read and respond to popular culture. 2. Engage our world as families and local churches TPCP chapters 1-5: We need biblical views of pop culture and parenting. TPCP chapters 6-7: Wise questions help us engage pop culture with kids. TPCP chapters 8-14: Engagement looks different as children grow older. 3. Engage our world as culture-making missionaries Oasis chapter 1: Human cultures matter, and may even last for eternity. Oasis chapter 2: “Culture war” tactics alone cannot serve our neighbors. Oasis chapter 3: “Withdrawal” strategies can ignore our gospel witness. Mission update New article: Should We Seek the Gospel ‘According To’ Popular Stories? Recent review: today’s top sponsor Savage Bred Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Our next book quest is for Kyle Robert Schultz’s The Beast of Talesend Com station Nick o’ the Wastes has a dim view of “intelligent” aliens (ep. 175): You’ve heard of the Great Filter. Now consider: the Dumb Filter. The only UFOs we see are the ones dumb enough to get caught. Also in the Guild, our Sherriff had a thought on episode length: Re the informal survey on episode length, I think it’s good to have an approximate length to shoot for, but feel free to throw in a few extended sessions when the topic is interesting and the ideas are flowing well. Like you said: Let the Spirit lead! Next on Fantastical Truth Alas! We must report that another back-to-school season has come upon us, and we Muggles haven’t gotten our letter to Hogwarts. But since the 1990s that infamous wizarding world has received plenty of Howlers, not just from concerned Christians but from zealous fans and even sexual activists. One recent podcast brewed all this into a bubbling cauldron of controversy: The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling. Now our own staff writer Marian Jacobs, who’s crafting her own book about a biblical Christian worldview of fictional magic, appears in our studio to help teach defense against these dark arts.

We’ve explored much about alien theories, but now a whole new official cast of characters claims they’ve seen or heard about evidence that They’re Here. And now this common Christian response has become a meme: aliens are just demons. Well, are they? If these creatures exist, are they deceiving us? Or maybe if they fly all this way only to be seen or crash, they’re just kind of stupid? Or perhaps they’re here to teach us a better way? We shall explore a familiar theme in a new fashion: are any aliens liars, lunatics, or lords? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Savage Bred by Victoria McCombs The Lorehaven Guild Michelle M. Bruhn: Songflight and Stormdance Concession stand This is our latest installment in the ongoing Armies of the Aliens series. We won’t say your favorite thing re. aliens. Maybe an earlier episode did. For example, some of this overlaps with end-times fan theories (ep. 80). 1. The aliens could be liars—that is, Satanic agents. This is perhaps the most common evangelical view (close to Stephen’s). Plenty of these videos and “eyewitness” accounts are pranks or scams. But many people who claim closer encounters are messing with spirits. Some researchers see parallels between aliens/medieval demon visits. A few people have halted “alien” activity by calling on the name of Jesus. Alien Intrusion, an older book by Gary Bates, documents some of these. 2. The aliens could be lunatics—they make no sense. Zack knows more about this, but why travel to Earth in the first place? We’re not losing precious materials like minerals or natural resources. Military “hauntings” make little sense without some material motive. Also, all that technology and their spaceships keep being seen in public? Crashed spaceships seems even more comical for advanced beings. If aliens exist, then perhaps they are just as stupid as humans can be. 3. The aliens could be lords—spiritually enlightened. This is a common notion across all of science fiction, often in 1980s–90s. Of course we have plenty of Star Trek examples for “incorporeal beings.” Stephen once glimpsed a TV movie with heroes happily “absorbed.” After that, aliens went back to being invaders and mysterious forces. But we wouldn’t be surprised if aliens went back to sex-affirming “lords.” And with that, we’re right back to the “aliens are demons” idea again. Mission update New article this Thursday: Should We Seek the Gospel ‘According To’ Popular Stories? New review this Friday: Victoria McCombs’s pirate fantasy Savage Bred. Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild! There you can join conversations about this Armies of the Aliens series. Com station Guild heroine Jenny Hasteen said about episode 174: Excited to listen to this! Let’s face it, most of us homeschoolers were philosophically shaped by Adventures in Odyssey. Mahina also remarked in the Guild: It was a really long one but felt too short! I’ve got to go back and listen to Phil’s other episodes. Philosophy never sounded interesting to me but now I’m intrigued Next on Fantastical Truth Back here on Earth among us humans, God has called every person to create stuff using his stuff. But as we know, many Christian leaders and churches have gotten busy or really ignorant. They don’t heed our Creator’s call to lead a rich imaginative life for the common good in our world. How can we cultivate this vital mission? Ted Turnau, author of Popologetics and coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent (with Stephen), has a new big book out: Oasis of Imagination: Engaging our World Through a Better Creativity, and a shorter companion, Imagination Manifesto: A Call to Plant Oases of Imagination! Ted will make his Lorehaven debut to help our creative gardens flourish.

Great stories make us feel wonder, and also feel grief, joy, love, or even some temptations to sin.[1. Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash.] Yet some of the greatest stories also help us ask big questions about God, ourselves, and the world. They help us practice thinking about the deep stuff, which we call philosophy. In today’s episode, Phil “-Osophy” Lollar, Adventures in Odyssey founding father and writer, rejoins us to explore how great stories train us in renewing our minds. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Sky of Seven Colors by Rachelle Nelson E. J. Kitchens: I.W.R.I.T.E: How to Write a Novel course Michelle M. Bruhn: Songflight and Stormdance Reintroducing guest Phil Lollar Phil Lollar started his performing career at the tender age of five. He won numerous acting awards in high school, and studied music, screenwriting and directing in college. Phil then worked with Focus on the Family, co-creating Adventures in Odyssey and writing more than 230 episodes plus directing more than 350 episodes. Phil also co-developed the hit comedy series Jungle Jam and Friends! as well as the animated video series Little Dogs on the Prairie. Phil also served as a writer and consultant for the television series, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. Phil resides in Arizona with his wife and son. Phil Lollar’s page at AdventuresinOdyssey.com Subscribe to the Adventures in Odyssey Club Get the new Young Whit and the Phantasmic Confabulator Get the new Young Whit and the Cloth of Contention 1. How can fantastical stories ignore philosophy? By focusing on “fun” entertainment and human feelings. By assuming stories ought not engage big questions. By treating ideas flippantly or moralistically. 2. How might some stories badly teach philosophy? Examples may include the latter Matrix movies with ponderous dialogue. Or consider some Christian stories offering half-baked “profundities.” Genre matters; that’s why we must be careful reading wisdom literature. 3. How can the best stories flesh out philosophy? Philosophy in fiction works best when it challenges plot and characters. Great philosophy won’t offer easy answers, but points to One who does. Our point in transformed minds is not to be smarter but glorify God. Mission update Vincent in Wonderland review from last Friday Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Next on Fantastical Truth The aliens have returned! Well, they never really left, did they? We’ve explored much about this topic, but now a whole new official cast of characters claims they’ve seen or heard about evidence that They’re Here. And now this common Christian response has become a meme: aliens are just demons. Well, are they? If these creatures exist, are they deceiving us? Or maybe if they fly all this way only to be seen or crash, they’re just kind of stupid? Or perhaps they’re here to teach us a better way? We shall explore an old topic in a new way: are them aliens liars, lunatics, or lords?

This summer at the cinema, some movies are doing great.[1. Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash.] Others are flopping on their faces. Meanwhile, some streaming services are falling even harder, and thanks to the Hollywood strikes plus economic instability plus the threat of artificial-intelligence “art,” we could see a burst of the streaming bubble. How should Christians discern these big changes, while seeking onscreen stories that are well-made and more human? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Sky of Seven Colors by Rachelle Nelson E. J. Kitchens: I.W.R.I.T.E: How to Write a Novel course The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ Concession stand Just one: we focus on Christian-made stories, with Onscreen talk as side quests. Quotes and notes Force Majeure Terminations for First Look, Overall Deals at Struck Companies Coming as Early as Aug. 1 (EXCLUSIVE), Variety, July 28, 2023 ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Taken Off Sony Release Calendar as Strikes Delay ‘Kraven’ and ‘Ghostbusters’ Sequel to 2024, Variety, July 28, 2023 Mattel Execs on Next Hollywood Moves: ‘Barney,’ ‘Polly Pocket’ and ‘Barbie’ Sequels (EXCLUSIVE), Variety, July 28, 2028 125. Why Do ‘False Prophets’ Predict Doom for Movie Theaters and Other Cultural Experiences?, Fantastical Truth 144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?, Fantastical Truth 172. Why Should Christian Fans Honor and Support Story Creators?, Fantastical Truth 1. Why have some new films become ‘flopbusters’? Stephen felt indifferent toward The Flash, and effectively boycotted it. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was met by audience indifference. Disney/Marvel indifference continues with lukewarm like for franchises. Fans can also send creative fatigue and financial stress on the industry. It was true before WGA’s strike (May 2) and SAG-AFTRA strike (July 14). Fans aren’t relying on critical praise or even Rotten Tomatoes “scores.” Anyway, Stephen has rejected the Rotten Tomatoes approach for a while. Lots of pundits blame “too much CGI,” like saying “too much writing.” The problem isn’t “too much” of anything, but reckless/bad creativity. One old proverb says, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” So it is here. 2. Why have other movies done much better? By contrast, films with strong, unified storytelling voice are thriving. Earlier this year we saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie break out. Of course we’ll talk about Barbie and Oppenheimer (we haven’t seen). Stephen has finally seen Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning: Part 1. These are likely doing better because of top-director and actor billing. Franchises are boring, but two Chrises and Greta Gerwig are exciting. From a creative writing perspective, that’s fantastic to see this respect. It’s good for Christians to find humanity (not just popularity) in stories. 3. What’s the future of summer blockbusters? Like we promote in The Pop Culture Parent, fans are getting more discerning. We may have thought small movies would fail, franchises would thrive. Now that no longer appears true. Only quality franchise stories will win. Smaller “startup” franchises, like from Angel Studios, will reach viewers. This feels great, because it opens territory for Christian-made fantasy. Stephen looks for many streamers to downscale, merge, or collapse. WBD started the landslide by cancelling movies for tax breaks. Also cancelled: Disney Plus shows, Star Trek: Prodigy, and many more. More people will look to physical media (which now feels more classic). Mission update New review: Sky of Seven Colors by Rachelle Nelson Upcoming review: Vincent in Wonderland by C. E. White New book quest: Dust by Kara Swanson Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Com station Paul in the Guild said he enjoyed episode 172: I’m glad I listened last night. You maintain a hopeful & delicate balance between unhealthy excesses of optimism and pessimism. I mean, in one’s personal feeling about the results of hard work and passion, when not the winner. Next on Fantastical Truth Great stories make us feel wonder, and also feel grief, joy, love, or even some temptations to sin. Yet some of the greatest stories also help us ask big questions about God, ourselves, and the world. They help us practice thinking about the deep stuff, which we call philosophy. In our next episode, Phil “-Osophy” Lollar, Adventures in Odyssey founding father and writer, rejoins us to explore how Christian stories train us in renewing our minds.

Great stories should lead us to wonder, and lately, stories that don’t aren’t doing well at the box office. Meanwhile, writers and actors for these stories have gone on strike because they object to streaming services and AI that might cheat them out of their livelihoods. Scripture warns against employers oppressing hired employees, whether it’s a business or vocational ministry. How do Christian fans honor the value of stories and show our appreciation for the creators who work hard to reflect God’s image and create them? Concession stand Here’s another rare Stephen solo show! It builds off our last episode 171. For those feeling burdened by work, this topic may bring bad feelings. (During a stressful season, Stephen once had those just watching an anime!) When we talk about “work,” you might think of that gross office or task. If necessary, substitute with a better word—the work you like best of all. Honestly, outlining this show was more work than usual, but worth it! Also, we don’t sort between “creatives” and “regular folks” on this show. Our goal is to encourage every Christian who’s also called to creativity. As singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson likes to observe, we’re all creative: I don’t like calling anyone “a creative”—but yes, I believe everyone is creative. It makes a difference, since that language implies there’s a special class of person who’s somehow more creative than everyone else. That’s just not true. Mathematicians are profoundly creative, as are architects and pastors and homemakers. It’s just not helpful to draw that line. Yes, there are artists, but as my friend Jonathan Rogers says, the arts only make up one slice of the pie of human creativity—and not the most important slice, either. —”Andrew Peterson on Why Artists Aren’t Better Than Everyone Else,” The Gospel Coalition, Oct. 23, 2019 1. God made us to work and receive honor for it. Genesis 1:27–28 gives the Cultural Mandate, emphasizing God’s call to work. This includes agriculture, science, forming families, and culture-making. Faithful Christians can’t affirm any of these without affirming them all. Therefore we can respect all people, yet uniquely respect families. And we can also especially affirm people who make stories and songs. This is no “we’re awesome” humanism; it’s about reflecting God’s glory. Before we speak of sin, all work would be joyful, even fun for us to do. We’d have had no corruptions of the task or failure to honor creativity. 2. Sin ruins work with idolatry, laziness, exploitation. Do recall your Sunday school: Satan tempts Eve with distorted work. The devil literally corrupted humans’ original calling: to do (agri)culture. He found the one limit God had given, and urged people to violate it. As a result God imposed a penalty, specifically versus their creative work. That’s why He cursed childbirth and agriculture with pain (Gen. 3:16–19). Along with mortality, we are frustrated whenever we try to create things. It’s still human beings’ fault. We tried to idolize a good gift of God. That leads to other corruptions of creative acts, like laziness or overwork. We also see problems with exploitation, “big guys” over “little guys.” But really, everyone distorts work. We see this in the current strikes. Yes, writers and actors may do bad work, or expect too much in return. At the same time, studios arguably abuse their power and exploit others. There and among Christian-made stories, we may see shoddy work. People may try to excuse poor work because it’s “spiritual” or “clean.” 3. Christ redeems work so we can celebrate creators. Yet we’re still called to strive for excellence to honor our great Creator. That’s why we have reviews, good critics, “gatekeepers,” and publishers. That’s why we have award ceremonies like last week’s Realm Awards. Aspiration and healthy competition are not automatically bad things. Adam and Eve may have had “races,” with one winning, another losing. Even apart from that, we can celebrate advantages in some over others. The apostles encourage this when they talk about healthy sex roles. They speak of spiritual endurance races and eternal rewards (1 Cor. 3). Based on this, Randy Alcorn suggests aspiration/competition are eternal: Just as we can look forward to cultural endeavors such as art, drama, and music on the New Earth, we can assume that we’ll also enjoy sports there. According to the principle of continuity, we should expect the New Earth to be characterized by familiar, earthly (though uncorrupted) things. Scripture compares the Christian life to athletic competitions (1 Corinthians 9:24, 27; 2 Timothy 2:5). Because sports aren’t inherently sinful, we have every reason to believe that the same activities, games, skills, and interests we enjoy here will be available on the New Earth, with many new ones we haven’t thought of. … People have told me, “But there can’t be athletics in Heaven because competition brings out the worst in people.” It’s true tha

While many Hollywood creatives have gone on strike, hundreds of Christian fans, writers, teachers, and volunteers teemed in the hotel halls at last week’s Realm Makers 2023 conference.[1. Featured photo subjects, from left: news writer A. D. Sheehan, staff writer Josiah DeGraaf, publisher E. Stephen Burnett, staff writer Marian Jacobs, ship’s regent Lacy Burnett, reviewer Jessica Boudreaux, graphic designer Jenneth Dyck, chief engineer Zackary Russell.] They heard from speakers like Steve Laube, Steven James, and Tricia Goyer about how stories should lead us to a sense of wonder. So we asked conference newcomers and authors alike: which stories have helped you find wonder and worship of Christ? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock E. J. Kitchens: I.W.R.I.T.E: How to Write a Novel course Quotes and notes Calor by J. J. Fischer Wins Book of the Year Title at 2023 Realm Awards Marian Jacobs Signs Deal for New Book Exposing Occult Magic Versus Fictional Magic Over 500 Christian Creators To Share Fantastic Books at Eleventh Annual Realm Makers Event Special guest stars Marian A. Jacobs Rachelle Nelson Donovan Bergin Brian Weaver Kirk DouPonce Laura VanArendonk Baugh Bryan Timothy Mitchell Mission update We’re exiting conference mode. Look for new reviews and articles soon. Lorehaven.com has all the news from the 2023 Realm Awards. Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild! There’s time to join our Recorder book quest. Next on Fantastical Truth Great stories should lead us to wonder, and lately, stories that don’t aren’t doing well at the box office. Meanwhile, writers and actors for these stories have gone on strike because they object to streaming services and AI that might cheat them out of their livelihoods. Scripture warns against employers oppressing hired employees, whether it’s a business or vocational ministry. How do Christian fans honor the value of stories and show our appreciation for the creators who work hard to reflect God’s image and create them?

