Fantastical Truth

“Hey, did you hear about the new Christian movie or book or thing that’s coming out? Let’s all shamble together to Support this thing (even if it’s not very good). That way, we can Send a Message to our churches, or our unsaved friends, or to Big Hollywood! Support. Support. Blargh …” How can Christian fans avoid this rather undead-sounding complex, even while we share the Christian-made stories we truly enjoy? Concession stand We don’t meant to insult, but sometimes this feels like an undead trend. We still reject the notion that Christians aren’t “allowed” our own subcultures. We also think it takes effort to act like a fan for something you really like! Also, this overlaps with the Tool for Unsaved Friends syndrome. More later. Finally, here we have to assume existing points: fiction has greater purposes. 1. What do we mean by ‘support zombies’? This is the “we must support a Thing to Send a Message” approach. We’d support things to Send a Message to: the world, church, or Big Hollywood. This is happening lately with political causes, but has happened with Christian-made popular subculture. 2. How have Christians previously acted like support zombies? Back when the film Noah released, some said, “Support it for evangelism!” Some supported Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ for living and “zombie” reasons. Some fans of The Chosen may feel they “should” support it, but the series is still very good. Some churchgoers support Christian social-drama movies, even if they don’t prefer the genre. Many Christians believe you must be a support-zombie in order to get unsaved people saved. From Stephen’s 2014 article “When All You Have Is Evangelism, Every Movie Looks Like A Tool“: Noah is set to deluge theaters on March 28[, 2014]. The fantasy film is inspired by Genesis and directed by Darren Aronofsky. To leak all the puns early: Will the film float, thanks to overall story buoyancy? Or will it sink because of bad construction or poorly weighted evangelical ballast? . . . Yet other Christian leaders seem to have shrugged and said, in so many words, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s use it as an evangelism tool.” Such was one response, according to The Blaze: Rather than lambaste the film, [National Religious Broadcasters CEO Jerry] Johnson said that “Noah” should serve as an opportunity for Christians to share their faith. “Why don’t we turn it into something evangelistic?” he asked. . . . First, what stories do we miss onscreen when we’re resolved to find only evangelism-tool movies — then stand before the screen, our backs to the story and our faces to the audience? Second, are we really even focusing on real people? Haven’t we often invented an imaginary audience? For “them,” our imaginary “evangelism” can stray as much from the source material as some of the best Bible-inspired films have strayed from Scripture. 3. How can Christian fantasy fans avoid support-zombie syndrome? Be aware that this can happen among fantasy fans, even about Lewis and Tolkien. Some Christian fantasy may pull that Tool for Unsaved Friends pseudo-bluff. But! We shouldn’t be so fearful of zombie syndrome that we don’t support great stories! For example, some think “it’s not already popular” and feel skittish about a new story. Popularity, perception, and even evangelism power is not a story’s main point! Is the story good, true, and beautiful by God’s standards? If so, share that story. It doesn’t matter whether it Sends a Message to your imaginary audience. Avoid peer pressure. Don’t be like a herd of undead-acting support zombies. Fantastic fans Anonymous wrote about episode 61: Just listened to the new podcast. Kerry [Nietz] is always a delightful guest. I have a simple theory about why Christian [science fiction and fantasy] is overrun with “fantasy,” but it is waaaay too controversial to post publicly. I’d get attacked from every angle and called lots of names, but honestly, it seems pretty straightforward to me: Gender. This topic will definitely drive a new episode, with sensitivity and a guest! However, this topic may be more about reader demand and availability. Next on Fantastical Truth Aliens. Audiences love aliens. But if by any chance we learned aliens really lived out there, what would this mean for the gospel? Of course, we would suppose that God had created these aliens. Would Jesus Christ, however, have to die again to save them?

Secular science fiction often explores darker themes such as gene-editing and consciousness-uploading. Christian-made sci-fi, however, tends to lean on the softer side, emphasizing worlds without Earth or its cultures. How might this leave an opening for more complex futuristic tales that dare to engage with controversial themes? Novelist Kerry Nietz, who is no stranger to bold sci-fi themes, joins us to discuss how edgier science fiction can challenge Christian readers. Introducing Kerry Nietz Kerry Nietz is an award-winning science fiction author. He has over a half dozen speculative novels in print, along with a novella, a couple short stories, and a non-fiction book, FoxTales. Kerry’s novel A Star Curiously Singing won the Readers Favorite Gold Medal Award for Christian Science Fiction and is notable for its dystopian, cyberpunk vibe in a world under sharia law. It is often mentioned on “Best of” lists. Among his writings, Kerry’s most talked about is the genre-bending Amish Vampires in Space. AViS was mentioned on the Tonight Show and in the Washington Post, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Newsweek called it “a welcome departure from the typical Amish fare.” Kerry is a refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits, first as one of the principal developers for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates’s minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile and a movie buff. Concession stand This topic opens many others, like definitions of sci-fi, male/female readers Yes, we emphasize a certain sci-fi here. But we enjoy all fantastical stories. “Edgy” doesn’t mean sex, violence, cusswords. We mean edgier ideas. 1. What edgier themes tend to appear in Kerry Nietz’s sci-fi stories? Such as: explicitly religious groups in futuristic worlds, creatures, oppression Stephen can say some about how this differs even from “liter” Christian sci-fi Stephen: mention his intro to The DarkTrench Saga and early nervousness! 2. How do these compare with the edgier themes explored in other sci-fi? From Kerry Nietz’s article for Lorehaven, “Finding Truth in Science Fiction“: As a Christian, I find science fiction the perfect medium to explore greater truths. It gives us a chance to speculate about God’s creation and explore its purpose. Sci-fi also provides an excellent way to shine light on cultural trends by extrapolating them to their potentially dangerous ends. Unfortunately, a fair share of science fiction today is written from humanistic and in some cases anti-Christian perspectives. But Christian writers like me hope to change this by crafting stories of exceptional quality and timeless truth. Example: Star Wars is fantasy in space; Star Trek is more traditional sci-fi. Edgier sci-fi explores, say, eugenics, cloning, humanism, AI, mad science. Sci-fi with Earth may have aliens but focus on very human issues by name. 3. Do most Christian fantasy fans prefer, well, fantasy over edgier sci-fi? Depends on the type of sci-fi: is is “softer” (more like fantasy) or harder? If so, how does this leave us better or less prepared to engage our world? If so, how could Christian fans (including authors) help to share these stories? Fantastic fans Amy K. wrote to us after listening to episode 60, “Why Don’t Real Researchers Heed Sci-Fi Warnings Against Mad Science?“ I really enjoyed this podcast. So needed today. Plus, entertaining, insightful, and full of wonderful references. The only ones you missed mentioning (or didn’t wish to) that I could think of, was the movie “Cherry 2000” and an episode of Star Trek Voyager. Cherry 2000 is movie about a sex bot sci fi adventure where the main character tries to reclaim his favorite sex bot after it’s recalled, and finds he’s actually in love with the pilot who helps him (played by Melanie Griffith). Plus, the episode of Star Trek Voyager where a young Vulcan struggles with his Pon Farr and tries to mate with B’elanna. When she rejects him, the doctor (hologram) tries to create for him a mate in the holodeck. He fools the doctor into thinking it worked, then goes down to the planet to find B’elanna to complete the Pon Farr. A very strange and interesting episode. All of that to say, it was a wonderful episode. I look forward to listening to more interesting topics and breakdowns. Fiction is the mirror helping to reflect our nature and learn from it. Next on Fantastical Truth “Hey, did you hear about the new Christian movie or book or thing that’s coming out? Let’s all shamble together to Support this thing (even if it’s not very good). That way, we can Send a Message to our churches, or our unsaved friends, or to Big Hollywood! Support. Support. Blargh …” How can Christian fans avoid this rather undead-sounding complex, even while we shar