Artificial intelligence won’t destroy human beings, but as we try using AI to upgrade culture, we may find humanity itself getting downgraded. Today, we will explore the promises and dangers of AI for artistic creations. How will machine-generated content enhance or impede our own creativity? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock The Pop Culture Parent Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge Concession stand We’re talking about how stories are made, but mainly as observant fans. We also focus on AI-generated art, as opposed to robot-revolution fears. We’re not computer scientists so this is more of a layman’s take on AI. Also, is this topic political? People often react like it is, but it’s really not. AI is being wielded by all political factions and many nations. People debate whether or how AI should be regulated; we won’t get into that. But we encourage you to follow those developments on your own. We’ll highlight some legitimate uses of AI with storytelling. 1. AI promises instant ‘expertise’ from storytellers Neo Uploads Knowledge Into His Head In The Matrix 2. AI captivates us with hyper-personalized stories Cypher: I know this steak doesn’t exist… 3. AI smooths away the challenge of human adventure The Architect – A mind bound by perfection Quotes and notes Spider-Verse 2025: Streaming 24/7. No Reruns. Forever Old MacDonald Had Some Help – A.I. – A.I. – Oh!, Steve Laube, June 26, 2023 Twitter suspends viral ‘Erica Marsh’ account after people question whether it is a fake A law firm was fined $5,000 after one of its lawyers used ChatGPT to write a court brief riddled with fake case references DeSantis ad uses fake AI images of Trump hugging and kissing Fauci, experts say Bill and Socrates’ conversation, generated by AI (YouTube video) Amazon Is Full of AI-Written Novels That Don’t Make Sense Mission update New review: Nova by Chuck Black Next on Fantastical Truth Zack and Stephen are headed to the Realm Makers conference, and we’re taking our portable studio with us. If you’re a Christian creator at this St. Louis event, stop by our Lorehaven booth in the vendor hall. This time we’ve planned some exclusive programming in our next episode after the event, especially about the 2022 Realm Awards banquet that celebrates fantastical tales.

Most people think “Christian fiction” avoids “unclean” content like sex, violence, and bad language.[1. Photo by Clément M. on Unsplash.] But in fact, many of these stories have often pushed these limits. We know of a few books now that are experimenting. Just in time for Independence Day in the United States, we will ask—should these stories make very free to show their characters cussin’ and fightin’? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Pop Culture Parent Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge Concession stand This episode serves as sequel to episode 120 (a rare Stephen solo show). We’re going to focus on cussin’ and fightin’, and this time no sexy stuff. We have plenty of other episodes (and will have more) about sexy stuff. Although we’ll touch on the TV shows, here we focus on written fiction. Also, we’ll make secondary applications to parenting, yet focus on selves. Too many of these discussions skip over individuals and focus on kids. Yet all of us implicitly agree that kids don’t see what adults can see. We just may pretend that this issue is only about the kids or vulnerable. Also we may refer to roundtable discussions from early Lorehaven print: Roundtable: Engaging Fictional Violence in Our Real Worlds Roundtable: Engaging That @&*% Our Stories Often Say 1. What does the Bible say about Christian freedom? Let’s follow the apostle Paul’s truth in Galatians, such as Galatians 5:13: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Stephen’s actually about to start a Galatians study at church. Please pray. Here the apostle Paul has spent many chapters lambasting legalism. Many listeners have grown up with “do not handle” rules (Col. 2:20-23). So they may be tempted to overcorrect and say that all things are lawful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 1 Corinthians 10:23 But the apostle Paul doesn’t want to fix only one issue. He wants Jesus. The whole point of any good rule, or freedom, is Jesus and human love. That’s the point of this text, and we’ll carry that into these two topics. 2. How may the Bible treat issues of story violence? We describe this as, “Violent acts in a visual or written work of fiction.” How may we hear some Christian fans (or writers) defend story violence? When and how is story violence different from committing real violence? At what points do we believe the violence is “too much” or tempting? For what reasons does the Bible include violent descriptions? Must the Scripture form our explicit example for how our stories do this? 3. Does the Scripture warn us against story cussin’? This topic may actually call for even more caution and definitions. “Fiction that includes, either in character dialogue or narrative itself, any of these elements: offensive words, crude names, vulgarities, or slang that misuses God’s name(s) or misuses biblical concepts/places.” How may we hear some Christian fans (or writers) defend story cussin’? When and how is story cussin’ different from committing real cussin’? At what points do we believe the cussin’ is “too much” or tempting? For what reasons does the Bible include possible uses of bad words? Must the Scripture form our explicit example for how our stories do this? Mission update New book quest for Cathy McCrumb’s sci-fi Recorder New review (Friday, July 7) of Chuck Black’s sci-fi Nova Next on Fantastical Truth We’re move into summer and toward the Realm Makers conference. ‘Tis time for us to plan hot topics, blockbuster guests, and many surprises.

This week, Christians are asking all over again why a good God would allow people to suffer. Fifteen years ago in the summer of 2008, many debated the same topic after a little indie book hit it big. The Shack by William P. Young (and guests) followed a man called Mack who sought spiritual healing from fictional versions of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This did and did not go over well. What now do we think of The Shack and its deconstruction of evangelical ideas, and arguably Bible doctrine itself? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Author Conservatory Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge Quotes and notes: Six Lies Christians Believe About ‘The Shack’ Seven More Lies Christians Believe About ‘The Shack’ 69. How Can Faithful Stories Best Show Backslidden Heroes? The Shack went largely unnoticed for over a year after its initial publication, but suddenly became a very popular seller in mid-2008, when it debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times paperback fiction best seller list on June 8 (“Christian Novel Is Surprise Best Seller,” The New York Times, June 24, 2008). Its success was the result of a “word-of-mouth, church-to-church, blog-to-blog campaign” by Young, Jacobsen and Cummings in churches and Christian-themed radio, websites, and blogs. —The Shack entry on Wikipedia God and Fiction – A Look at The Shack, Part 1, Rebecca LuAlla Miller, May 25, 2009 “The Shack Impressions,” Timothy Keller, Jan. 27, 2010 “What Does ‘The Shack’ Say About Your Pain?”, David Mathis at Desiring God, March 2, 2017 “The Shack: Biblical Discernment Is Key in Evaluating Any Book or Movie, Plus Concerns about Paul Young’s New Book Lies We Believe About God,” Randy Alcorn, Feb. 20, 2017 Concession stand We’ll assume certain ideas are heresy, and yes, we’ll use the H-word. Heresy doesn’t mean denomination ideas about secondary issues. Heresy does mean ideas that directly challenge God’s nature and gospel. Many people loved The Shack. As we’ll see, we won’t pick on those folks. Lots of other people critiqued The Shack. We’ll not pick on them either. It’s healthy for Christians to debate the themes and styles of fiction. But you’ve got to meet the book on its own terms. That’s what we seek. For more about respecting yet challenging Christian authors, see ep. 96. 1. What was The Shack book really all about? Recap of the book’s plot after Stephen read this book in 2017. The book counts as fantastical, but is heavily didactic in nature. Imagine a crime story turned devotional turned “fictional dialogue.” In this case, the authors imagined conversations with all the Trinity. They tried to resolve “why do bad things happen to good people” issue. William P. Young is the credited author, but there was a whole lawsuit … Turns out he had a lot of editorial help from arguable coauthors. Young continues to identify as the sole author of The Shack. The book’s actual authorship is a bit more complicated. There was even a lawsuit about it. In the end, author and publisher Wayne Jacobsen also speaks as the book’s coauthor (with Brad Cummings), stating flatly, “Paul isn’t the only author of this story.” So the book was written/edited by committee, and only later picked up for larger distribution by Hachette Book Group. This joint authorship, like with some written-by-committee blockbuster movies, may help explain some of the clashing tones and ideas within the story. It helps explain why The Shack sounds so biblical at one moment … but then The Shack offers clashing notions such as that although God always gets what s(he) wants, s(he) either does want to allow evil and suffering for good reasons, and/or is helpless when an evildoer abducts and kills a child. Moreover, if one author (Jacobsen) says he does reject universalism, but another author (Young) very clearly accepts it, that puts a crucial religious divide at the heart of the story. Unlike the unified God the authors wish to explore, this trinity of human authors is not very well unified. Thus the book’s narrative voice(s) become unreliable and self-conflicting. —Seven More Lies Christians Believe About ‘The Shack’ 2. Which biblical truths did The Shack book reflect? Jesus “chose to die” and “saved us from our sickness.” God isn’t an old white-bearded man in the sky (actual lingering myth?). “The truth shall set you free and the truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust.” (The Shack authors rightfully understand that John 8:32 is a reference to Jesus, not knowledge.) God isn’t like us, and is not simply “the best version” of man. Our triune God exists as love because His Persons are in relationship. God is not evil, and has good reasons to allow evil and suffering. Jesus promises to renew the universe; Heaven will come to New Earth. Our desire for

If we as Christians want our own great creative works, we’ll need to be the ones producing them. That means families raising up children to value careers in the arts. What does this look like in practice? Zackary Russell is joined by his wife, Naomi A. Russell, to share how they’ve been doing this with their own four children. From homeschooling to public school, to musical theater and dance classes, they’ll explore how Christians can better engage faithfully in the world and in the arts. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Author Conservatory Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge 1. We need more Christians in the arts It’s part of our calling as believers, to be sub-creators with the Lord. From the very beginning, God gave artistic skills to his people to use in an expression of worship to him. The arts shape culture. Nowadays, the arts are often dark places. Our culture has been on a STEM craze for the last few decades. 2. Our own journeys through the arts There’s always a place for the arts, even if you’re a STEM major. 3. How we raise children who value the arts Experiment with different art forms, musical instruments, etc. Make books a privilege, not a punishment Ep 33. How Does Portraying Fantastical Characters Develop Christian Character? | with Julie Novak Shield kids from the anxious thought of, “How can you make money with this?” Com station Commenting on ep. 166 on YouTube, Victor DiGiovanni wrote: As a Christian who is also a filmmaker, I can attest that if you limit yourself to exclusively Christian cast and crew, you will end up with a vastly inferior product. The cinematographer for the first season of The Chosen, Akis Konstantakopoulos, is an athiest. It can be argued that one of the big reasons why The Chosen made such a big splash is that the show LOOKS incredible. It looks like a prestige TV series on the order of Game of Thrones. That’s Akis Konstantakopoulos. You get an exclusively Christian cinematographer, you’ll likely get something that looks basic and flat, like every dull, flatly-lit, basic faith-based film you’ve seen. I don’t need to name any, because it’s true for ALL of them. The Chosen looked great and instantly said “This ain’t your father’s Christian content.” As long as the people working on the product are doing their best, and contributing their expertise to help the boss deliver their vision, then that’s all that matters in the end. I challenge anyone to go through the last two seasons of The Chosen (when the pride flag cameraman was involved) and point out his influence. Next on Fantastical Truth ‘Twas the summer of 2008, fifteen years ago, when a little indie book took the Christian publishing world by storm. That book was The Shack, and yes, it’s fantastical fiction one way or another. This story by William P. Young (and guests) followed a man called Mack who sought spiritual healing from fictional representations of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Among legions of readers, this went over well, and among leagues of critics, this did not go over well. What now do we think of The Shack and its deconstruction of evangelical ideas, and arguably Bible doctrine itself?

Summer brings the heat, especially among the Very Online. Not long ago lots of people were yelling at The Chosen because one of the crew was flying a heathen flag on set, as spotted briefly in one behind-the-scenes video. Then two of the disciple actors got bothered and started calling fans “phobes.” They’ve since apologized, but not before a lot of controversy. Behind all this yelling is one big concern: Christians are hiring non-Christians to help make stories and websites and things. Is this allowed? Does the Bible require Christians to create culture only by working with other Christians? Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Author Conservatory Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge Quotes and notes ‘The Chosen’ Creator Dallas Jenkins Responds to On-Set Pride Flag Criticism Thirty Questions for Critics of ‘The Chosen’ or Other Christian Creators Who Hire Heathens 148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck Sometimes Unbelievers Help Make Fantastic Biblical Fiction, So Let’s Thank God for Them Concession stand We’ve already talked about biblical fiction and The Chosen controversies. Some people irked by this disagree (deep down) about biblical fiction. And yes, it’s right to take (some) offense about a sin-celebrating symbol. But the real question is how Christians ought to work with nonbelievers. We will need to work with nonbelievers. The only question is how. One big question: Do we expect other Christians to do our job for us? In other words, if I’m a pastor/pundit, why expect a show to do my job? A bigger question is: which sins do we let nonbelievers publicly show? In a working relationship, can Christians rightly disagree on the answers? We must be aware how our own backstories will inform our view of this. 1. Churches: grace for newbies but rules for Christians Many want The Chosen and Christian publishers to be like this. We can’t help wondering if this comes from unique kinds of personalities. People only familiar with church rules, or with ideals, may expect this. And it’s a great setup. Paul, et. al. have specific commands for churches. A keystone text about church behavior expectations is 1 Corinthians 5. You might show grace for a newbie, maybe even one with a “pride flag.” But members must be confessing Christians who want to be like Jesus. I once met one obvious nonbeliever in a megachurch band. Not good! Standards go even higher for those wanting to teach or lead a church. If you’re no member of a church with solid boundaries, you’d want this. Or if you do have a church with solid boundaries, you expect even more. But the Scripture is clear that our world expectations are very different. And even in the Church, people have different views about some issues. 2. The world: needs gospel grace but is ruled by sin STEPHEN: Again, see Paul’s view of world expectations in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul forbids “sexual immorality among you” (verse 1), that is, members. But see verse 10: we can’t avoid the world’s sexually immoral people. Paul assumes the world is darker and messed up and yet needs us there. Most Christians agree that, for now, the world can’t behave like a church. Someday the world will be one great big Church, but it is not this day. That’s why Scripture bans associating with unrepentant immoral folks … But specifically the immoral in the church and not of this world (verse 10). This does not ban significant Christian influence in culture/lawmaking. Citizen issues call for wisdom. But they’re not same as church leadership. 3. Third spaces: Christians hire nonbelievers (and their messes) This “third space” is not quite a local church and not quite the world. This is the closest scenario to the way they’re making The Chosen. It’s also close to a group like Realm Makers or a Christian company. Even a website like The Daily Wire mixes Christians and nonbelievers. Christians may hire nonbelievers, or conservatives(?) hire Christians. The gospel message may arguably get garbled, ignored, or rejected. But does the business as a business exist to do the job of the church? If I’m a Christian in “civilian” capacity, am I an always-on evangelist? For The Chosen, yes, they’re making a Jesus show with evangelistic aims. Yet the production itself will inevitably mix believers and nonbelievers. A cameraman isn’t hired to write the script, but to film the action well. Even the actor isn’t hired to preach a sermon, but to act the role well. And at Realm Makers, they may “hire” a nonbeliever to talk about craft. This is typical. Any local church will hire nonbelievers to build/print/help. If then a construction worker cusses atop the roof, would you fire him? If the Bible printer is same-sex attracted, but a good worker, do you fire her? Scripture does not require these actions, so we can’t require them of others. In fact

Summer is the perfect time to go camping or even just step under the sky to gaze out to the stars. When we consider the heavens God has made, we feel very small, yet also creative and challenged. So many stories take us beyond Earth’s orbit, only to reflect real-world realities and send us right back to our homeworld, better equipped to face these problems! B. L. Dean, author of the Shades of Starlight space adventure series, joins us on the bridge. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Author Conservatory Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge Introducing guest B. L. Dean Becky Dean is a fan of adventures both real and fictional. She grew up on a diet of Star Trek, Star Wars, and stargazing, so when she started writing books, it was no surprise that many of them were set in space. When she’s not writing, she can be found traveling, drinking tea, watching science fiction shows, or quoting The Lord of the Rings. She is the author of two contemporary novels for young adults and a four-book space opera series, Shades of Starlight. BeckyDeanWrites.com Twitter.com/beckydean821 Instagram.com/BeckyDeanWrites 1. Sci-fi gives us new and impossible frontiers 2. Space adventures train us for purposeful living 3. Wars in the stars help us engage challenges on Earth Book quest: Illusion by Frank Peretti just started Review: The Dog Snatcher middle-grade fantasy Lorehaven Summer Reading Challenge begins soon We’re getting ready for the Realm Makers conference Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Next on Fantastical Truth Summer brings the heat, especially among the Very Online. Not long ago lots of people were yelling at The Chosen because one of the crew was flying a heathen flag on set, and the behind-the-scenes video caught sight of it. Then two of the disciple actors got bothered and started calling fans “phobes” and such things. Meanwhile, one culturally conservative website ran an article about the debate, and then the company CEO called the article “disgusting,” so lots of people were yelling about or against him. Behind all this yelling is one big concern: Christians are hiring non-Christians to help make stories and websites and things. Is this allowed? Does the Bible require Christians to create culture only by working with other Christians?

Many fantastical tales look okay, but may endorse ungodly ideas. That’s why more conservative groups are offering newer fiction to teach your kids moral values. How can Christian parents find the good stuff that will disciple your children’s heads and hearts? In this session recorded live at the March 2023 Teach Them Diligently conference in central Texas, Lorehaven founder E. Stephen Burnett (coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent) explores discernment in light of the gospel, offering practical resources for parents to share the best books and other stories within the body of Christ. Subscribe to Lorehaven middle grade • teens + YA • adults • onscreen • author resources • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter The Pop Culture Parent Concession stand This audio was recorded live, not at the most recent conferences … But the Teach Them Diligently event near Austin in late March. We get to use this recording thanks to the courtesy of Teach Them Diligently. Also, this happens to help celebrate more family resources at Lorehaven! 1. Find great stories that glorify God. Problem: We may assume we know what great stories should do. Solution: Let’s base our view of stories’ purpose in the Scripture. 2. Find great stories that help children be like Jesus. Problem: Some stories want your child to follow other “saviors.” Solution: Look for stories that help your child worship Jesus. 3. Find stories that help your family build the Church. Problem: Some stories ignore the gospel; others ignore creation. Solution: Seek out stories that help believers disciple one another. Com station David W. Landrum commented on Jenneth Dyck’s article “The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail” saying this: I loved the scene after the wedding where Jesus turned water into wine. He and his disciples are going home and some of them are stumbling. Some of them had a little too much to drink. Yep, some of them were drunk! But if the best wine the steward there had ever tasted had been served, that might well have been true. I love the realism, the recognition of his followers as human, and the authenticity of the production. These were real people. We’ve made them into allegorical characters and comic book figures. The Chosen has depicted them as human beings.

As hundreds of homeschool families head to Florida for the annual FPEA conference, we flash back to this spring’s Teach Them Diligently conference in central Texas.[1. Photo from Teach Them Diligently 2023 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., courtesy Scott Minor.] What growing challenges do homeschool families face in our culture? What kinds of fantastical stories do they seek for their children? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter The Pop Culture Parent Concession stand This episode is the latest of a whole series about homeschool families: 65. Why Do Homeschool Families Love Christian-Made Fantastical Fiction? 106. What If Homeschool Families Can Help Christian Fantasy Grow for Generations? 116. Why Do Homeschooled Students Love Fantastical Fiction? | with Ethan Nunn 1. What do parents think about Christian fantasy? 2. How does homeschool dad Aaron find great kids’ stories? 3. How does homeschool mom Christina find great kids’ stories? Com station F. Ted Atchley enjoyed episode 152 about healing from church trauma: This is really long, but it is such an important discussion. I especially identified with L. G. McCary’s story. Next on Fantastical Truth Many fantastical tales look okay, but may endorse ungodly ideas. That’s why more conservative groups are offering newer fiction to teach your kids moral values. How can Christian parents find the good stuff that will disciple your children’s heads and hearts? In this session recorded live at the March 2023 Teach Them Diligently conference in central Texas, Lorehaven publisher E. Stephen Burnett (coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent) explores discernment in light of the gospel, offering practical resources for parents to share the best books and other stories within the body of Christ.

Our podcast is Fantastical Truth.[1. Photo by Tom Radetzki on Unsplash.] Yet even seeking the truth can lead us into shadowy places. How can we discern these conspiracy theories without rejecting the truth that humans do often plot secretly, or falling into the trap of Gnostic “secret knowledge”? Mike Duran, author of the new nonfiction book Christians and Conspiracy Theories, will sneak into the studio. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Estuary by Lisa T. Bergren The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter The Pop Culture Parent Concession stand As always, any political references are about issues, not parties/persons. If you’re new to Fantastical Truth, we’re not a conspiracy-theory show. (So please don’t @ us with any favorite theories that we somehow missed.) Mike Duran is a trusted friend who also focuses on greater fantastical issues. Reintroducing author Mike Duran Mike Duran is a novelist, artist, and freelance writer. Mike writes fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of The Ghost Box (Blue Crescent Press, 2014), which was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best indie novels of 2015 and first in a paranoir series that continues with Saint Death (2016), and The Third Golem (2020). He’s the author of Christians and Conspiracy Theories (2023) and Christian Horror (2015) His short stories, essays, and commentary have appeared in Relief Journal, Cemetery Gates Media, The Gospel Coalition, Relevant Online, Bewildering Stories, Rue Morgue, Zombies magazine, Breakpoint, and other print and digital outlets. Mike is interested in religion, science, conspiracism, media, books & monsters. You can learn more about Mike Duran, his writing projects, cultural commentary, philosophical musings, and arcane interests, at MikeDuran.com . 1. What led you from fantastical worlds to this topic? 2. Why do some Christian leaders avoid this issue? 3. How can Christians better engage these theories? Mission update Reviews: last, The Lost Property Office; next, The Crossing: Arlan’s Pledge Mike Duran’s article with his book excerpt, posted just yesterday Shannon Stewart’s upcoming article exploring Link’s heroism Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Next on Fantastical Truth As hundreds of homeschool families head to Florida for the annual FPEA conference, we flash back to this spring’s Teach Them Diligently conference in central Texas. What growing challenges do homeschool families face in our culture? What kinds of fantastical stories do they seek for their children?

Imagine a mind virus has taken over people you love. You have fought the good fight. Now you’re tired and feel like retreating. You and some old friends are desperate for a solution. Then one captain says he has a surprise. You open vast hangar bay doors to discover … a wonderful fantasy franchise, lovingly restored, with everything back as it should be, yet better. But how? “Well,” says the restorationist, “you can thank the good ol’ common grace of our Creator for that. Also, I’m a lot like you—a huge fan of the original.” Yes, many franchises are failing. So let’s celebrate a few that seek restoration! Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Radiant by Ashley Bustamante The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter The Pop Culture Parent Concession stand Especially when exploring Picard, we’ll try to avoid spoilers . Optimism about present/future restoration is still limited by reality. Most franchises are restricted by bad stories, so a good one stands out. This episode is a more positive sequel to two previous episodes: 144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022? 153. When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance 1. First the bad news: many franchises are still failing Star Wars. Fans are really feeling the Meh-dolorian (cf. Pitch Meeting). DC. Excitement about Gunn’s reboot seems artificial/shallow/trend-based. Marvel. There was a new movie this weekend. Its numbers are lackluster. Disney. Still failing. Did anyone see that Peter Pan remake? Lowery, why? LOTR: Again, we’re still reeling about the thud that was TROP season 1. Harry Potter: On the ropes, despite talk of a streaming series remake. Doctor Who. Tennant’s back but it’s kinda bait. Showrunner goes Sexualityist. Oh, then there’s the writers’ strike, which could set back all the things! ONSCREEN: ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Resists Alien Assimilation to Boldly Celebrate Heroes and Family Yes, the third season of Star Trek: Picard really is that good. That’s especially true if you grew up enjoying the Enterprise-D crew’s adventures across seven seasons, or at least some of their continuing cinematic missions aboard the Enterprise-E. I’ll wager even Trek newcomers would find something to love. But longtime Trek fans will get the most enjoyment from long-open plot resolutions and, frankly, some drastic tonal and thematic course corrections after Picard‘s first two seasons got trapped in postmodern spatial anomalies. If you’re still skeptical, especially after the grimdark mess and leftist elements of Discovery, I’d like to win you back aboard. 2. Star Trek: Picard does restoration at warp speed Characters: back to normal, flawed yet matured; best of all, respected. Plot: nods to disputative stories (seasons 1-2), resolves many old ones. World: fully continuous with every older Trek series including Enterprise. 3. How we hope other franchises will learn from Trek Right now, Disney/Marvel, Doctor Who, TROP already seem too far gone. Star Trek itself needs to forge its respectful future with Star Trek: Legacy. The other Star world needs to let go and use the force of its own legacy. Creators must heed the “sacred [world] texts,” interpreted with honor. Ignore both Abrams-style fanservice or Johnson-style “deconstruction.” If WBD remakes Harry Potter, don’t “woke” it up. Films mark a tall order. DC, whatever else they do, must commit to completing the Snyderverse. Emphasize music, meaningful “Easter eggs,” struggle-earned “nostalgia.” Mission update Reviews: Radiant last Friday, The Lost Property Office this Friday Articles: How to Discern Beautiful Christian Fiction Without Becoming Snobs, from Josiah DeGraaf this Thursday Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Com station Autumn shares a mostly positive view of cultural Christianity (ep. 160): As far as cultural Christianity goes, I did have a lot of that growing up and for the most part it was beneficial. Christianity was explained pretty well for me at a young age, and it resonated with me when it came to ideas like the deep imperfection of humanity, the problems with vengeance, the need for forgiveness and mercy, etc. There were some downsides as well, though, such as the fact that even though the Bible was interesting to me, growing up with it made regular Bible reading feel like a chore that I had a hard time doing even though I knew it was important, good and meaningful. Still, the positives outweighed the negatives. But one of the reasons growing up with cultural Christianity worked in my case was because Christianity DID mean a lot to me. I was always analyzing everything I heard, so instead of just taking the cliches at a surface level, I would try to figure out why certain aspects of Christianity existed. There were times I struggled with going through the motions, but I’m at least aware of that, and it’s something I’ve be

Did you grow up in “cultural Christianity”? Do you think this background helped you love Jesus more, or drove you away from him? What would your neighbors think? As people debate whether we even live in a Christian culture, how do these public moral tropes and gospel reflections influence our stories, Christian-made or otherwise? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Radiant by Ashley Bustamante The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter The Pop Culture Parent 1. What do we mean by ‘cultural Christianity’? 2. How does cultural Christianity hurt our stories? 3. How can cultural Christianity help our stories? Quotes and notes What is Cultural Christianity?, GotQuestions.org In Praise of Cultural Christianity, Mere Orthodoxy Pop Culture Gets Religion, Christianity Today Positive, Negative, and Neutral World, First Things Com station Jo Ann Dagis Samide enjoys “dangerous books” in right ways: Reading this thread made me feel so nostalgic. I loved reading to and with my five kids when we homeschooled. We used sonlight curriculum which had a great deal of fabulous reading choices. My youngest is 20 and my oldest is 35, and they all talk about the days of reading aloud and what we learned…. Keep it up, folks, you are truly doing the Lord’s work! R. M. Archer commented on Twitter about A. D. Sheehan’s article: Though this topic is nothing new to me, I personally found this @Lorehaven article timely to share given my very recent disappointment with the Dungeons & Dragons movie and with the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. Andreas commented on the article itself: Good article. I feel the same way. In recent years, I’ve been going back to the classics more and more. Jane Austen and Jules Verne in particular are just fun to read. I personally found your first point particularly challenging. When I read “The Inklings” by Humphrey Carpenter a while back, all I could think to myself was, “I could never be friends with Charles Williams!” But you’re right. In such cases, it can be helpful to put aside one’s theological beliefs to discover literary treasures. Next on Fantastical Truth We’ve explored how big franchises keep failing their fans. More recently we delved into how some fiction can’t stop deconstructing its own heroes and lore. That’s frankly discouraging. Still, we’re not without hope, because we know some destroyed worlds can be restored! If we’ve already felt grief over a story’s death, how can we best celebrate a story that comes back to life?