“This time, it will be different,” quips the mad scientist. “I’m not one of those idiots who don’t know what they’re messing with. I’m an enlightened individual who’s going to accomplish what’s never been done before!” Or so the thinking goes. We see these characters all the time in stories. But increasingly, we’re seeing this mad scientist attitude in the real world. Why is life imitating the very art that tried to warn us? Mad scientist motives at the dawn of Narnia The mad scientist is perfectly captured by Uncle Andrew in C. S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew. “Rotten?” said Uncle Andrew with a puzzled look. “Oh, I see. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I’m sure, and I’m very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys—and servants—and women—and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.” As he said this he sighed and looked so grave and noble and mysterious that for a second Digory really thought he was saying something rather fine. But then he remembered the ugly look he had seen on his Uncle’s face the moment before Polly had vanished: and all at once he saw through Uncle Andrew’s grand words. “All it means,” he said to himself, “is that he thinks he can do anything he likes to get anything he wants.” —The Magician’s Nephew, C. S. Lewis Later on Queen Jadis, the future White Witch of Narnia, says much the same: “I was the queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will? … You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.” —Queen Jadis, from The Magician’s Nephew, C. S. Lewis Concession stand We’re not anti-technology or anti-science, but pro-ethics. This isn’t about Christians vs. Science, but science vs. science. The objections to the stories we’ll talk about most often come from other scientists. 1. Gene editing First up, humanity’s quest to hack the DNA code of humans, animals, and sometimes both at once. “Scientists Have Created Embryos That Are Part Human, Part Monkey,” Forbes.com, April 15, 2021 … Chimeric embryos were created by injecting human stem cells into monkey embryos which were then grown under laboratory conditions … a controversial practice that scientists say could help develop treatments for diseases and pave the way to growing much needed organs for human transplantation. The moral status of these part-human animals is a particularly thorny issue, as they must have enough humanity to be useful for experiments or, one day, to grow human organs, but not enough humanity so as to warrant protection from experimentation. Designer babies thru CRISPR “Elon Musk partner says he could build the real ‘Jurassic Park,’ with genetically engineered dinosaurs,” TheHill.com, April 8, 2021 The co-founder of Elon Musk’s company Neuralink tweeted on Saturday that the startup has the technological advances and savvy to create its own “Jurassic Park.” 2. Sentient robots Next, we’ll talk about the successor to the Industrial Revolution, the machine intelligence revolution. “U.S. Army’s New Drone Swarm May Be A Weapon Of Mass Destruction,” Forbes.com, June 1, 2020 Current drones like the MQ-9 Reaper are controlled remotely, with a pilot flying the aircraft and a payload operator aiming and launching missiles. A battery of other personnel, including military lawyers and image analysts, look over their shoulders and argue what is or is not a valid target. … Future drones may have more autonomy, flying and fighting with much less human supervision, in particular when many of them work together as a swarm.Zak Kallenborn, an expert in unmanned systems and WMD, describes one type of swarm that he calls an Armed, Fully-Autonomous Drone Swarm, or AFADS. Once unleashed an AFADS will locate, identify, and attack targets without human intervention. Kallenborn argues that an AFADS-type swarm is a genuine Weapon of Mass Destruction because of the amount of harm it can do and because of its inability to distinguish civilians from military targets. This is the type of swarm in the fictional 2017 viral video Slaughterbots released as a warning against autonomous weapons. Prostitute androids Entertainment, such as AI-generated images and text 3. Transhumanism Finally, let’s look at a different way that researchers are trying to improve the human condition: by changing us into somethi

Once upon a time, there was a mean old man who lived on a mountain. Now, this old man was very nasty to the townspeople, his dogs, and especially Christians! Then one day, he yelled so loud at a Christian that an avalanche came and destroyed his cabin. (Text your friends: God’s not dead, but this old man is!) If you didn’t like that story, how about the one where there was this faraway land, with the White Hats and the Black Hats, and the Black Hats just want to kill everyone, especially White Hats, who just want to be free to love? But seriously. Few fans like a preachy story. As Christians, however, how do we best respond when secular stories start getting especially preachy? 1. What’s wrong with preachy stories? Christians actually follow two biblical “commissions.” Stories most directly fit within the Cultural Mandate (Gen. 1:28). However, preaching fits within the Great Commission (Matt 28:16–20). If your story preaches, or your preaching only story-tells, these are a mismatch. Preachy stories may preach truths in cringe-like fashion, or may preach straight-up wrong ideas. 2. Are we sure we don’t secretly want preachy stories? We won’t only critique Christian-made stories here. Christians still have a history of wanting preachy stories. Zack shares about a short film he wrote called “Cabernet.” One viewer critiqued that film for not being preachy enough. Of course, secular storytellers (especially nowadays) are preaching plenty. 3. What secular fantasy stories stand out as the preachiest? A Captain America comic seems to villainize Dr. Jordan Peterson as The Red Skull. Avatar: The Legend of Korra‘s creators “cause-juked” their own 2015 series finale. Some viewers fault this year’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for getting preachy. Starting within a single year, multiple DC shows on The CW network turned preachy-“woke.” Michael Crichton’s 2004 novel State of Fear lectured against global warming, complete with authorial self-insert. Fantastic fans Andrew Chamberlain wrote: I feel compelled to write to you because I have had one of those “it’s not just me then!” moments whilst listening to episode 55 of the Fantastical Truth podcast, and specifically the point that was made about how there may well be an opportunity for Christians to tap into the significant discontent that exists with most of the current output in the fantastic genres. That discontent is expressed by Christians and non-Christians as a reaction to the way storytelling is currently being subverted by an ideological agenda. I have been close to despair myself in the past about these things and to hear someone else articulate the problem with current content, and to describe the opportunity it might present to Christians, was quite a revelation. My own objection to the ideological campaign in the fantastic genres is often not even the content of some of the arguments (it would be nice to be able to even discuss these things in a civil manner!) but the insistent, dictatorial tone, the intolerance of other ideas, the way stories are subverted and damaged by the agenda, people are bullied and cancelled, and the hypocrisy of the proponents of that new ideological agenda. Next on Fantastical Truth Engineers create human-ish robots to use for fake romance and other deeds of a less-than-savory nature. Meanwhile, researchers suggest a microchip you insert into your skin that can detect viruses. We know real-life scientists keep ignoring Dr. Ian Malcolm’s Jurassic Park warning, and keep being so preoccupied about whether or not they could that they don’t stop to think if they should. But why don’t real reseachers heed sci-fi warnings against mad science?