What if you were a teenage prodigy who could use mathematics to predict the future? But finally your numbers-driven world collapsed into betrayal and kidnapping by a criminal empire? That’s the equation for Calculated and its sequels from novelist Nova McBee, who now joins today’s episode. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: War of Torment by Ronie Kendig Infernal Fall audiobook by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing novelist Nova McBee Nova McBee, a Seattle native, has lived nearly half her life in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Calculated is currently in development to become a major motion picture. Emmy-Award winning screenwriter, Ann Peacock, best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, will adapt the novel for the screen in partnership with One Door Studios, who owns the rights and options to all of the books. Visit NovaMcBee.com or OneDoorStudios.com for more information. 1. What images and ideas led to making Calculated? 2. How have readers responded to Josephine’s tale? 3. Can you predict what’s next for this story-world? Mission update Article: Why The Mandalorian Makes Sense in a World That Masks Creedal Religion Last week’s book review for Infernal Fall This week’s book review for Calculated Subscribe free to get updates and join the Guild Com station CM Genton was grateful for A. D. Sheehan’s media malaise: Thank you, AD, for this article. Yes, I draw from the deep wells of classic literature as I write my futuristic science fiction. Were there ever the good old days of literature? I doubt it. But “zero-calorie diet of postmodern writing” is well put. Everything has gone flat. Or one could say, into the void has rushed fantastical creatures, gods, and demons, like in the most ancient times. Jay DiNitto recalls that older stories often prove more daring: With older books you avoid a lot of the ubiquitous cinematic tropes–usually. There was less of a set formula back then for characters, so writers could afford to get away with doing things that are odd to modern sensibilities. Speaking of risks, Jenny Chasteen questions deconstructionism: I know I’m late to this episode, but I wanted to thank you for #153, “When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction?” I found the definition of postmodernism really thought-provoking, and I’d never fully connected that concept in my mind with the rising popularity of “deconstructing.” As I listened to the episode, I started asking hard questions of the stories I write. I think of them as stories that support truth and portray a world that has “foundations.” But I realized that I’ve been subconsciously “deconstructing” some tropes and sometimes trying to make readers feel like they’re “in on the joke.” Do you think that can be done in a way that’s actually constructive as long as I’m still showing a world where good and evil have weight? How can I show characters questioning and changing what they believe without falling for the deconstruction fad? Next on Fantastical Truth We’ll choose from one of two or more topics: (1) finding stories homeschool readers want, (2) how great stories reconstruct genres and heroes, (3) something else!

Real life is already making fake “life” with artificial intelligence programs. But many science fiction writers have already rushed ahead to ask whether these artificial “lives” would count as human beings with human rights. Can we see the image of God reflecting in these synthetic creatures made in man’s image? Today we’re joined by a popular author who’s just passed the Turing test! Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: War of Torment by Ronie Kendig Infernal Fall audiobook by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing novelist Steven James Steven James is host of The Story Blender podcast and the critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the 2019 sci-fi Synapse, and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master’s degree in storytelling. His latest thriller novel, Broker of Lies, just released in April. StevenJames.net 1. Could we see artificial lifeforms in our lifetimes? 2. How might our culture react to such lifeforms? 3. How would believers react to synthetic ‘life’ and vice-versa? Quotes and notes “But, in general, take my advice, when you meet anything that’s going to be human and isn’t yet, or used to be human once and isn’t now, or ought to be human and isn’t, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.” ―C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe “Ginny!” said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. “Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?” ―J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” —Luke 19:39–40, ESV This is how it ends: Someone added ChatGPT to a Furbie and it is hellbent on world domination Is Microsoft’s new AI an absolutely based domestic extremist? Mission update The Last Battle’s Darkness Helps Me Long for Resurrection’s Light Christians Who Feel Media Malaise Can Find Buried Treasure in Older Books Why The Mandalorian Makes Sense in a World That Masks Creedal Religion Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild for monthly book quests Com station After episode 157, Guild hero Mahina anticipates resurrection reality: I’m still stuck on the idea of resurrected food. Wow, it will be amazing. But even more so that sense of purpose. I’m so looking forward to that. I feel glimpses of that here in this life but to be fully and completely “of purpose” in everything I say, do, etc. woo! It’s going to be absolutely incredible. It’s what I yearn for in this life. There’s so much exciting stuff to be reminded of in eternity.. of course for the Christ followers. Others not so much. Which inspires me to double down on sharing my hope with those who don’t have Christs gift of salvation yet. Eternity is a long time. Next on Fantastical Truth What if you could plan your destiny by seeing the world as an equation to be solved? Nova McBee arrives in the studio to share the stories behind the edge-of-sci-fi-dystopian Calculated and its sequels.

Last weekend we remembered not only Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice, but his resurrection—the same resurrection he has promised for all who receive him. On this podcast we’ve explored Epic Resurrection before, but not with questions like: Do we get to fly? Could we “apparate” from place to place? Dive underwater for hours? Will we get superpowers after the Resurrection? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: War of Torment by Ronie Kendig Infernal Fall audiobook by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Realm Makers 2023 conference Concession stand We’re building off five previous episodes in our Epic Resurrection series. This means we assume the New Heavens and New Earth will be physical. This means our selfsame universe/planet, judged and made new. Any “normal” elements are a mere starting point for biblical speculation. If we speak of New Earth coffee and you want time travel, why not both? We believe it’s helpful to keep speculations grounded, at least at first. Scripture does this with ordinary ideas: farming, animals, commerce. We can’t cite Scriptures for all points; if we miss a reference, just ask! Finally, these promises apply only to people who repent/believe in Jesus. Scripture solemnly warns all will be resurrected, but some enter Hell. 1. What do we mean when we say “resurrection”? But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (ESV) (1 Corinthians 15:35–50, ESV) We’re talking about bodies; this is the apostle Paul’s operative word. We’ll see differences between our current bodies and future bodies. Yet we also know what a body is; that’s why Paul uses natural language. The phrase “spiritual body” has led to some readers’ confusion. Randy Alcorn warns of “Christoplatonism” that puts us off resurrection. Scripture never endorses ghosts, spiritoids, or some unearthly existence. Alcorn has often explored misconceptions about 1 Corinthians 15: When Paul uses the term “spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44), he is not talking about a body made of spirit, or an incorporeal body—there is no such thing. Body means corporeal: flesh and bones. The word spiritual here is an adjective describing body, not negating its meaning. A spiritual body is first and foremost a real body or it would not qualify to be called a body. Paul could have simply said, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spirit,” if that were the case. . . . When Paul says that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” he’s referring to our flesh and blood as they are now: cursed and under sin. Our present bodies are fallen and destructible, but our future bodies—though still bodies in the fullest sense—will be untouched by sin and indestructible. They will be like Christ’s resurrection body—both physical and indestructible. Challenge 1: Doesn’t the Bible promise “this world is not our home”? Challenge 2: What about Christians already died; aren’t they bodiless? Challenge 3: Doesn’t the Bible warn “no eye has seen, no ear has heard”? 2. How will resurrection bodies be perfectly human? Stephen uses the words “perfectly human” literally: human yet perfected. Today we can live for any time at all. Tomorrow we will live forever. Today we enjoy food and drink with risks. Tomorrow we can enjoy more. Today we’re subject to “futility” (Rom. 8). Tomorrow

“We come to it at last: the great battle of our time.” Last week we shared this metaphor, and since then the cultural struggles have heated up even more. This is mainly because of our world’s possibly fastest-growing religion, which we call Sexualityism—that is, strong belief in one’s own sexual identity, which usually leads to false worship, legislation, and culture wars. One guest who’s experienced with these beliefs, and taken some heat for this, joins us to enjoin this foe. How might this belief threaten not just biblical Christianity, but even some fantastical stories made by Christian creators? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: War of Torment by Ronie Kendig Infernal Fall audiobook by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing guest Bethel McGrew Bethel McGrew is a high school teacher, math Ph.D., and widely published freelance writer. Her work has appeared in WORLD Opinions, First Things, National Review, The Spectator, and many other national and international outlets. Her Substack, Further Up, is one of the top paid newsletters in “Faith & Spirituality” on the platform. She has also contributed to two essay anthologies on Jordan Peterson. When not writing social criticism, she enjoys writing about literature, film, music, and history. Follow Bethel McGrew on Twitter @‌BMcGrewvy. Quotes and notes How the Side B Project Failed, Bethel McGrew, March 14, 2023 The Last of Us and its unnecessary sexualization, Feb. 16, 2023 Killing Dead Name, Bethel McGrew, Feb. 10, 2023 The broken, the sheep, the wolves, Bethel McGrew, Nov. 16, 2022 Mutilating Our Bodies, Bethel McGrew, July 1, 2022 From Bethel’s article The broken, the sheep, the wolves: Carl Trueman, in a recent podcast, encourages Christians to distinguish carefully between the victims and the perpetrators of the new sexual revolution—the people who are being “destroyed” and the people who are destroying them. We should handle the former tenderly, but we should handle the latter “ruthlessly.” With some people, it is possible to be too gentle, too ready to assume good faith. On the other hand, Trueman points out that it is possible to forget many people are suffering, and not all of them have the singular goal of destroying Western civilization. Concession stand (full buffet edition) After months of discussion, last month we began planning this series. Now we find that cultural conversations about sex/gender are hotter. We will proceed, yet more aware of how sensitive these topics can be. This goes double if you’re very tired/sick/depressed, and need to rest. That’s why this series is meant for folks whom God has gifted strength. If that’s not you, don’t worry. Rest up. Just don’t oppose your family. And as before, don’t listen to this episode without hearing episode 152. Many very wounded people are often deceived by Fantastical Foes. Some trauma is culturally imposed, but other wounds are universal. Result: real survivors can have their own empathy turned against them. Survivors are also vulnerable to many sentimentalist appeals to emotion. As we explored in episode 88, we’re no longer living in a “neutral world.” To claim otherwise is to call into the Sentimentalism we explored before. In a parallel Earth, we’d oppose racism or greed-ism infecting fiction. We’re living in the real world, Earth-1, and this is the hand we’re dealt. Even as fantastical fans, we believe Christians must reckon with reality. We do feel it’s important for Christians to “gatekeep” Christian fiction. We wouldn’t want any other harmful, anti-biblical beliefs in our stories. This doesn’t mean “no struggling characters.” It means: no propaganda. God says: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). If you disagree, we’d rather be honest, and part ways more amicably. We’ll stake our rep on this: Sexualityism, not its critics, is harming people. Real people are being deceived into destroying their own human nature. If human nature is under attack, then so are human creations: stories. Questions before discussion: What does Scripture’s insistence about “male and female” mean to us? Given that our Creator told us to steward the world and make families … If we minimize marriage and family, what’s our foundation for creativity? Consider “toxic empathy”—is this possible? What would this look like? Have you ever felt uncertain about a new sexual identity, but kept quiet? What culturally popular ideas do you refuse to adopt, or spoken against? Even if not now, could such religions persecute us? How could we know? Do you believe parents and wise Christians must say “no” out of love? How would you discern between a victim and a victim-turned-abuser? 1. What do we mean by ‘Sexualityism’? 2. How does Sexualityism threaten Christians? 3. How does Sexualityism threaten Christian fiction? Mission update Watch Lorehaven.com for new menu changes going into spring 2

Today’s next Fantastical Foe doesn’t look that villainous. Instead she dresses up as whimsical kittens, cozy cottages, or obvious heroes and villains. He will approach you with pleasant platitudes, from a church, or even from that smiling popular fantasy author. She will shine like an angel of light, telling your heart beautiful lies such as, “Everyone is basically good, and you only need to fight something else.” Beware this second Fantastical Foe: Sentimentalism. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Enhanced by Candace Kade Once Upon a Ren Faire by A. C. Castillo Realm Makers 2023 conference Concession stand This episode isn’t so much about the “clean fiction” debate (episode 81). Our focus is not on old sentimentalities, but modern sentimentalities. We’ll not accuse Christian sentimentalists, but will make general allusions. Some villains attack “sentimentality” because they hate virtue and goodness. We don’t refer to healthy sentimentalism—a love for good things or memories. Quotes and notes The Kinkade Crusade, Randall Balmer in Christianity Today, Dec. 24, 2000 Brandon Sanderson Is Your God, Jason Kehe at Wired.com, March 23, 2023 Thomas Kinkade’s Cottage Fantasy, Joe Carter at First Things, June 16, 2010 “The Bob Newhart Show,” YouTube clip: “Stop it!” The Therapeutic, Ctd., Jake Meador at Mere Orthodoxy, March 22, 2023 The Chosen Succeeds Where Woke Stories Fail, Jenneth Dyck at Lorehaven, Feb. 2, 2023 Jon Acuff on “toxic empathy,” Jan. 17, 2023 tweet: Toxic Empathy: When someone I love is headed toward a health, financial or relational train wreck and instead of telling them the bridge is out I encourage or even celebrate the decisions that are slowly destroying them because I want them to like me. 1. Old sentimentalism: People are mixed, church is good, world is mixed, Jesus is good (yet optional) (Created by Zackary Russell using the Midjourney AI art generator) This may be hard to define, so let’s start with a specific example. Imagine a Thomas Kinkade painting about a cozy forest or cottage. These images look nice, but if they ever bothered you, you’re not alone. The late Thomas Kinkade himself said in 2000, according to Christianity Today: “I love to create beautiful worlds where light dances and peace reigns. … I like to portray a world without the Fall.” Kinkade, then, wants to show a world that’s basically good. It’s a “elseworld” that never even had a Fall into sin in the past. Older (stereotypical) Christian fiction often fell into this trap. In one 2016 article, Stephen explored this old fiction sentimentality: Not all Christian novels are this way. We need to stop pretending they are. But I have read some of them that are still like this: They are written by, published by, marketed to and sold to Christians, but are based entirely around the story of an imaginary non-believer. The secular character serves as wish-fulfillment for some of our over-sheltered evangelical desires. He/she is convinced by soft-soap clichés, such as “just take a leap of faith.” Or the secular character hears a good-cop-Christian assurance like, “Yes, God really loves you,” and are led to sentimental tears, rather than confusion or eye-rolls. Such secular characters act as if they somehow already understood the Law, which would mean Grace comes as a relief to them. But of course, in such stories, the Law doesn’t even make a cameo. 2. New sentimentalism: People are good, church is bad, world is mixed, Jesus is good (yet still optional) Now some creators react to this sentimentalism, thinking it unrealistic. But they overcorrect into false religions that share similar premises. You see this in some versions of Christianity, or spinoffs like Mormonism. It’s behind lines like, Everyone is just looking for… or If only we could… That’s new sentimentalism. Like the old kind, this denies human sin nature. Like the Kinkade paintings, they want to paint a world with a weaker Fall. Thus they show a world that doesn’t really need Jesus (even if He’s nice). 3. Our mission: Base reality and thus fantastical fiction in the gospel that rightly defines all these People started good, yet are corrupted by idolatry, yet can be redeemed Church is good, but can also be corrupted by idolatry, yet redeemed The world is good, yet was corrupted by humans, yet can be redeemed Jesus is not just good but nonoptional; He alone can redeem the others! Lorehaven mission update Last week we hosted our booth at the Teach Them Diligently conference in Austin Last week we reviewed Please Return to the Lands of Luxury This Friday, March 31, we review Once Upon a Ren Faire Ticia Messing explores how parents can disciple kids with dangerous books New Lorehaven writer A. D. Sheehan will offer solutions to media malaise Lorehaven publisher E. Stephen Burnett joins two conferences in May

What if you had to survive in a futuristic East Asian world, ruled by a social credit system, by pretending you were genetically altered? Let’s break from our ongoing series about present-day Fantastical Foes. Instead we’ll jump into the sci-fi cyberpunk world of Enhanced, Candace Kade’s newly released novel. Today, she rides into the studios to share her own social credit points! Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Enhanced by Candace Kade Once Upon a Ren Faire by A. C. Castillo Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing author Candace Kade Candace is a recovering over-achiever who spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She’s a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor and loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and Austin to be her homes. When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping a baby human alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos. CandaceKade.com Candace Kade on Instagram 1. How did China change your life and creativity? 2. Will people benefit or suffer from genetic editing? 3. Should we fear cyperpunk social credit systems? Com station One hero of the Guild said of episode 152 about church trauma: Yikes, do you guys have my whole life bugged! Wow, may have to listen to this one again. Great discussion. Thanks for sharing. Another listener wasn’t a fan of ep. 153 about deconstructionism: I’ve read Jesus and John Wayne and I believe Michael is entirely incorrect on his assessment about the book and deconstructionism in general. There are no professional deconstructors. There’s no leftist agenda in Dr. DeMuse book, unless the message that “power and influence corrupt and having super megachurch pastors be held up as leaders in evangelical circles was a terrible idea” doesn’t translate for you. I thought this was a podcast about storytellers, not a political punditry soapbox. The same listener also left related comments on social media Most focused on this particular book, barely mentioned in the episode You can read Stephen’s response here (posted in reply at the episode before 153) Next on Fantastical Truth Our next Fantastical Foe doesn’t look that villainous. Instead she dresses up as whimsical kittens, cozy cottages, or “easily” spied good guys and bad guys. He will approach you in pleasant platitudes, from a church, or even from that smiling popular fantasy author. Shining like an angel of light, she will give you beautiful lies such as, “Everyone is basically good, and you only need to fear the System of obvious villains… like The Powerful. Or doctrine. Or that bad Church Back Home.” Should we follow these messiahs from the deserts of social media? Beware this second Fantastical Foe: Sentimentalism.

If a church or group of Christians hurt you, that is part of your origin story.[1. Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash.] True heroes, on their journey to victory, often face many temptations to the dark side. One of those temptations is to a fantastical foe we’re calling deconstructionism. How can we show sympathy to victims who need to tear out bad structures, while refusing to let professional demolition crews reduce the gospel itself to ruin? Michael Young, known on the Twitterverse as “Wokal Distance,” shares wisdom from outside the Christian-fantastical community about Fantastical Foe number one. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Enhanced by Candace Kade Once Upon a Ren Faire by A. C. Castillo Realm Makers 2023 conference Concession stand We’ll talk about some hot topics, but focus on ideas, not politicians or policies. We especially focus on on the intersection of ideas and fiction. Instead of emphasizing bad ideas, we want to highlight excellent stories that glorify God. Introducing Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance’ Michael Young, known on Twitter as “Wokal Distance,” teaches about the roots of wokeness. He decodes, deciphers, and explains the postmodern world in a way which is accessible to the average person. For those who feel the breaking apart of the social world, he helps them find their bearings. Follow him on Twitter @‌Wokal_Distance. Quotes and notes Welcome to the postmodern world The faith struggles of young people today Jesus and John Wayne Among the Deplorables Conservative storytelling aesthetic (segment from Benjamin Boyce podcast) 1. What is postmodern deconstruction? 2. How is deconstruction laundered through stories? 3. How can we fight deconstruction with meaningful stories? Lorehaven mission update News: Enclave, Lorehaven, Fayette Join Forces for Austin Homeschool Conference Review: Frank Peretti’s 2012 last(?) novel, Illusion Next on Fantastical Truth What if you had to survive in a futuristic East Asian world ruled by a social credit system, you had to pretend you were genetically altered? We’ll break from this series about present-day Fantastical Foes. Instead we’ll jump into the sci-fi cyberpunk world of Enhanced, Candace Kade’s newly released novel. She’ll join us for an interview in our next episode.

The time has come to explore the wild lands. From legalism to worse attacks on God’s image in us, many Christian fantastical fiction fans have suffered what can only be described as church trauma. How can we show Christ’s love to these enemies while more importantly healing from these attacks that may come from relatives, the church back home, or other bullies who might slander us because of our faith or even because of the fantastical stories we enjoy? Today we begin our new four-part series: Fantastical Foes. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Enhanced by Candace Kade Once Upon a Ren Faire by A. C. Castillo Realm Makers 2023 conference Reintroducing author Marian Jacobs Marian Jacobs writes about Jesus, monsters, and spaceships. Her work has featured at Desiring God as well as Stage and Story, and she has written many articles for Lorehaven. MAJacobs.com follow @MAJacobsWrites on Instagram recent article: Christian Critics of ‘Purity Culture’ Are Still Influenced By Its Fantasies Reintroducing author L. G. McCary L. G. McCary, author of That Pale Host, writes supernatural and dark science fiction on many diverse topics. She has written articles and coordinates social media for Lorehaven. LGMcCary.com Lorehaven’s review of That Pale Host follow @LorehavenMag on Instagram Concession stand This topic may seem really general, but applies to Christian fantasy fans. Many fantasy fans have unique tastes or see the world in unique ways. Fantastical stories can also provide a sense of escape from real pain. We want to share empathy, but also warn against some real hazards. Episode 112 explores fiction examples about loving/fighting enemies. Episode 120 explore how Christians enjoy biblical freedom in fiction. This whole episode is like a concession stand before more of this series. In our Fantastical Foes series, we explore top threats to Christian fantasy: Deconstructionism Sentimentalism Sexualityism 1. What do we mean by church trauma? 2. When might we respond in harmful ways? 3. How can we respond in healing ways? Mission update Subscribe free to Lorehaven for all updates Soon we’ll announce more about spring events Read our new review of Charles’s Williams’s classic War in Heaven Join our Book Quest, starting this week, only in the Lorehaven Guild Stephen has restarted his personal site under the Lorehaven Authorship Follow Lorehaven.com for more updates about that upcoming project Com station J. J. Griffing remarked on that War in Heaven review: Along with “There once was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it,” (Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C. S. Lewis) and “The building was on fire, but it wasn’t my fault,” (Summer Knight, I think, by Jim Butcher), Charles Williams’ opening line in War in Heaven is among literature’s best. “The telephone was ringing frantically, but nobody was there to answer it but the corpse.” Or something like that. Sure beats “It is a truth universally acknowledged, …” by Jane Austin (P&P) or Lewis’ own “Marriage was ordained, thirdly, …” in [That Hideous Strength]. Next on Fantastical Truth If a church or group of Christians hurt you, that is part of your origin story. True heroes, on their journey to victory, often face many temptations to the dark side. One of those temptations is to a fantastical foe we’re calling deconstructionism. Everyone needs to test your faith. And if the church back home had rotten construction, you may need some remodeling. How can we do this, showing sympathy to ourselves and other victims who need to tear out bad structures, while refusing to let professional demolition crews destroy the gospel? Let’s explore a first Fantastical Foe: deconstructionism.

What if you were stuck in a burdensome power armor and had to flee from the wrath to come? If this sounds familiar, it’s because you know the classic story of Pilgrim’s Progress. But this version has giant mechs. Plus robots, space marines, and talking platypuses. John Bunyan didn’t write those parts, but author David Umstattd did. Today he stomps into the studio to share his narrative podcast and forthcoming novel The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Bear Knight by James R. Hannibal The Dragon Slayer Chronicles by Carey Green Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing guest David Umstattd David Umstattd was called to be a writer in 2006. He graduated from Baylor University in 2013 and is the author of Pilgrim’s Progress: Reloaded. He lives in North Austin where his family has lived for seven generations. DavidUmstattd.com Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded on Spotify Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded on Apple Podcasts Concession stand We make niche references to things like first-person shooter games, anime. You may find yourself and your evangelical culture lightly roasted. But the whole point of allegory is to explore ideas, not people. 1. What are the pitfalls of vague theology? 2. How does allegory work? 3. How does satire help us sharpen our minds? Lorehaven mission update Listen to last week’s podcast episode 150with James R. Hannibal. Read last week’s Friday book review of Bear Knight. Subscribe for Lorehaven Guild access and any Lorehaven updates you so desire. We’ve also announced our next book quest for Charles Williams’s War in Heaven. Com station David Mock sent an audio response to episode 149 about fictional romance Next on Fantastical Truth Next month, we plan to explore some perilous territory, starting with one challenge afflicting many Christian fantastical fans. From legalism to worse attacks on God’s image in us, many Christians have suffered what can only be described as church trauma. How can we show Christ’s love to churches that have hurt us while, more importantly, healing from these attacks that may come from relatives, the church back home, or other bullies who might slander us because of our faith or even because of the fantastical stories we enjoy? Today we begin our new four-part serious series: Fantastical Foes.

Aliens! Now that we have your attention, here’s a plot twist: the aliens just want to show their love. But they’re also nationalistic, because they’re only sending America all their cute little balloons for Valentine’s Day, yet they’re too early, and don’t match the pink and red decor. This is no fantasy: fighter pilots have been shooting down floating objects, over Alaska, Montana, and Lake Huron. So it’s time to beam back aboard our Armies of the Aliens craft series. A special guest joins us on today’s Fantastical Truth to explore what all these rumors might expose about human nature and gospel solutions. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Bear Knight by James R. Hannibal The Dragon Slayer Chronicles by Carey Green Realm Makers 2023 conference Concession stand This discussion is necessarily political, relating to the military, government, and coverups. But, as usual, we will try our best to avoid partisan references and instead focus on the fantastical. See our previous Armies of the Aliens series episodes for further discussions about alien life. Reintroducing author James R. Hannibal Former stealth pilot James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. He has been shot at, locked up by surface to air missiles, has hunted insurgents with drones, and was once chased by an armed terrorist down a winding German road. James is the Carol Award–winning author of the Clandestine Service series and a three-time winner of the Silver Falchion Award for Juvenile Fiction for his Section 13 series. He also stewards the discipleship learning adventure game Lightraiders (previously called DragonRaid). His newest novel, Bear Knight, released Feb. 14, 2023 as book 2 in the Lightraider Academy series. LightRaiders.com JamesRHannibal.com Fantastical Truth episode 70: Why Did a 1980s Televangelist Try to Cancel the RPG DragonRaid? | with James R. Hannibal Episode 85: What If You Joined a Quest to Defeat Goblins, Trolls, and Ancient Invaders? | Wolf Soldier with James R. Hannibal 1. Some say the government uses UFO stories to distract us from scandals 2. Others say the Chinese spy balloon distracts us from truly anomalous UFOs 3. We say that UFO stories reveal our longing for a better, more fantastical world Quotes and notes Timeline of unidentified object shoot downs Radio Audio From F-16 Shoot Down Of Object Over Lake Huron Broken AARO? Pentagon UAP Office’s Role Questioned Following Shootdowns U.S. Senators React To Classified UFO Briefing From Biden Administration Officials Ben Shapiro Knows Why Biden Is Suddenly Getting Tough On Invading Aliens White House says a leading explanation for the 3 downed unidentified objects is that they were commercial or benign President Biden says three downed aerial objects not linked to Chinese spy program UFO shot down by $400K US missile may have been a $12 hobby balloon Tracking UFOs over North America with Harvard’s Amir Siraj Most UFOs – like the Chinese spy balloon – can be explained away. But what about the other 2%? Possible UFO caught on camera flying over Iraqi city of Mosul in 2016 Key Takeaways from 2023 ODNI UAP Report Does the Navy’s Missile-Fooling Plasma Tech Explain Recent UFO Sightings? Lorehaven mission update Christian Critics of ‘Purity Culture’ Are Still Influenced By Its Fantasies We reviewed Candace Kade’s upcoming sci-fi Enhanced Next week we review today’s guest’s newest book, Bear Knight Com station Brian Stansell replied to our episode about The Chosen With “types” and “shadows”, these things that give similar shapes and forms, are not the “thing” itself that casts the shadow. As long as the series points back to the Truth, this should not be so harshly judged because it is not the “thing” itself. … For “The Chosen” series, we must admit that even though, it may have fictional elements, it is at least an attempt to look through the glass back towards the object that IS worth taking a closer look at. CM Genton replied to Marian Jacobs’s article: Thank you, Marian, for a well-thought out and much-needed article. The imagination is a powerful gift (therefore a target for the enemy of all that is good and true) and is engaged in sexual matters as well as the arts. I too am really concerned about Christians normalizing lust in the arts. Romance elements can fuel addiction for women, offering narratives that portray unrealistic depictions of men, just as men can be addicted to images of unrealistic depictions of women. Our sexuality and the arts need to be subjected to God, for our protection and to fully reflect his goodness. Please keep speaking out. Next on Fantastical Truth What if you were stuck in a burdensome mech suit and had to flee from the wrath to come? If this sounds familiar, it’s because you know the classic story of Pilgrim’s Progress. But this version has a mech suit. Plus robots, space marin

This episode releases on Valentine’s Day. But we’ve noticed that for a lot of fantastical fiction, and especially traditional Christian-made fiction, every day is Valentine’s Day. You get fantasy romance. Fairy tale romance. Fairy-tale retelling romance. YA superhero romance. And so much more. So, why all the romance? And will we spend a whole episode making fun? No way. It’s Valentine’s Day! Instead, let’s explore why Christian readers fall in love with fictional romance. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Press: The Fairie Queene fundraiser The Dragon Slayer Chronicles by Carey Green Realm Makers 2023 conference 1. Which romantic fiction have we read or seen? 2. Why do many Christian novels feature romance? 3. Will Christian fans move beyond romance genres? Stephen’s article: Why Does Christian Romance Outsell Christian Fantasy? A reader’s ideal of Paradise influences his or her story preferences. If your ideal Paradise is love and family, you’ll likely prefer romance. If your ideal Paradise is a fantastical world, you’ll likely prefer fantasy. One wouldn’t end here with anything like a condemnation of Christian romance or its fans. That would be sick legalism. Again, romance is God’s creation! It points back to the union of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2), and forward to the union of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5). However, Christians believe romantic relationships will not always continue as they are now. Some believe this means a total abolition of even good human marriages, based on Jesus’s words in Matthew 22:23-33. Even if this isn’t what He meant, we can be confident that Jesus refers to some adjustment to human marriage, which may be fulfilled in eternity. In either case, romantic relationships are a subset, not the sum total, of that future world. Whereas the Bible’s literal and ideal image of paradise—a made-new world of wonder, of good conquering evil, and miracles—is closer to the themes explored in fantastical stories. Why, then, don’t more Christians at least enjoy romance fiction and fantasy fiction equally? Maybe it’s because most readers haven’t yet enjoyed this more biblical picture of paradise. Com station Andrew Trauger wrote in reply to Josiah’s article: The #1 complaint I’ve heard about “The Chosen” regards the response of so many people who use it as an aid to worship. Clearly, idolizing a character depicted by Jonathan Roumie is every bit as sinful as idolizing St. Peter, the Virgin Mary, or a painting of Jesus on the chapel ceiling. Idolatry is idolatry, and people are as prone to break the 2nd Commandment today as ever–just with pixels instead of gold. For this reason, a lot of Christians have taken the hard line, with a few subpoints and addendums to the Law. “Thou shalt not depict Christ in any way, shape, or fashion. Thou shalt not put words into His mouth that have not already been written, nor shalt thou presume Him as saying anything not recorded for you in Scripture. Thou shalt not imagine.” … If someone watching “The Chosen” is a weak brother and supplants his daily Bible reading with binge watching, then that brother needs to throw his TV (and phone) in the garbage. He needs to pluck out his eye. This show is not a replacement for Scripture, as its director has stated multiple times. Viewing the show sinfully–that is, with an idolatrous heart–is sin. But Dallas Jenkins no more causes people to commit idolatry than Glock causes people to commit murder. Lorehaven mission update Last week’s review of Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key This week’s Friday review, probably for a new release If you like romance, our Guild is exploring Rose Petals and Snowflakes We’re working on more timely articles to help with these missions Next on Fantastical Truth Aliens! Now that we have your attention—if it’s not that infamous and not-at-all-seasonally-colored balloon the People’s Republic of China sent America early for Valentine’s Day, it’s some kind of floating silver craft that was also just shot down, over Alaska this time, that might could just be more Armies of the Aliens. So we’re showing our love a different way, this time for urban legends about sci-fi and spaceships. These often seem creepily plausible, but cause a lot of questions for Christians. What can we learn from this war of the worldviews?