Here at Fantastical Truth, we don’t always review fantastic stories made by non-Christian creators. But when we do, it’s when that story showcases greater cultural trends, break new ground in fantasy worldbuilding, or have such a strange backstory of their own that we simply must comment about it. For Stephen’s personal part, it helps when he has personally invested years in hoping for this story and crusading for it on the internet! Today we’re putting together a heroic team to explore the heroic majesty of the long-awaited super-film Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Concession stand Yes, we don’t often review movies. Other podcasts do that. Here’s an exception. That’s because this is an unprecedented movement, bigger than just movies. It also crosses into questions about creative integrity, idolatry, even abuse. The original Lorehaven DC Defense League members Kerry Nietz Sci-fi novelist—see KerryNietz.com Amish Vampires in Space, Amish Zombies from Space The DarkTrench Saga series, The DarkTrench Shadow series, and beyond Austin Gunderson Lorehaven review chieftain Epic fantasy writer-in-waiting Initially skeptical about Snyder Cut releasing E. Stephen Burnett Lorehaven publisher Fantastical Truth regular host Kept the Snyder Cut “faith” longer than any sane adult 1. The age of heroes past: #ReleaseTheSnyderCut’s victory Why do us chaps like supposedly “grimdark” stories like this one? What did we love about Man of Steel and Batman v Superman? By contrast, how did we feel seeing Justice League‘s old theatrical edition? What’s it like being a fan of supposedly underappreciated stories? How did you feel when Snyder and others began sharing inside info? 2. The present takes root in the future: Zack Snyder’s Justice League How did we feel when on May 20 we learned this impossible movement won? Listen to our episode 17: What Can Christian Fans Learn from #ReleaseTheSnyderCut’s Success? Did we have any skepticism or fears about the final finished film? What did we expect? What surpassed our expectations? Favorite moments? Plot turns? Heroes? 3. Future timeline: #RestoreTheSnyderCut Now we turn to yet another movement to get sequels and spinoffs. What do you hope to see in any studio/HBO Max course corrections? Affleck’s Batman, Deathstroke, Justice League 2, Martian, Superman? Do you think this movement will change how fans view franchises’ creations? How can Christian fans best glorify God with meta-stories mixed with idols? Snyder Cut story sources include: “Justice League: The Shocking, Exhilarating, Heartbreaking True Story of #TheSnyderCut,” Vanity Fair, Feb. 22, 2021 “Justice League: The Untold Story of Cyborg and Deathstroke,” Vanity Fair, March 12, 2021 “Ray Fisher Opens Up About ‘Justice League,’ Joss Whedon and Warners: ‘I Don’t Believe Some of These People Are Fit for Leadership,'” The Hollywood Reporter, April 6, 2021 “Justice League Screenwriter Chris Terrio Is Super Pissed Off,” Vanity Fair, April 8, 2021 Fantastic fans StageGrandma wrote this Feb. 10, 2021 review on Apple Podcasts: Rich content This podcast discussing fantastical fiction is not only for writers, but for readers and fans. The hosts go beyond the typical talk about Tolkien and CS Lewis, but dive deeper and encourage the listener to think imaginatively about all genres of entertainment. The podcast is well done. I appreciate the approachable professionalism. Auroraambria wrote this Feb. 11, 2021 review on Apple Podcasts: Informative, Faith-based, Smart The hosts make logical conclusions in an apologist manner toward helping Christian and lay audiences understand how fiction work fits into our lives today. Next on Fantastical Truth You’re ready to enjoy that hot new young-adult fantasy, and suddenly all subtlety gets thrown out the window so social agendas can drive. Or you’re excited to sample that new streaming drama, when boom, instead of getting “Jesus juked,” the story gets politics-juked so you can learn your (good) lesson about how racism is bad, or questionable “lessons.” How can Christian fans respond to preachy secular fiction? Here’s a hint: not by accusing, but laughing.

In the past few months, your two podcast hosts have confronted the deaths of people close to us. Now, millions of Christians across the world just observed Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We explore how Christ’s resurrection, and similar reflections in the fantastic stories we love, help us prepare for times of separation and suffering, and long for the eternal day when our Creator will unite all things under his reign and will finally make all things new. Central themes Scripture alone shapes our views of suffering and resurrection Behind the Word, fantastic stories can help us prepare for suffering. Behind the Word, fantastic stories can help us long for our resurrection. Scripture quotes include: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” —John 11:25–26 You yourself have recorded my wanderings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? —Psalm ‭56:8‬ All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. —Psalm 139:16 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. —Ecclesiastes 7:2 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. —1 Thessalonians 4:13 Fantastic fans Brenda wrote about episode 56, about strong female characters: I recently went on a deep dive into Scripture about biblical attributes of men and women. A fellow writer bases most of her understanding of gender roles and expectations on tropes. This is pretty foreign to me, so I went searching through the Word. I found five things that are consistent in how the Bible depicts women: Introspective Intuitive Compassionate Resourceful Brave None of these attributes have anything to do with meeting a beauty standard, wearing the right outfit, or conforming to the expectations of any given society. These were things I found in both “good” characters and “evil” ones in the Bible. Though what I noticed with the evil women in the Bible is that usually they emphasize one aspect and have a deficiency in another. (Jezebel, for example, uses her intuition and resourcefulness to manipulate, deceive, and destroy others at the expense of her compassion.) Next on Fantastical Truth As we regain plans following Stephen’s absence, stand by for future episodes on topics such as superhero films and possibly even the Mark of the Beast.