The Chosen biblical drama series is headed back to theaters to conclude season 3. Somehow this season, above all, we’ve seen a lot more criticism of the show. Are these creators trying to replace the true Christ with a TV Jesus? Aren’t they adding to Scripture and supplanting the local church? Is this Mormon propaganda? We’ll return to this fantastical-adjacent series to explore the purpose of biblical fiction, and debunk some of the misunderstandings and plain lies about these kinds of stories. Two guest stars join this roundtable discussion. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Press: The Fairie Queene fundraiser The Dragon Slayer Chronicles by Carey Green Realm Makers 2023 conference Introducing Josiah DeGraaf Josiah DeGraaf is a literature nerd who loves epic fantasy stories with imaginative worlds and authentic characters. He loves crafting fantastical stories about characters who face the same dilemmas we do when we try to do the right thing. You can download his short story collection for free to read about ordinary people struggling to be heroic when suddenly gifted with supernatural powers. Josiah’s article: How Christians Can Discern Jesus Adaptations in ‘The Chosen’ and Other Stories Introducing Jenneth Dyck Jenneth Dyck is a dyslexic writer, illustrator, and designer who creates professional book covers for indie authors and small press publishers. She thinks way too deeply about superhero movies. These stories, plus quantum physics, angels, and the fourth dimension are regular topics of discussion at her dinner table. She holds degrees in professional writing and digital media with an M.A. in graphic design. Jenneth’s article: The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail Concession stand This one could be really sensitive, folks. We’re also trying a roundtable! All that to say, like The Chosen itself, you’ll likely disagree with some of it. Lorehaven often emphasizes creative acts as primarily worship of Jesus. Christians often defend art/worship by appealing to Practical Ministry. Aim for worshiping Jesus, and you get Practical Ministry thrown in. Aim for Practical Ministry, ignoring worship/obedience, you get neither. We build on Stephen’s Discerning Biblical Fiction series and two articles. And of course, we see biblical fiction as a “cousin” to fantastical fiction. 1. Can non-Christians help us make great stories? 2. Why and how do Christians make biblical fiction? 3. Will nonbeliever fans corrupt Christian stories? Quotes and notes On our Facebook page, one reader wrote: There is a SIGNIFICANT difference between Aslan and another clearly fictionalized “Jesus”, and a fictionalization of the REAL Jesus. The Chosen blends truth, fantasy, AND Mormon teachings into one package. In other words, it INTENTIONALLY blurs the line between faithfulness and fiction in a way that is incredibly difficult for even a cautious believer to discern. Unfortunately, it’s being consumed by a vast number of people who are using to “learn more about Jesus” with little to no discernment applied. I know people recommending it to unchurched or new believers as a way to learn about the Life of Christ. In the end of the day, what Aslan says is STILL only what Aslan says, but words falsely attributed to Christ Himself muddy His actual teachings no matter how well intentioned they are. Dallas Jenkins’s 2019 defense of The Chosen Lorehaven mission log New book quest for Rose Petals and Snowflakes New podcast episodes every Tuesday, new reviews every Friday New articles and news posts almost every week Subscribe free at Lorehaven.com Com station C. L. Stansberry replied to Elijah David’s Magician Nephew’s piece: Thank you for this. My family has experienced many losses including the death of my son last April after a long battle with a rare neurodegenerative disease (he was 17 with the mind of a 4-year-old). I feel God’s love, compassion, and comfort. My hope is that in the novel I’m writing, I’ll be able to express the goodness and sovereignty of God that others may see and experience.

What if you were a blind young man living in medieval times? And you were called to a special and future-mythological mission: to become the wizard Merlin? Robert Treskillard’s fantasy Merlin’s Spiral series has been re-forged into audiobook form. This day Sir Robert himself rides into the studio to share more about his medieval fantasy—round tables, knights of yore, and the wonderful true King reigning over them all. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Press: The Fairie Queene fundraiser The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Jared Moore Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Introducing author Robert Treskillard Robert Treskillard has been crafting stories from his early youth. His author career began when Robert’s son wanted to learn blacksmithing and sword-making. The two set out to learn the crafts and in the process were told by a relative that they were descended from a Cornish blacksmith. This lit the fire of Robert’s imagination, and so welding his Celtic research to his love of the legends of King Arthur, he forged new books—The Merlin Spiral series, Merlin’s Blade, Merlin’s Shadow, and Merlin’s Nightmare. All three titles just recently released to audiobook. He’s also a software developer, graphic artist, and veteran homeschool dad. He and his wife have three children and live in Missouri. EpicTales.org Robert Treskillard on Facebook Robert Treskillard on Twitter 1. What led to your stories exploring Merlin? 2. Why do people so love these legends of Arthur? For many, this has turned into the realm of parody (like Monty Python). A 2017 movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword didn’t do all that well. DailyWire+ says they’re adapting The Pendragon Cycle into movies/TV. 3. What’s next for the Merlin Spiral and beyond? Lorehaven mission update Last week: Elijah David’s article, Friday’s A Crown of Chains review Feb. 1: we’re starting our next book quest for Rose Petals and Snowflakes Feb. 1: registration opens for Realm Makers 2023, and we have the news Feb. 2: Jenneth Dyck’s first article about The Chosen’s authentic diversity Feb. 3: our review of military sci-fi Into the Darkness by Charles Hack Com station At Lorehaven.com, Cole Powell commented on Josiah’s article: Although I haven’t yet finished Season 1 of The Chosen, I find this article a reasonable, well-articulated perspective on the issue of Biblical fiction in general. Thanks for posting! Kellyn Roth remarked: Really grateful for this post, Josiah! Put into words what I couldn’t put together in my brain. I also can’t join the discussion because I’m not a watcher yet, but it’s still good to have this information. … It’s not really my type of show, at all, but I’ve been convinced I must try it anyway, so it’s on my list. Next on Fantastical Truth The Chosen biblical drama series is headed back to theaters to conclude season 3. Somehow this season, above all, we’ve seen a lot more criticism of the show. Are these creators trying to replace the true Christ with a TV Jesus? Aren’t they adding to Scripture and supplanting the local church? Is this “Mormon propaganda”? We’ll return to this fantastical-adjacent series to explore the purpose of biblical fiction, and debunk some of the misunderstandings and plain lies about these kinds of stories, possibly with some guest stars, in our next episode.

Have you been watching the hit animated Christian-made streaming series, The Wingfeather Saga? No doubt you’ve heard of the fantasy series by singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson. This story of the Igiby family’s darkly whimsical journey has attracted legions of readers from all ages. Now it’s a streaming series from Angel Studios. Today, series CG director Keith Lango visits our studio to share more about the origins of this animated story. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Press: The Fairie Queene fundraiser The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Jared Moore Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Essential links Keith Lango’s original March 2016 article about The Wingfeather Saga fundraiser Book review: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness Book quest: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness Introducing animation director Keith Lango Keith is both a student and instructor in the art of animation and its technology. His passion for developing engaging experiences in animation has given him a wide and varying experience in the field and was fundamental to the creation of The Wingfeather Saga‘s distinct animation style. He has worked on 3-2-1 Penguins, VeggieTales and at Valve Corporation on video games like Portal 2. He’s an executive producer and animation director for The Wingfeather Saga. WingfeatherSaga.com Keith Lango at IMDB Keith Lango’s original YouTube channel 1. What led you to help create animated stories? What’s the most fulfilling part of this creative job to you? What are the least glamorous and hardest parts people should know? How would you like Christians to see the value of animation/visual tales? 2. How did you discover Andrew Peterson’s series and make the show? Did you discover the books first? Songs first? Or both at the same time? What do you enjoy most about The Wingfeather Saga that’s unique? Which early challenges helped make the project better? 3. What’s next for The Wingfeather Saga? What have fans been saying about season 1 of the show? When does the first season end, and when do we get a season 2? How might this and other streamers open chances for more animation? Com station dtill359 wrote about our recent news story: As a Christian and a fanfiction writer, I’m so glad other Christians are doing this. Yes, it’s going to incur some wrath from other groups, but Salt & Light isn’t trying to force others to agree with them. They’re just making a place where those who already do can congregate and share stories. I’m adding this tag to my works right now. Kessie replied: Dude, I am so joining this. I’m always wishing I had an easier way to find Christian fic writers, and for them to find me. Lorehaven.com mission update News story: Christian Fanfiction Writers Fight Porn, Exalt ‘Salt and Light’ With New Tag on AO3 Book review: Lander’s Legacy Thursday, Jan. 27: Elijah David’s article The Magician’s Nephew Taught Me Christ’s Compassion in the Midst of Grief Friday, Jan. 28: A Crown of Chains book review Book quests: This week we finish Prince Caspian. Next month we start Rose Petals and Snowflakes. Next on Fantastical Truth What if you were a blind young man living in medieval times? And you were called to a special and future-mythological mission: to become the wizard Merlin? Robert Treskillard’s fantasy Merlin’s Spiral series has been re-forged into audiobook form. Next week, Sir Robert himself gallops into the studio to share more about his medieval fantasy—round tables, knights of yore, and the wonderful King reigning over them all.

Long ago, before C. S. Lewis or J. R. R. Tolkien, and before even George MacDonald or G. K. Chesterton … lived another fantasy writer, British poet Edmund Spenser. In the 1590s his epic adventure was published in six books. It’s an epic fantasy allegorical poem, written in nine-line stanzas, involving phrases like “iambic pentameter” and other incredible facts we need explained by a literature expert! So in this episode we’ll be joined by Rebecca K. Reynolds, classic literature educator, audiobook narrator, and editorial director for Oasis Family Media. She will introduce us to a long-forgotten classic being given new life: The Faerie Queene. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Press: The Fairie Queene fundraiser The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Jared Moore Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Introducing author and teacher Rebecca K. Reynolds Rebecca K. Reynolds is the editorial director of Oasis Family Media and Sky Turtle Press. She is the author of a text-faithful prose rendering of Edmund Spenser’s 1590s epic poem The Faerie Queene and of Courage, Dear Heart by Nav Press. Rebecca is a longtime member of the Rabbit Room and she has spoken at Hutchmoot both in the US and the UK. She taught high school literature for seven years and has written lyrics for Ron Block of Alison Krauss, Union Station. FaerieQueene.com 1. What led you to teaching about these famous books and recording audio versions? How did you get from teaching literature to writing songs and more? Have you read over sixty audiobooks for Oasis Audio, per the website? 2. Why do you love Edmund Spenser’s classic fantasy poem The Faerie Queene? How did you discover The Faerie Queene? What prevents more people from reading this classic? What’s this about a new ending for book 3? Cited: “Longing for a far country never visited,” Subby Szterszky at Focus on the Family 3. When will this new edition release, then what’s next from Sky Turtle? What’s the purpose of founding Sky Turtle Press? How did these creators decide to start with The Faerie Queene? Where could The Faerie Queene lead to the future of this publisher? Com station lmransomwrites remarked about episode 144: Not a big fan of the Willow show, but my hubby and I really liked the new Middle Earth one. Any quick comments about fans defending this show Lorehaven mission log We shared two retro reviews: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian The latter is inspired by our current Prince Caspian book quest This week we plan Josiah DeGraaf’s new article about discerning fictional dialogue for Jesus Next on Fantastical Truth Have you been watching that other hit Christian-made streaming series, The Wingfeather Saga? No doubt you’ve heard of the fantasy series by singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson. This story of the Igiby family’s darkly whimsical journey has attracted legions of readers from all ages. Now it’s a streaming series from Angel Studios. CG director Keith Lango will visit our studio to share more about the origins of this animated story.

For fantasy franchises, 2022 was a rough year. From Middle-earth madness, to not-so-secret Disney agendas, to yet another creative disaster threatening to destroy the DC multiverse, fans have gone through drastic changes. What were the top threats to fantasy fandoms in 2022? And how should Christians view the grief process after corporations seem to destroy the best worlds? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Silver Bounty by Victoria McCombs The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley The Pop Culture Parent by Ted Turnau, E. Stephen Burnett, and Jared Moore Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Concession stand As usual, we try to limit our popular culture criticism at Lorehaven We’d rather shine light on fantastically excellent stories by Christians Yet we all enjoy fantastical franchises created by non-Christian artists So we suggest that it’s legit to grieve when those stories do fall apart. Some of this involves political issues, yet we’ll focus on morality. This episode builds on Stephen’s solo episode 122 back last July That focused on the fan healing. Here we focus on other grief stages. Stephen felt a lot of this at Christmas about the whole DC mess (later). Yet he will try to discipline himself, and acknowledge other fans’ grief! 1. Fantasy streaming keeps crossing the fans The Witcher and Willow cast dark spells that backfire The Witcher isn’t our fandom (because it harms actors; see episode 5) There’s the first of two Henry Cavill–related messes (see chapter 3 later) Many fans are also raging at the show(s) about cheap/“woke” messaging The same is true of Willow, Disney Plus’s new sequel to the 1980s fantasy film The Rings of Power divides Middle-earthers As in episode 143, Stephen concludes the show had some bad marketing. Fans can legitimately disagree about whether the story was at least made well. Stephen thinks the show breaks not only Tolkien’s timeline but anthropology. Even the Peter Jackson films clearly show men protecting women/children. Yes, even The Hobbit part 3 is outrageously “based” in showing this concept. If women fight/lead all the time, that breaks virtue and the Eowyn story. Amazon executives seem to favor egalitarianism in TROP and The Wheel of Time. 2. Disney dooms its ‘family friendly’ image Star Wars fans keep fighting their dark sides This year brought Boba Fett (mixed) and Obi-Wan (mixed-negative). Stephen didn’t hate Boba Fett, but after that we got bad Disney news. Andor’s approach seems to have won over fans (Stephen hasn’t seen it). Yet the perception continues: Star Wars is at best adrift in its own space. Disney’s ‘not so secret’ agenda ruins the magic In late March, Chris Rufo leaked video of Disney creators being honest. This voiced to what many Christians suspected (even back in the ’90s). Perhaps this great corporation “thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.” That summer, audiences bombed both Lightyear and Strange World. Critics liked them, and were just aw-shucks confused why families didn’t. We yet stand by our takes on streaming-service boycotts in episode 41. Meanwhile, Disney’s just had some lackluster stuff, like Disenchanted. 3. Marvel and DC super-fatigue crash-lands She-Hulk and more makes Marvel fans get angry A lot of this is related to the Disney doomed magic. They own all things. Stephen skipped all Marvel TV shows this year. Hawkeye was meh. (By the way, actual prayers for the recovering Jeremy Renner!) Lots of fans have been feeling that “meh,” from MCU movies and shows. Now the Mouse has dumped Bob Chapek and reverted to its last Bob. This older Bob implies he’ll be less political—meaning less obviously so? But the big issue seems to be this emphasis on quantity > quality. “Superhero fatigue” is real, but it’s frankly not the heroes’ fault. DC hires villains(?) to ‘Gunn’ down popular heroes While the MCU has too much meh content, DC is self-immolating. In late October, Henry Cavill announced his return as Superman. Weeks later, new DC Studios co-chief James Gunn cancelled that news. Stephen’s article argues that Gunn creates “deathworks” and will ruin DC. Com station Paul Regnier remarked on Stephen’s article: The “reconstruction” of Superman you talked about reminded me of the path Captain America took in the Marvel universe. They may have experienced some dissolution of their original outlook on things, but their noble drive only became more sharpened because of it. The current Marvel path is pretty disappointing as well. After watching Thor Love and Thunder, I can’t imagine spending another dime on a Thor sequel. Andrew Trauger also remarked: It’s also yet another display of a profound lack of originality. Few movies or TV shows are portraying truly original content, preferring instead to milk a formula to its bitter end (and well beyond). While woke ideology, political correctness, sodomy, a

You’ve just time-traveled. At the approximate rate of 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours per day, you’ve crossed into a new year. As per usual, to start our 2023 season of Lorehaven’s Fantastical Truth, we’ll review the top ten articles, news, and pages at Lorehaven.com last year. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Silver Bounty by Victoria McCombs The Gift of Dragons by Rachel A. Greco Infernal Fall by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Concession stand Any candy from your stocking? We make cinnamon rolls and good stuff. Some of these topics deal with sensitive subject matter. Rightfully so. And because we’ve got ten of them, we’ll try to go more quickly. Lorehaven’s 2022 top ten: 10–8 10. 126. How Can We Respond With Grace and Truth to Christian Cringe? | with Kevin McCreary, Aug. 23, 2022 Maybe you’ve heard about that one church that just did a “Christian” version of the musical “Hamilton,” and of course got criticized by the creators and savaged by secular media. Or maybe last Easter you heard about the other church that did a “Christian” version of “Avengers,” just as they’ve adapted (or parodied?) other fantasy franchises. Christian cringe. Most of us have grown up seeing the controversial “art” our brothers and sisters keep making for the sake of evangelism or entertainment. How can we be truthful about these controversial cringe attempts, while also being gracious in Christ and faithful to his beloved saints? Today we’re joined by a surprise guest who has seen a lot of Christian cringe. IMPROV 9. About the Lorehaven Guild The Lorehaven Guild serves a community of heroes who gather to celebrate Christian-made fantastical fiction with delight and discernment. These stories include (but are not limited to) fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Heroes of the Guild will explore their favorite creative works in these genres. We will focus on Christian-made stories, yet occasionally include general market books. Guild heroes can join monthly Main Quest parties that travel into the fantastical worlds of new books. We will explore these stories’ beauty, goodness, and truth (and opposites!), applying their meanings to the real world of our ultimate Author. Heroes can also join occasional Side Quest parties that travel into other books, such as older Christian-made stories or general market novels. How to join the Lorehaven Guild Subscribe free to Lorehaven! We’ll send you the exclusive invitation link. Then, use the Discord app or your browser to enter the Lorehaven Guild. Once inside the Guild, you can browse the Lorehaven Sacred Scrolls faith statement (this one only applies to Lorehaven staff creators). Then you’ll sign off on the Code of Honor (this one applies to all Guild members). Once you finish, enter the Great Hall and pass into the Guild itself. Starting Monday, Jan. 9, we begin our next book quest: Prince Caspian We’ve also opened an expanded Studio and Media Room for heroes 8. ‘Fast and Furious’ Movies Prove That Fantasy Can Become Propaganda, W. S. Fulkerson, April 11 “We’re family,” the famous street-racer claims of his friends, but this idea actually subverts the biblical beauty of God-given adoption. This article proved very controversial, likely one of the most we’ve had. It led to creative team discussion about how we discern pop culture. We also shared a response from guest author H. L. Burke. Found Family Stories Can Reflect Christ’s Redemption in Reality and Fiction Lorehaven’s 2022 top ten: 7–5 7. Subscribe to Lorehaven 6. Amazon ‘Rings of Power’ Promos Threaten to Burn Middle-Earth in the Fires of Industry, Mike Duran, Feb. 28 The studio’s teaser trailer and fake “superfans” video appropriates J. R. R. Tolkien’s canon and the good will of fans. . . . A good example of this disregard may be a YouTube video, uploaded by Amazon Prime Video UK, entitled “Lord Of The Rings Superfans Review The Rings Of Power Official Teaser Trailer.” The video consists of four twenty-somethings gushing over the trailer. What are they so excited about? Well, one of the “superfans” squees that “Sauron is hot.” Another foresees that this series, unlike Peter Jackson’s trilogy, will pass the Bechdel Test by having two women speak to each other about something other than men. Yet their predominant praise heaped upon the trailer was that the series is apparently making a push toward ethnic diversity. They reach this conclusion because the trailer features a black elf and a black dwarf, ethnicities never before featured in either the source material or the Jackson trilogy. This effort by the creators to represent more minority characters gave one panelist hope that as a “queer disabled” person, she may one day see people like herself represented in Middle-earth. Apparently, Amazon’s new “superfans” see Tolkien’s epic mythology as simply a vehicle for diversity and inclusion.

We’re preparing for the end of our 2022 podcast season. Between this year and the next, Zack and Stephen will enjoy a two-week break. First, however, we should open one last podcast present. With all due respect for amazing toys, we’d like to talk about useful gifts we received but still remember years later. In the words of C. S. Lewis’s Father Christmas, which “tools, not toys” at Christmas helped you grow as a person? Support the Schlegel family Fundraiser for the Schlegel family Mary Schlegel on Fantastical Truth episode 71 Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Calor by J. J. Fischer The Gift of Dragons by Rachel A. Greco Infernal Fall by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Intro: Here’s what we mean by ‘tools, not toys’ In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the great Aslan’s power has finally begun to thaw the land of Narnia. Father Christmas is finally able to enter and perform his delightful duties. He serves Aslan, Narnia’s king. (In fact, if Aslan is a reflection of Christ, then Father Christmas is a reflection of Aslan.) Father Christmas is no mere Santa-cosplayer. . . . He cares not for materialism or gifts-by-obligation or excessive indulgence in any good thing. Instead, he joyously provides for the children’s and the Beaver couple’s immediate needs. He even gifts them a small feast, hearkening to future celebration of victory. Best of all, Father Christmas grants each child a gift that is wonderful, yet also suited to each child’s abilities and real-world callings. When he describes Peter’s sword, he seriously reminds him, “These are tools, not toys. … Bear them well.” Each gift comes with “conditions” on its use, especially given the Pevensies’ royal duties and the forthcoming battle. Yet this is not deathly seriousness. Father Christmas gives serious, joyful life. To borrow Lewis’s later thought in The Last Battle, Father Christmas models “a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious,” which is “too good to waste on jokes.” —from C. S. Lewis Despised ‘Exmas’ Cards and Cosplays, But Loved Serious Celebration 1. What great Christmas toys do we remember? 2. Why might kids at Christmas feel awkward getting older? 3. Which Christmas gift tools helped us to mature? Mission update Subscribe free at Lorehaven.com and join the Lorehaven Guild. We’re remodeling for 2023, adding new rooms to the Guild castle. Also starting in January, we return to Narnia in Lewis’s Prince Caspian. Check the website for more info about that upcoming book quest. Please pray for Lorehaven as we plan new content for a new year! Next on Fantastical Truth It’s a clip show! Well, sort of. Those would actually be even more challenging for us to make. Instead, we’ll look back on the biggest stories we’ve followed about fantastical stories in the year 2022, including any updates from any previous guests and authors whom we could grab during the break.

Some months ago, a certain other Lord of the Rings-ish TV show prompted some fans to say, “Now we’re really going to appreciate The Hobbit film trilogy!” But after that certain other show, we saw little appreciation. Mostly the fans wanted to criticize that certain other show. Some of us never stopped appreciating The Hobbit films. That’s why we feel so alone in a company of Dwarves who really seem to hate that series. Today our special guest returns for some friendly sparring about the trilogy, whose first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, released ten years ago this week! Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Calor by J. J. Fischer The Gift of Dragons by Rachel A. Greco Infernal Fall by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Returning with ‘Rilian’ of NarniaWeb’s Talking Beasts podcast Rilian and Stephen met on the NarniaWeb forum back in the mid-2000s. Rilian’s podcast, also with GlumPuddle, is now known as Talking Beasts. They explore Narnia books and films, interviewing scholars and actors. For example, Samuel West and Ben Barnes, who have both played King Caspian. In 2020, Rilian joined us to lament The Voyage of the Dawn Treader film. In 2021, we also reminisced about The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). 1. How did we track The Hobbit films’ development? 2. What did we think about An Unexpected Journey? 3. Do fans really hate The Hobbit parts 2 and 3? Com station People are still talking about when to play Christmas music, the best and worst. Many more Guild heroes and other listeners had Christmas music takes. In the Guild, Mr. Roboto clarified his position on one classic tune: My list, mentioned in the podcast, was for Christmas music written by Jewish people. I’d like to make it very clear that I do not endorse “Santa Baby” or approve of any version of the song. Similarly, “Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog” was the unfortunate choice of an Episcopal bishop for his investiture. He was easily persuaded that he could be “relevant” to the “coffee- house Christian set” by having a folk guitarist play “Stille Nacht” and sing it in German. Fantasy author Catherine Jones Payne said: Santa Baby is the worst and it’s not close. Andy Sheehan observed: Last Christmas by Wham! is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Sarah Daniels said: Worst? And so This is Christmas by John Lennon. One of the most depressing songs ever. Best? Tough call, but I’d have to say for me it’s a split between The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole and Christmas Time is Here from The Charlie Brown Christmas special. I myself like to wait until Thanksgiving to play Christmas music…otherwise I get burnt out on it. Karl D. Swenson added: Easy one: Santa Claus is coming to town by Bruce Springsteen makes me cringe every time. . . . “HEY MAN! YOU GUYS ALL-YOU GUYS ALL BEEN GOOD THIS YEAR?” *CROWD RESPONSE* “AAAW THATS NOT MANY NOT MANY…” Lorehaven mission log Josiah’s article last week: How to Discern Moral Christian Fiction Without Expecting Sermons The Gift of Dragons review last week Power Play review this Friday (link will go live then) Next on Fantastical Truth We’re preparing for the end of our 2022 podcast season. Between this year and the next, Zack and Stephen will enjoy a two-week break. First, however, we should open one last present. What’s inside? With all due respect for amazing toys, we’d like to talk about useful gifts we received but still remember years later. In the words of C. S. Lewis’s Father Christmas, which “tools, not toys” at Christmas helped you grow as a person?

It’s the holiday season! So we would like to say a few words: Whoop-de-do. Also: hickory-dock. These inspiring words come from just exa-a-actly the worst-written Christmas song you may have ever heard of. But you have heard of it—and many others. Which songs are your least favorite? Which fantastical songs are the best? And when should you start listening to Christmas music? Should we Christians fight, even politely, over “secular” versus “sacred” Christmas songs? Hum along with us while we begin a new podcast season: Christmas Magic. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Calor by J. J. Fischer The Gift of Dragons by Rachel A. Greco Infernal Fall by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Concession stand Enjoy early candy canes, chocolate drops, and for the British, tangerines! We’ll assume that it’s okay to celebrate Christmas (is this a future topic?). We mean no insult to any classic or new artists, not even Andy Williams. Music, like stories, can bring strong emotion. All this is tongue-in-cheek. We’re quoting some comments from heroes in our Lorehaven Guild! Finally, if we’re very festive, we might break into (public domain) songs. No holiday shade meant. It’s just not exa-a-actly great writing. (Stephen is accountable for this meme.) 1. When should you start the Christmas music? 2. What are the best fantastical Christmas songs? 3. Which are the worst Christmas songs you hear? Com station Last week, Angel Studios premiered their Wingfeather Saga series. One week earlier, DailyWire+ had another fantasy series to announce. Carey Green commented: I’m half way through the cycle now and have loved it. Lisa added her anticipation: It took me 10 minutes to read this short article because I am BEYOND excited!! Please be quality, please my favorite author and my favorite series (tied with his Song of Albion). When I first read these books 30+ years ago, it made me want to be a better Christian. So, so good! Chris pleaded with series creators (whoever they are): Please please please do this series justice. Could be a cultural phenomenon if don’t right Finally, inkslingerjournal slung some ink: I read the first three books when they were released and it was one of the best stories and they remain with me all these years later. Lorehaven mission log Don’t miss Marian Jacobs’s popular article about accidental legalism. Next up: Josiah DeGraaf explores discerning morality in Christian fiction. Find our new reviews for Aberration and Calor (which releases today). We’re also starting our Dream of Kings book quest in the Guild. Subscribe free to Lorehaven for updates plus to become a Guild hero! After a rush of new heroes, we’ve renovating the Guild castle for 2023. New rooms are opening in “beta” stage to explore new conversations. Next on Fantastical Truth Some months ago, a certain other Lord of the Rings-ish TV show prompted some fans to say, “Now we’re really going to appreciate The Hobbit film trilogy!” But after that certain other show, we saw little appreciation. Mostly the fans wanted to criticize that certain other show. Stephen says he never stopped appreciating The Hobbit films, yet feels alone in a company of Dwarves who really seem to hate those movies. Next week an old friend returns to explore the Hobbit film trilogy, whose first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, released ten years ago this month.