Once upon a time, female characters were given shallow roles. Nowadays, the pendulum has swung the other way to create the Strong Female Character. You’ve probably seen her in movies: punching, shooting, slashing, commanding. But as we’ll explore with our guest, there are many more possibilities than raw strength or battle toughness. We’ll look at: How did the Strong Female Character become prevalent in fiction? What are the variations of this archetype? How might this character type be evolving? Our guest today is Christian author Elisabeth Wheatley. She’s published the five novel series Fanged, the seven book Argetallam Saga, the nine book series Warlords of the Sandsea, and the upcoming new story Daindreth’s Assassin…twenty-two books in all. She also produces the Broken Enchantments podcast, an audio story about overcoming generations of evil. We discuss this meme: “I don’t think writers realize that ‘strong female character’ means ‘well written female character’ and not just ‘female character who punches stuff and shoots stuff.” “I don’t think half the people on tumble know the difference either.” Variations on the Strong Female Character type: Impossible Warrior Warrior Princess Girlboss Tortured Goddess Gentle Guardian Which category or example appeals to you? Fantastic fans Andrew wrote to us: “Thanks for providing such great content. I’ve really been enjoying your podcast and what you’ve had to say.” Meanwhile, “Be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength” (Ephesians 6:10). “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7). And remember, Jesus says, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Cancel culture is making many Christian readers and creators feel unwelcome in “mainstream” culture. Christians may need to retreat and create separate, digital spheres. But what does that look like, and will it work? Characteristics of cancel culture Driven by safetyism and paternalism. Powered by authoritarianism. Enabled by militant secularism. No presumption of innocence, due process, or transformation. Results in purity tests and purges. We have to look in more distant history for comparable movements. Sun Tzu famously said that knowledge of the enemy is the most powerful asset in warfare: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” We are in a war of cultures; not just a war within a culture, but a struggle for supremacy between competing worldviews. What this means for Christians is that it’s swiftly becoming socially and legally unacceptable to publicly acknowledge God’s authority to define human nature, human relationships, or any other aspect of reality. From “We didn’t start this culture war,” an article on spiked: The claim that critics of cancel culture are obsessing over random examples might hold some water if there weren’t so many examples. Since the Black Lives Matter protests exploded last year, the hitherto esoteric idea that all culture must be cleansed in order to bring about a just society has gone mainstream and led to countless ‘cancellations’. This has created a climate in which companies are either folding instantly to absurd demands or scrubbing their own output without anyone really having to ask. Which is handy for the cancel-culture deniers, who get to proclaim that ‘no one called for this to happen’ while also basically supporting it. Recent cancellations: Dr. Seuss Is Canceled Ebay Is Removing Listings for Discontinued Dr Seuss Books, Citing ‘Offensive Materials Policy’ When Harry Became Sally: The Book Amazon Does Not Want You to Read An excerpt from “Let Loose the Seuss,” by Bret Weinstein of the Dark Horse Podcast: Like everyone else Dr. Seuss had his flaws. He made some missteps, he got dirt on his paws. But he owned his mistakes, made amends, and grew wise. Illustrated his growth, as his heart grew in size. Seuss was a model of how we should behave. In confronting our flaws we should all be so brave. And if we are able, put the lessons to rhyme, For a rhyme drives a point with a rhythm through time. Three approaches to cancel culture: Stay and fight Embrace alternative domains Create uniquely Christian networks We have a tendency to act as though “real freedom’s never been tried,” even though “cancel culture” was born out of just such a classically-liberal society. The reality is we are facing cultural conquerors, so we must actually fight for what we believe. How do we wage this battle as Christians? There are many other platforms that would love our business and offer more freedom and control. But are centralized networks still doomed to fail? We could be like the Amish, retreat to our own communities, and build our own advanced systems. What is the cost/benefit analysis of this? Alternative networks mentioned and discussed: Gab Parler MeWe Minds Urbit Solid, from Inrupt   On Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the internet: “He Created the Web. Now He’s Out to Remake the Digital World.“ Five Blockchain-Based Social Media Platforms To Watch In 2020 Books discussed: The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien A Shattered World, by Lelia Rose Foreman. “This is the Puritan space colonization epic you never knew you needed.” The Mark (Left Behind #8), by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins Amish Vampires in Space, by Kerry Nietz Svaha, by Charles de Lint Meanwhile, let’s love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Love doesn’t mean accommodating or excusing sin, but speaking the truth. Love our own families and children. Connect with other Christians who have the same priorities. Wean ourselves off convenient services that have made us dependent on gatekeepers. Focus on depth and multiplication, the same way that the church has done evangelism, discipleship, and missions.

In part 1 of this Cancelled Fantasy series, we explored why cancel culture often feels so wrong. But we also have a uniquely Christian way of responding to cancel mobs. Now, for part 2, we’ll look at situations where a person deserved to get cancelled. What do we do with those creators and their works of art? Top three questions How we do discern necessary “cancelling” from legalistic “cancelling”? (Part 1) If the cancellation was immoral, how do we love cancelling-mob enemies? (Part 1) If cancellation was moral, how do we view the cancelled or their stories? We explored questions 1 and 2 in part 1 of this miniseries. Now we focus exclusively on question 3. 3. If cancellation was moral, how do we view those cancelled or their stories? James Gunn: seems to have repented of wicked language At present, Gunn looks like a special case of someone who did change. We don’t know what went on behind the scenes. In public, he did repent. He said some good things about why he sinned with filthy jokes. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor. It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over. In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it. Anyway, that’s the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all. —from James Gunn on Twitter Note especially Gunn’s seeming understanding about his motives back then. He doesn’t admit to sins he (seemingly) didn’t do. He does get to the heart. Also, for several months at least, he stayed fired from Disney/Marvel. It was time enough for him to start making a Suicide Squad movie for DC. If he had not been hired, though, I still would enjoy his Marvel movies. Except for much of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It isn’t that good. Why? As a Christian, I’m used to knowing evil people can do good things. This simple yet complex fact about our world escapes the cancel mobs. Joss Whedon: seems not to have repented of wicked behavior But what about when someone is cancelled maybe rightly? See article from feminist website Jezebel.com about Whedon’s “rise and fall.” Whedon created Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Firefly (season 1) He also directed Marvel’s Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Lastly he reworked an atrocity called Justice League (2017), now being cancelled itself. He was known as a big Hollywood feminist who had Strong Female Leads. Those assumptions haven’t aged well, after ex-wife and actor accusations. For my part, we’d frankly love to hear Whedon apologize. It goes a long way. Before repenting to the fans, he must repent to the actors: those truly involved. Now after Buffy actors shared their stories, Whedon’s career is likely over. We can still enjoy his shows and the Avengers movies, even sans repentance. Whedon doesn’t owe us an apology anyhow. Are we God to forgive his sins? But maybe we can rewatch his stuff with more open eyes for his female treatment. With rare exceptions, you can look back and see the bad seeds planted early. The original New York Times article exposing Weinstein remarked in passing that his films “helped define femininity, sex and romance, from Catherine Zeta-Jones in ‘Chicago’ to Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Silver Linings Playbook.’ ” If actors report they’ve been abused and even assaulted by producers and directors, Christians may need to reconsider these works that supposedly “helped define femininity, sex and romance.” In our conversations about popular culture at home, church, and on the internet, we can’t stop at praising what these works get right. We also need to specifically discern any latent misogyny, exploitative tendencies, and sexual-revolution teaching within the stories themselves. —from “Harvey Weinstein and Sexualized Pop Culture Call for Prophetic Engagement,” E. Stephen Burnett at Christ and Pop Culture, Nov. 10, 2017 Fantastic fans Sheri wrote about episode 52: I have thought that were I ever to teach a class on cross-cultural evangelism, I would recommend a few works of science fiction as well as more conventional textbooks. Science fiction can help us explore the “alien-ness&#

She posted a meme, and got “cancelled.” His old tweets “resurfaced,” so he got cancelled too. Then, plot twist: some cancelled heroes come back from this cultural “death” and get right back to normal. But you can’t cheat this “death” by apologizing. Except when you can. It’s confusing. It’s even more confusing for Christian fans trying to enjoy fantastic stories and people who help make them. How can Christian fans react when fantasy creators get cancelled? Sponsor: The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ Stephen and Dr. Jared Moore are speaking this month at events with Realm Makers Bookstore: Teach Them Diligently, March 18–20, Nashville, Tennessee Great Homeschool Conventions, March 25–27, St. Louis, Missouri Concession stand To speed the discussion, we must assume some views of “cancel culture.” We think it’s generally bad. Not because we’re against societal “rules.” Instead, these rules tend to be morally empty, and call neutrality/good “evil.” Top three questions How we do discern necessary “cancelling” from legalistic “cancelling”? If the cancellation was immoral, how do we love cancelling-mob enemies? If cancellation was moral, how do we view the cancelled or their stories? (We’ll cover this in Part 2.) 1. How we do discern morally necessary cancelling from immoral, legalistic cancelling? Americans have a constitutional First Amendment that recognizes free speech. This also reflects in a “spirit” of the First Amendment in societal standards. We also believe in societal standards that aren’t law, but are expected. That means, in theory, if you’re behaving indecently, you may get fired. Example: in a better world, people who sexualize children must pay social prices. We don’t want them punished forever, but some social areas are just not for them. It’s a secular version of “church discipline.” That’s encouraged in the Bible. Also, we see some overlap between this “cancel culture” and religious “rules.” Did the Church actually start “cancel culture”? However, some wrongly claim “the church started cancel culture.” This can be another “blame the Church Back Home first” complex. Usually (and to a fault), churches want “cancelled” people to repent. But you can apologize to secular mobs and they still cancel you. No grace. Church discipline, or parting ways with someone, must be done in grace. In immoral cancelling, the cancellers have no moral standing for their actions. Two examples of moral cancelling: James Gunn and Joss Whedon. Gunn was seemingly genuinely repentant for words, and supported by friends. Whedon has been silent about (reputed) actions, and not supported by colleagues. This may illustrate better “cancellation” at work, with better social standards in place. So it’s not the idea of cancelling, but bad/empty cancelling, that makes it evil. One example of immoral cancelling: Gina Carano from The Mandalorian I view this as an immoral cancellation, yes. See her interview with Ben Shapiro. Her haters seem transparently anti-woman. They mock her like “mean girls.” This is what makes it very hard for Christians not to respond in kind. 2. If cancellation was bad, how do we react well to cancelling-mob enemies? Seeing hypocrites and abusers get away with it is rightfully enraging. The Psalmists lament how the powerful do evil and keep getting away with it. C. S. Lewis described folks who act with a kind of moral tyranny: Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals. ―C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology) This, however, does not describe many cancel mobs. They’re actually worse. However, the “omnipotent moral busybodies” enable/use the cancel mobs. This calls for discernment especially when we do need to call evil, evil. We have no desire to punish the wicked, but that they turn from their ways! So we have to expect repentance and offer forgiveness to a

Some people say that science fiction is just fantasy with spaceships. Others would say that fantasy is about plausible impossible worlds, whereas sci-fi centers on possible, albeit improbable worlds. But is sci-fi something that Christians actually need? We’ll explore that today! Sci-fi is a shared universe inhabited by God’s gift of common grace. Sci-fi explores the genius and madness of humanity, revealing our need for God. The church, therefore, should terraform the strange worlds of sci-fi for God’s glory. Concession stand By design, sci-fi takes us to worlds beyond our comfort zones, so these stories may strike some as heretical. In sci-fi, you can fall into black holes of atheistic nihilism, humanism, materialistic utopianism, or many other unbiblical -isms. In some sci-fi (such as Star Trek), the most fantastical element is its imagining of a future world devoid of human religion. “The genre [of science fiction] draws us to its own views of redemption. Carl Sagan recognized the grip that the future, space, and the extraterrestrial hold on the post-Christian Western imagination. Spiritual seekers, then, get some answers and a taste of transcendence without the moral accountability or costly interpersonal commitments of church.” —James A. Herrick at Christianity Today 1. Sci-fi is a shared universe inhabited by common grace “We’re living in a science fictional era, thanks to all the incredible technological and scientific discoveries we’ve made. In some sense, science fiction has ‘come true.’ This means science fiction is uniquely qualified to comment on the era we’re living in, and is the only pop culture that accurately reflects the world around us. Science fiction is for anybody who wants to imagine how the world will be, or could be, different.” —Charlie Jane Anders, author and former managing editor of i09 Science-fiction belongs to everyone. First off, sci-fi is no longer a fringe genre. The top grossing films and books include lots of sci-fi. You don’t have to know the “golden era” or “masters” of sci-fi, because it’s about the future. Sci-fi is not always a pure genre but often a flavor or ingredient of other stories. Sci-fi leads to real-world innovations. Science, technology, and tools were God’s idea (Genesis 1:28). The spirit of innovation comes from the Lord: Bezalel (Exodus 31). These innovations benefit people everywhere, like rain on the good and wicked. Martin Cooper can recall the moment when he was at a break in his lab watching the episode of Star Trek when Kirk used his Communicator to call for help for an injured Spock, which later inspired him to invent the mobile phone. The inventor of the MP3 [Karlheinz Brandenburg] can look back to the episode of Star Trek The Next Generation where Data was playing music from his computer and conceived of the idea of the digital music file. The series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager pioneered the graphic art of the “okudagram” (named after scenic art supervisor Michael Okuda), the GUI interface in the LCARS operating system, later used in the PADD, (Personal Access Display Device), the hand-held computer interface that foresaw the design and touch functionality of Apple’s iPad and iPad mini. Science fiction has always been the genesis of our greatest technological triumphs. The idea for land ironclads, first written about by H.G. Wells, were adapted by Winston Churchill into the first tank in military history. The idea of military aeroplanes was first written about by A.A. Milne, of Winnie the Pooh fame. The concept of atomic bombs is another idea that was first generated by H.G. Wells. —Michael Venables, “Captain Kirk’s Call to Spock,” Forbes.com, April 3, 2013 Sci-fi leads us to wonder at God’s creation. Carl Sagan leads us to wonder at the cosmos. Even though Sagan denies our Creator, we still see and hear God’s glory. Sci-fi stretches our imagination into new frontiers. “The thing with science fiction that’s different than other genres is that it’s always about the idea. The idea, in science fiction, is the real leading man or leading lady. And I like that because I’m a big fan of ideas. You always learn from ideas, even the crazy ones.” —Seth Shostak, SETI director 2. Sci-fi explores the genius and madness of humanity, revealing our need for God “Science and technology belong to Christians as much as anyone, so why not the fiction that delves into their uses and effects?” —novelist Kerry Nietz Good sci-fi is not about the technology itself, but man’s attachment to it. The best science fiction is always a commentary on human nature. Ray Bradbury said that he writes sci-fi to prevent the future. Michael Crichton explored how scientists can do great things but also great evil. “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” —Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in Jurassic Park (1993) Sci-fi can work like a reverse in