Before our new season of Christmas Magic, let’s finish off our Dystopian Doom series with a whole other wicked government for you to rise up against. In a world ruled by twelve alliances, one young man has a chance to compete in The Chase for a chance to pass exactly one law. But how can a newly freed people live under grace? Bradley Caffee, author of The Chase Runner series, dashes into the studio and leads the resistance. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Aberration by Cathy McCrumb Mountain Brook Fire, Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat David Umstattd, The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Introducing author Bradley Caffee Bradley Caffee created the Chase Runner series (The Chase, The Choice, and The Change). He trained for vocational ministry through the Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary before spending 12 years in the pastorate. In the pulpit he learned his love of story-telling. In April 2013, he began the work of transforming an idea into his first novel, The Chase. He now lives in North Carolina with his wife and children. BradleyCaffee.com @BradleyCaffeeAuthor on Instagram @BradleyCaffeeAuthor on Facebook Lorehaven reviews The Chase (and The Change and The Choice): Readers who catch a second wind will find a gripping adventure and reason to anticipate the next match. 1. What ideas and images formed your story-world? 2. How do Christians see dystopian stories differently? 3. What’s next for your fantastical creative journey? Meanwhile at Lorehaven Our guild is finishing On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Next up: Sharon Hinck’s newest fantasy Dream of Kings. Subscribe free to Lorehaven and get your Guild invitation. New article: Even If We Like Fantasy and Sci-Fi, We Can Still Practice Accidental Legalism We’re already planning our content for 2023; please pray for us! Next on Fantastical Truth It’s the holiday season! And “whoop-de-do, and hickory-dock. Don’t forget to hang up your sock.” This is just the best Christmas song ever, and you can fight Stephen on that—except he’ll throw the match because he was being sarcastic. Without a doubt this is the worst-written Christmas song he’s ever heard of. But you have heard of it. And many others. When should you start listening to Christmas music? What are the best songs? Should we Christians fight, even politely, over “secular” versus “sacred” Christmas songs? Hum along with us while we begin a new podcast season: Christmas Magic.

Welcome to the world of the Consortium, which uses nanotech implants to turn people into hyper-logical beings. The young woman Recorder is one of these, assigned with her neural implant to high-tech record-keeping. When she’s cut off from that technology, can she discover humanity before the Consortium discovers her? That’s Recorder by Cathy McCrumb, whose sequel Aberration releases this month. Cathy arrives in the studio where we will use some technology but keep our humanity, thank you very much, to explore these heavy questions with a light touch. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Aberration by Cathy McCrumb Mountain Brook Fire, The Chase by Bradley Caffee David Umstattd, The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Introducing novelist Cathy McCrumb Cathy McCrumb handles heavy subjects with a light touch, keeping the novel from grimness. Recorder is a creative and engaging novel that will appeal to a broad audience. —Lorehaven review of Recorder Cathy McCrumb is author of the Children of the Consortium science fiction series. She graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature and a love for stories. She and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. While writing is one of her favorite things to do, she also enjoys reading, long hikes and long naps, gluten-free brownies and raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family. Most of her imaginary friends are nice people. CathyMcCrumb.com Facebook: @CathyMcCrumb.Author Instagram: @CathyMcCrumbAuthor 1. What ideas and images formed your story-world? 2. How does your story explore human dystopia? 3. What’s next for your fantastical creative journey? Com station Krisyoungwrites on Instagram remarked on episode 137: I thought Huxley was closer to being right. Hence the Love Collective… 😂 Carol Carr commented about the same episode: They’re both worse, in different ways. I think 1984 is more likely to happen. Remember its original title was 1948. It was so close then. Meanwhile at Lorehaven We’re planning new articles before and after Thanksgiving Day. Want new middle-grade sci-fi? We reviewed Trouble in the CTC! Next on Fantastical Truth One week in advance: Happy Thanksgiving week! We’re taking next Tuesday off to spend time with our families. When we return for Tuesday, Nov. 29, we’ll bring a whole other dystopian government for you to rise up against. In a world ruled by twelve alliances, one young man has a chance to compete in The Chase for a chance to pass exactly one law. But how can a newly freed people live under grace? Bradley Caffee, author of The Chase Runner series, will dash into the studio and lead the resistance for our next episode.

Just in time for Election Day, we’ve begun our new series: Dystopian Doom. That means we should start with the two most infamous dystopian novels ever made. You’ve heard of them and may have already read them—Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). What are their differences? Which villain is worse, the flippant Mustapha Mond or the torture of Big Brother? And, of course, which one of these dystopian dooms are we more likely to confront today? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Aberration by Cathy McCrumb Mountain Brook Fire, Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat David Umstattd, The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Quotes and notes Leaked Documents Outline DHS’s Plans to Police Disinformation What is Elon Musk’s X, the ‘everything’ app? Here’s what you need to know Brave New World vs. 1984: Which dystopian future is scarier? Peacock stars agree Which Dystopian Novel Got It Right: Orwell’s ‘1984’ or Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’? (Published 2017) Fantastical Truth ep. 55. Should Christians Embrace Cultural and Digital Enclaves? | with Austin Gunderson Concession stand If you’re listening in the U.S. on release date, “happy” Election Day! If you’re listening weeks afterward, we’re still counting votes. This is fine. Like any Dystopian Doom episode, we avoid specific parties/policies. But these issues of basic humanity are supra-political, beyond politics. They’re far more about how we recognize and organize moral realities. Please note that neither Huxley or Orwell was a professing Christian. Also, big discernment note: both these novels include sensual scenes. We’ll speak cautiously about these, and ask: which one wears it better? For that reason, Stephen doubts those scenes are appropriate for teens. Read in early adulthood, or if you struggle with some sins, avoid them. 1. How does Brave New World ‘condition’ humans? This world has a little-known name; it’s referred to as the World State. Book opens with all worldbuilding: a human embryo/caste growth lab. We then move to labs where people are forcibly educated/conditioned. This is how people get sorted in society, but they all legitimately like it. If you don’t like it, you can always take the drug “soma,” or pop culture. Movies are “feelies.” Music, families, and even religion are all synthetic. Many chapters later we meet actual main characters, and many shocks. Our “heroes” are Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne (name meanings?). Key phrases include “Community, identity, stability” (World State Motto). “Everyone belongs to everyone else” shows total sexual libertinism. “Spending is better than mending” calls for total consumerism. We’re shocked by how the World State hates life, religion, and families. Ultimately the novel ends tragically, with the one empathetic hero killed. 2. How does 1984’s Big Brother torture humans? This world’s name is also more popular: the totalitarian Oceania. But the world is split into three huge states: Oceania versus two others. Orwell introduces his central hero, Winston Smith, almost immediately. Smith begins to discover his own “wrongthink” against Big Brother. He also falls in love with a morally dubious woman named Julia. All along, Winston helps introduce us to this clearly totalitarian state. You’ve heard the phrase “Oceania has always been at war with East Asia.” No doubt you’ve also heard “thought police,” “memory hole,” “ministry of truth.” People often reference “Newspeak,” “wrongthink,” “unpersons,” and other terms. On top of all the worldbuilding, it’s a genuine suspenseful spy thriller. We’re shocked by the novel’s prescience about big-tech surveillance. Also, Orwell names names: Big Brother’s philosophy is called “Ingsoc.” That’s short for “English socialism,” tying that personality cult to his present. 3. Which dystopia is morally worst or most realistic? 1984 reminds us of obvious government/big tech totalitarian control. Orwell’s evil is top-down, over top of basically decent people. Yet Huxley’s Brave New World is closer to our reality in Western culture. Our “conditioning” is less overt, often volunteered by popular culture. We find clever nonpartisan ways to blend consumerism and sex-worship. But we’re approaching the point of overt government power in culture. Some government leaders intentionally endorse Huxleyan sex-worship. It’s much easier to root for the hero Winston Smith over Bernard Marx. Being unconditioned, Winston somehow inherits a morality we support. Marx is mostly conditioned and so he ends up little changed by the end. But most people know that (spoiler) Winston learns to love Big Brother. 1984 actually fakes a happy ending, while Brave New World is tragedy. Ultimately the Huxley version is more realistic about human nature. Big Brother must impose evil, whereas the World State simply feeds it. Both

Once upon a time, evangelical subcultures loved spiritual warfare books and prairie romances. We liked angel figurines and Amish novels. We shared adult coloring books starring small boys who have afterlife visions. Now our subcultures have been overtaken by another trend—politics. When and why did this happen? Should we try to change it? Welcome to Dystopian Doom, our next series of episodes about bad governments and good citizens. Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Aberration by Cathy McCrumb (ebook, hardcover, audio CD) Mountain Brook Fire, The Chase by Bradley Caffee (audiobook, ebook, paperback David Umstattd, The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Quotes and notes How Political Punditry Has Taken Over Christian Popular Subcultures, Jan. 14, 2021 Concession stand Happy post-Halloween! Check your kids’ candy, lest they find politics. By evangelical popular culture, we mean an entire world of things. This includes names, bands, shows, leaders, books, memes, and beyond. By politics we mean “matters of public policy,” that is, law and culture. Not just people/parties and working/professional/rivalrous relationships. We do believe politics do matter a lot to Christians’ witness in the world. If you doubt us, check our social feeds. We talk about politics some. In fact, I’d specifically disagree with folks who try to minimize politics. Usually “public witness”/nuance sorts ignore realities like Sexualityism. To ignore crucial, gospel-altering issues like these is to lie to one’s self. And we contend that some issues are not political but religious conflicts. But. If everything is politics, then nothing is. It’s all work and no rest. You may find some old evangelical fandoms making cameos in here. We also follow our episode 40, about how stories shape views of politics. 1. How did Christian fads create political obsessions? Our memory/research is very generalized, going back to the 1970s. 1970s: the Jesus Movement, early Christian rock and roll, early end times. 1980s: more end times, CCM, kids’ audio and videos, spiritual warfare. 1990s: even more politics, sentimental angels, upgraded end times, Y2K. 2000s: more Left Behind, men got to man up!, Prayer of Jabez, Sept. 11. 2010s: few trends, coloring books, Jesus Calling, Christian social dramas But at this point politics really began taking over even Christian movies 2. How does politics reign over evangelical cultures? In the 2000s the issue was terrorism and concerns over militant Islam. In the 2010s we had confusion between policies and actual faith issues. E.g., people acted like (if not believed) taxes and borders mattered more. Now we see Christian/Muslim teamups over one bigger, important issue. In this decade, we’re seeing unity against the Sexualityism crusades. More candidates are supporting/opposing this view of faith/life/family. (For Stephen’s part, this is his personal “trinity” of single-issue voting.) In that case, these issues are far more about how we imagine the world. Speaking “in fiction,” they’re about worldbuilding, not just neutral policy. Literally we’re dealing not with human law, but how we see natural law. So how much more do we need more than civil laws to defend these? We’ve needed proactive stories that imagine/challenge faith/life/family. And yet until very recently, only a few Christians have emphasized this. 3. Why must we invest in stories, not just policies? From the original article: We bought into promises from political activists and candidates to help us build a better America from the top-down, and the top-down only. Most of us took that shortcut. We dumped resources into forging political movements, political nonprofits, political fundraising, networks, pundits, activism, campaigns, and . . . debates galore, neverending debates on all our websites and podcasts and platforms. All these pushed all the other Christian popular subcultures to the margins. . . . Our cultural imagination collapsed. Promising niche offerings, such as uniquely Christian audio drama, went unsupported and thus underfunded. Big Idea Productions went bankrupt and was bought out (yet now it could still come back, thanks to streaming Christian media). “Contemporary Christian music” also lives on, yet often reduced to simpler “worship” tunes that are suitable mainly for churches (where you can’t sing cleverer songs about how they don’t serve breakfast in Hell). Even if all that stuff earned the same attention, it’s nowhere near the level that U.S. Christians give to politics: candidates, pundits, movements, debates, obsessions. . . . I contend a Christian popular subculture obsessed only with politics is a weaker subculture. Even if you were a shallow Christian who had turned his faith into a means toward political ends, it would make zero sense to focus exclusively on politics. Even for such a Christian, you

You’ve heard about them in sermons. You’ve seen their name in dozens of Christian-made fantastical books’ back covers. And now, I’m not saying our next monster for Monster Month was nephilim, but it was nephilim. Join us for this giant controversy. They get such a quick cameo in Genesis 6 but get a starring role in many Christian speculations. Who were these critters? Why do they appear in so many Christian fantasy novels? And do they even matter in the grand scheme of the gospel according to the Scripture? Subscribe to Lorehaven articles • news • library • reviews • podcast • gifts • guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck (Amazon ebook, hardcover, audio CD) Mountain Brook Fire, The Tethered World by Heather L. L. Fitzgerald (audiobook, ebook, paperback) David Umstattd, The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded Explore the complete Podcast Sponsors page. Quotes and notes “There’s More to See in the Unseen Realm,” Lexham Press “Nephilim: Who Were They?”, Bodie Hodge, Answers in Genesis Fallen: The Sons of God and the Nephilim, Tim Chaffey’s big book “Story Shutdowns,” Stephen in April 2013 “Just Reached My Fill of Nephilim,” Stephen in August 2013 A Critique of Heiser’s Interpretation of the Nephilim by Dr. Jordan B. Cooper Book of Enoch, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, editor, R. H. Charles Concession stand Stephen and Zack plan to monster-brawl about this one, on purpose. But be forewarned: somehow, Stephen’s grown really sick of Nephilim. In fact, nearly ten years ago, in 2013, he wrote this article about it. Lots of Christian fans, however, seem really interested in these critters. Stephen wants to respect that, also to be honest about his reactions. If you’re new to this show, we support biblical speculation, even fantasy. For instance, we like The Chosen, and don’t like the silly criticisms of it. We have, however, four whole gospels about Jesus Christ to explore. And we have only four short verses about the pre-Flood Nephilim. We will ask: Should we base so much speculation on just a few verses? Many Christian fans and authors we do respect write about Nephilim. Some folks have even been on this show, like Brian Godawa in 2020. Anyway, if I step on some clawed creature-toes, know it’s not personal! We must assume truths about biblical canon and textual criticism. Also, your view of these creatures might reflect your own church background. 1. What does the Bible say about Nephilim? Let’s open God’s word to the book of Genesis, chapter 6: When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. (Genesis 6:1–4) Here’s one other reference (with a name inspiring a Star Wars villain): … Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy [the land of Canaan], for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him [to scout out the land] said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” (Numbers 13:30–33) That’s it. That’s everything the Bible says about Nephilim by name. In later Old Testament books, you do hear more about the giants. These giants fight for the Philistines, killed by David and his mighty men. The same words, “mighty men,” describe Nephilim and David’s soldiers. Just to be clear: there’s nothing here about Satan, demons, or creatures. On first reading, the Genesis text could be describing any kind of group. On first reading, the Israelite spies could be likening giants to legends. And that’s the idea given by the commentary of The ESV Study Bible: Nephilim. The meaning of this term is uncertain. It occurs elsewhere in the OT only in Num. 13:33, where it denotes a group living in Canaan. If both passages refer to the same people, then the Israelite spies (Num. 13:33) are expressing their fears of the Canaanites by likening them to the ancient men of renown. Although in Hebrew Nepilim means “fallen ones,” the earliest Greek translators rendered it gigantes, “giants.” This idea may have been mistakenly deduced from Num. 13:33; one must be cautious about r