In our last episode, we explored the fact that Christians actually need fiction as part of our daily lives. However, we could stop there and presume that we only need “realistic” stories, such as historical or contemporary fiction. Instead, we’ll explore how Christian readers also benefit from fantasy stories, so much that we could also say that we need stories about fantastical other worlds, in order to pursue our chief end of glorifying Jesus and enjoying him forever. By “chief end,” we mean our highest purpose in God’s true story. The phrase comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. This famous quote is like the answer to the Ultimate Question. It’s a foundational truth behind everything today and in this series. Introduction to why Christians need fantastical imagination A few biblical texts seem to warn against fantasy. “As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.” —‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:3–4‬, ‭CSB‬‬ “But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness.” —‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:7‬, ‭CSB‬‬ But do these passages mean we should not read fantasy stories? Are novels on the same level as Scripture’s “silly myths?” Other Scripture texts seem to endorse fantastical imagination. We read the Bible by God’s (and human authors’) intent. Including genre. Scripture has fantastical flourishes that describe real truths we must believe. Examples: Jesus’s parables, prophecy like Daniel and Revelation. Judges 9:7–15, Jotham tells a “fairy tale” about talking trees to Shechemites. Some defenses about fantasy seem extra-biblical. For example, it’s not good enough to say, “well, fantasy is in the Bible.” I mean: God, not us, could have prerogative to write about miracles/worlds. It’s also partial answering at best to talk about how fantasy helps people. It’s also not enough to approach this from a secular/human/literary view. Even our frequent Lewis/Tolkien quotes can err on side of human reasoning. To freshen this topic, today we’ll explore it this way: Fantasy trains us to imagine God and his true story. Fantasy trains us to imagine Jesus and his heroism. Fantasy trains us to imagine our world and its peoples. Concession stand We’re actually going to minimize the Lewis/Tolkien quotes in this episode. They’re all right, of course. But we’d like to take a fresher approach. We’re not exploring specific issues of fictional magic. Already done that. Also, note our emphasis on God’s glory as the chief end of every person. Our highest human purpose is not entertainment, evangelism, edification. Other episodes defend this statement biblically. First things must go first! We defend all fantastical stories, including (not limited to) fantasy proper. 1. Fantasy trains us to imagine God and his true story. God is utterly fantastical. Only the fantastical can best show Him. Scripture itself is fantastical in genre. That’s how we look at the world. If we’re being biblical, we don’t view God in “normal fiction” imaginations. God is supernatural. Thus, supernatural fiction helps us “train” to image this. This training is essential for the Christian. It’s a need, not an optional want. We must not only believe God exists, but we seek to know him personally. God is not confined by space, bound by time, or restricted by any of the laws of physics. He can’t be controlled, won’t be bribed, and nothing can thwart his purposes. The fantastical creatures in stories, even the final boss monsters, pale in comparison. To do theology, the study of God, you need fantastic imagination! Scripture’s truth must shape our imagination. Stories help us train for this. We must imagine not only God but his story: the fantastic gospel. Others speak truth: the gospel is the ultimate fantastical “monomyth.” Other stories, including contemporary/historical/etc., are in a fantastic world. Fantasy is the genre over all genres, because only fantasy is our world. 2. Fantasy trains us to imagine Jesus and his heroism. Heroes in fantasy (not just general fiction) behave in super-human ways. I don’t mean superpowers. It’s humanity “exaggerated.” Heroes, villains. These traits remind us of Jesus, the ultimate Man, God-become-Man. We needn’t only talk about Aslan. I love Aslan. He’s archetypical. But any good human fantasy hero, on a journey, reminds us of Jesus. When we let go of ourselves, “serving” a hero in our imagination, we train. We aren’t chiefly seeing ourselves in the story.

When you reach for a novel, do you ever feel guilty for not picking up your Bible, a devotional, or missionary biography? Some question whether fiction itself is spiritually healthy. And even if novels are harmless entertainment, do we actually need them? Are they worth our time and attention, not to mention our money? Perhaps we have more important questions to ask, such as: What if God made humans to get healthier from reading stories? What if we in fact desperately need them? We’ll look at how: Fiction is God’s idea. Fiction is personally transformative. Fiction creates stronger communities. Concession stand Of course, we emphasize Scripture reading above any other book. However, we don’t address how often or when to read fiction instead of Bible-reading. We know not all fiction is morally good or even neutral; we still need discernment. We won’t speak as much about Christian-made fiction, only fiction in general. 1. Fiction is God’s idea Fiction opens up worlds that abstract statements do not, which is why some of Jesus’ best-known statements came in connection with a fictional story or an actual event. Reading fiction can help a pastor grow in his ability to imagine the world he wants his listeners to inhabit. —Trevin Wax God is a storyteller. He spoke and wrote true stories as well as fictional ones. Scripture’s stories include Proverbs 7, 2 Samuel 12, and Luke 15. Judges 9 even includes Jotham’s fantastical parable of the talking trees. The Bible records many visions, dreams, and prophecies. All these came true, yet included fictional and fantastical imagery. Weak imaginations have always fallen before Scripture’s chief enemies: legalists, rationalists, and libertines. Orthodoxy demands imagination, and so we are just asking for serious spiritual problems if we deny the imaginative life to our children. —Douglas Jones Fiction is something God intended humans to create. J. R. R. Tolkien said that we are “sub-creators” with God. We create worlds and tell stories because God has done the same. Fiction counts as a “good gift” from God (James 1:17). Fiction is not random, extraneous, or unnecessary, but core to our human experience. I’ve found that most people who tell me that fiction is a waste of time are folks who seem to hold to a kind of sola cerebra vision of the Christian life that just doesn’t square with the Bible. The Bible doesn’t simply address man as a cognitive process but as a complex image-bearer who recognizes truth not only through categorizing syllogisms but through imagination, beauty, wonder, awe. Good fiction isn’t a “waste of time” for the same reason good music and good art aren’t wastes of time. They are rooted in an endlessly creative God who has chosen to be imaged by human beings who create. Culture isn’t irrelevant. It’s part of what God commanded us to do in the beginning, and that he declares to be good. —Russell Moore 2. Fiction is personally transformative Like a magic portal, a story sweeps us into another life and world and allows us to imagine and feel circumstances outside of ourselves. We walk in another’s shoes and see life from a different vantage point. And before we know it, a truth has been planted so deep within our souls that we can’t shake it. We have been both entertained and informed, and maybe even a little changed. —Alisa Hope Wagner Fiction is “the lie that tells the truth.” Fiction awakens the moral imagination. Nathan didn’t preach a sermon to King David; instead, Nathan gave him an emotional experience. Jesus didn’t scold the Pharisees for being grumps at other people being saved, he showed them characters like them. Why do people get caught up in events that they know cannot be real? What causes people to feel strongly about fictional characters, argue with them, and even reimagine their outcomes? Yes, scientists really study this stuff. … A story causes what psychologists call cognitive evaluation in readers. … Making us think while we read not only makes a story intriguing, but medically speaking it’s necessary for our well-being and mental health. Put simply, to be healthy we have to experience wonder. It’s one of the reasons that reading stories feels necessary. It actually is. —from The Emotional Craft of Fiction Fiction is the mind’s flight simulator. —Keith Oatley, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the department of applied psychology and human development at University of Toronto But isn’t fiction just an escape? Even if this is true, books are rightful means of “escape.” In Tolkien’s essay On Fairy Stories, he says we shouldn’t confuse the escape of a prisoner with the flight of the deserter. 3. Fiction creates stronger communities “Fiction, along with songwriting and personal counseling, are the most constant ways that God teaches me empathy…Almost everyone is the hero in his or her own personal narrative

Christian fans want to build bigger audiences for fantastical stories. Yet how might we help our Christian family and friends share in this happiness? How can we help transform Christian deserts into thriving lands that love excellent fantastical fiction? Here’s a hint: we can’t wait for “the chosen ones” to come along and defeat the darkness and save the land. Instead, we actually need to skip the fantasies and borrow from sci-fi, and commit to the multi-generational project of “terraforming” our churches, families, and Christian subcultures. Prelude: assumptions This material is inspired by Lorehaven’s last cover story, “Only the Beginning of the Adventure.” Some people think we “really could use” more fantastic stories. Whether these come from Christians or not is immaterial, right? We think differently: to cultivate imaginations better, we need fantastic stories. We need them outside the Church yet we need them inside the Church. They get great results (versus political obsessions). Better: they glorify Jesus. That’s our mission at Lorehaven. It’s why we’re upgrading. New writers, etc. Authors and writer groups supply the what. Much of what we do is the why. Read the original article in Lorehaven‘s last issue: “Only the Beginning of the Adventure.” Trope 1: ‘The Chosen One’ saves the land For a new year, and success of Christian-made fantasy, I see two big tropes. This one is The Chosen One. We await special authors who’ll save the land. By “the land” we mean either “Christian lands,” or general popular culture. We say, “If Only we had Chosen One Christians in mainstream popular culture.” If we do get another Chosen One, that person will likely get all the attention. Our more recent Chosen Ones were basically Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, and the Left Behind series authors. Peretti’s novels explored spiritual warfare; readers considered this an Important Topic Note our podcast episode about This Present Darkness, and Peretti’s own 1997 interview The Left Behind authors explored the end times; readers ranked this also an Important Topic Ted Dekker seems to be an outlier, yet his first books were coauthored started with an Important Leader (Bill Bright) They all created fantastic stories, yet got more attention due to their perceived Importance. Yes, we like authors who seem like “chosen ones,” such as Lewis and Tolkien. Lewis and Tolkien, however, were generations in the making; you can’t get new versions of them overnight. Lewis and Tolkien themselves emphasized not great heroes but smaller actions of faithfulness. Trope 2: We all help ‘terraform’ the Church. Instead of a trope found in fantasy, let’s consider science fiction. Start with a desert world. Few resources. No oxygen. Cold and dark. Then, through science and/or sci-fi “magic,” you start terraforming the place. Land in ships. Build domes. Bring resources from outside. Start slowly. Then eventually, hey-presto! you get a human-friendly world. After centuries. This isn’t the easy way. But I think it’s the only way we have. It’s also more biblical: it matches God’s stewardship mandate in Genesis 1:28. God is the Creator. He gives us the gift of “terraforming” in his name. Results: better, long-term success for Christian fantastic stories. Christian fantasy 2.0 may be less about Important Topics and more about story. For this purpose, we must slowly change Church perceptions of Importance. Stories are important. On their own. They do teach. Yet they put story first. Practically: be a church member. Try to start a book club. Make “domes”! Get resources from outside, from Lorehaven, Realm Makers, and others. Big one here: Realize you will likely not live to see these stories get popular. That’s not an “our country is doomed” statement. Just an observation. Few artists of niche/pulp heroes lived to see their boom (only Stan Lee). It takes generations to turn around any culture. But we already see results. In the New Heavens and New Earth, real fantastic world, we’ll see even more! Fantastic fans Micah Harris, re. Fantastical Truth ep. 48: I am a big Star Wars fan and I agree with Parker completely. I’ve had the same thoughts on people being morally outraged over make-believe! It was a JOKE! But check this out. True story: I saw a news show highlighting some brave souls who had saved some chickens from a cult! Presumably not from being converted, but being sacrificed. They had established a sanctuary for the chickens and one girl commented on how the chickens could be HAPPY there!!! What’s not a joke is that we live in a society where the well-being of chickens is championed while the aborting of babies, and even leaving one with a disability who has survived an abortion to die, is championed as

Last year wasn’t all about politics and pandemic-pandemonium. From little space babies eating tadpoles, to that Jesus TV show, to not-quite-forgotten trends, we’re exploring the top seven most-discussed issues at Lorehaven.com today on Fantastical Truth. We take these in descending order: 7. Fantastical Truth ep. 2: What Do We Mean By Saying ‘It’s a Christian Story’? 6. On Canceling the ‘Baby-Eating’ Baby Yoda, Parker J. Cole In The Mandalorian, from what I’ve seen of posts, Baby Yoda is eating the eggs of some frog alien lady. Apparently, this frog alien lady or whatever, is the last of her kind and her babies are the future and he’s chomping on them. Due to the “controversy” the producers clarified that the eggs are “not fertilized” so there’s no actual “baby” he’s chomping on. They compared it to us eating chicken eggs. This apparently backfired because now, some of the fans were really disgusted now. It was meant as a comic relief. Just like ALF trying to eat Lucky the cat. Who was really lucky after all. Yet, the uproar is up. Now, cute Baby Yoda is now cannibal Baby Yoda and the scourge of the universe. You gotta be kidding me. This is the latest example of a culture who has lost its soul and is replaced with a veneer of morality. For goodness’ sake! Baby Yoda ain’t real. The frog alien lady ain’t real. The eggs, the puppet or CG Baby Yoda is eating ain’t real. To throw all this shade on a puppet is ridiculous. 5. The Chosen: Speculative Fiction Meets a Factual Savior, Cap Stewart Led by writer/director/producer Dallas Jenkins, the filmmakers have chosen to use the format of a multi-season TV show, giving the narrative ample room to breathe, and thus avoiding just hitting the highlights of the gospels before the credits roll. Furthermore, the show approaches the topic of Jesus’ ministry, not primarily from Christ’s perspective, but from the perspective of those around him. As Jenkins himself has stated, “[I]f the audience can encounter Jesus through the eyes of those who met Him, the audience can be impacted in the same way they were.”The genius behind this approach seems obvious in retrospect. While Christ is the truest and greatest protagonist the universe has ever known, there is, by necessity, a bit of a disconnect between His perspective and that of every other human being in history. Jesus is infinitely admirable, yes, but not easily relatable. There are limits to how a sinful and finite audience can relate to a holy and infinite character. It would be a gross misstatement to say that Jesus is not the focus of The Chosen. But rather than His experience being the focal point, it is His work in and through the lives of others—as they experienced it—that drives the story forward. Cap Stewart’s new comment: Every time I wrote about THE CHOSEN, at Lorehaven and elsewhere, it garnered an extraordinary amount of attention. This is, I think, a sign of the show’s increasing popularity and cultural traction. In fact, THE CHOSEN is striking a chord with audiences all across the globe. Part of the reason for the show’s success is what you might call the Aslan effect. In the Chronicles of Narnia, it is indisputable that the narrative and thematic hinge on which everything else turns is Aslan, the Christ figure within the world of Narnia. Every time he is on the page, we are amazed and mesmerized. And yet, if you evaluate the series as a whole, Aslan’s “screen time” is relatively short when compared to all the other characters. What’s more, the books are never written from his perspective—only from those who are affected by him. This is the same approach THE CHOSEN takes with the central character of Christ. The focus of the show is on those around Jesus—those affected by him. And as an audience, we much more readily identify with the lives of finite, sinful humans and how an infinite and holy God radically changes their hearts, minds, and lives. It’s a great way to craft an emotionally engaging narrative. Almost paradoxically, THE CHOSEN emphasizes the glory and greatness of Christ all the more by keeping him on the narrative periphery. 4. How Do the Fishmen and Pirates of ‘One Piece’ Subvert Systemic Racism, L. Jagi Lamplighter Ten thousand feet below the surface of the sea, trouble is brewing. Ancient racial hatred is simmering, growing dangerously close to boiling over. This is the situation in the Fishman Island Arc of the long-running anime/manga One Piece when the main characters, the Straw Hat Pirates, arrive at Fishman Island. In the midst of the action and humor of this pirate adventure story, author Eiichiro Oda gives us an unexpectedly insightful glimpse into racism and its effects upon a culture. Fishman Island, deep beneath the ocean, is inhabited by a race of undersea beings who are both stronger and more-varied than humans. Some are beautiful, such as mermaids. Others are huge and powerful, like shark-men or octopus-men, massive creat

Will this be the year we finally get to see the aliens? Are we living in an alien invasion movie? According to headlines, it depends on whether a supposed Galactic Federation decides we are worthy. These ideas and questions are coming at us at light speed, and they often bring along competing mythologies. So as Christians, we should think through how to respond. More importantly, we should dwell on why these questions come up at all. Why do alien stories fascinate us? We’ll explore that, today. Zackary Russell’s introduction Since Election Day, our country has debated what we think Trump should or should not do. Meanwhile, I’m hoping that before he leaves office, he will release the Roswell files! You might be wondering: why are we talking about this topic? Surely we should talk about something more important. Well, yes, we sometimes discuss the big headlines as they relate to our main topics of books, pop culture, and Christian imagination. But we figure if you want your political news, you’ve got places you can find that. There’s another reason, too, that we talk about things like pop culture and sci-fi books: culture outlasts politics. The headlines of today / this week / this year will quickly replaced. But the culture we create will last for generations. So, while it would be easy for us to turn on the news and give our opinions, we want to invest our time in something else. Sponsor: Azalea Dabill’s Fantastic Journey The secret of imaginative fiction is vital to our souls. If we do not dream, if we do not imagine, we begin to die. Explore Fantastic Journey: The Soul of Speculative Fiction and Fantasy Adventure, a nonfiction book about fantastical fiction. This fantasy genres guide quotes 70 authors who whirl the reader on a fantastic journey into the imaginative realm of magic and meaning. A smart, concise, thoughtful look at how imaginative fiction impacts readers on three levels: The spiritual arena The wide world of ideas And the sphere we breathe in But the secret lies farther within. Meaning is the soul of every adventure, its central reality. The reality of every book impacts us on every level. There is deep spiritual meaning in fiction. If a book’s dark soul is a false gem brought up from the sea of fantasy we see shades of human evil and shudder, tossing that book back into the waves it came from. If our jewel of fiction glitters unrealistically bright—without a care—we shrug and say, “meh,” and the fate of that soul, pages fluttering in the wind, is to lie forgotten. But if that story draws light to battle darkness, if its soul mirrors our lives and calls us to the adventure of truth, the joys of mystery, and the beauties of brave action—then we have won a precious jewel drawn from the sea. The ocean of fantasy is not without its dangers. Wherever there is wealth, there is risk. We must choose. How do you tell if a book of speculative fiction is dark glass cunningly cut to resemble a jewel? How do you choose gems of fantasy and not counterfeit riches? Where can you discover the best imaginative fiction for yourself, your children and your friends, teens to adults? Discover the elusive secret of imaginative fiction in Fantastic Journey: The Soul of Speculative Fiction and Fantasy Adventure. (Artist’s recreation of a UFO encountered by the US Navy; image by Dave Beaty of The Nimitz Encounters.) Overview We’ll cover some revelations of a supposed Galactic Federation. The stories that shape our analysis and response of alien headlines. Why this topic is so compelling and immediately grabs headlines. For background, listen to our episode 22: How do Christians Discern UFO Accounts in Light of Scripture? You may also appreciate this episode about UFOs, featuring Colin Samul on The Pop Culture Coram Deo podcast. 1. Traces of the galactic community Many UFO headlines have been published since we last explored this topic. The Galactic Federation revealed (or not) Trump was going to reveal it all. But also, Trump’s tweet from 2014: “I hope we never find life on another planet because if we do there’s no doubt that the United States will start sending them money!” Obama knows something The triangle UAP – The Debrief Unidentified Submersible Phenomena (USOs) captured by the Navy The UAPTF 180-day report Proxima Centauri signal Oumuamua Jacques Vallee and James Fox on Joe Rogan Tom Delonge & The UFO Phenomena | Cultish 2. How alien stories shape us The way we respond to these stories is heavily influenced by the stories we consume and the stories we tell ourselves. Pop culture: breakdown into three categories. Friendly, Hostile, Ambivalent. History: explorers and invaders Cynicism: “Of course they’re lying to us. Therefore aliens.” Insignificance: “Of course there’s aliens because we’re nothing special.” Specialness: Sekret Machines books. Of course, the Bible itself is a story that informs our views. But, reading the same Bible, Stephen and I come to different conclusions a

Want to feel old at Christmas? The first Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, released in 2005 and is now fifteen years old. Five years later, the third Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, released in 2010, so it’s now ten years old. Let’s explore these films’ successes and failures, as we’re joined by a special guest and “prince” of Narnia here on Fantastical Truth. Introducing ‘Rilian’ of NarniaWeb Rilian started a podcast called “Narnia News and Notes” This became the NarniaWeb.com podcast, and it’s now called Talking Beasts. The twice-monthly podcast explores Narnia books and films. It’s even featured actors from the film series. “Of course he isn’t safe. But he is good.” 1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Walden Media produced, Disney distributed Released in the U. S. on Dec. 9, 2005 Budget: about $180 million Earned: about $745 million We share our memories of the film’s anticipation We share our initial and current response to the film Briefly we also mention Prince Caspian (2008) C. S. Lewis himself expressed his feelings about adapting Narnia for a visual medium. From Lewis’s letter to Lance Sieveking in 1959: But I am absolutely opposed—adamant isn’t in it!—to a TV version. Anthropomorphic animals, when taken out of narrative into actual visibility, always turn into buffoonery or nightmare. At least, with photography. Cartoons (if only Disney did not combine so much vulgarity with his genius!) wd. be another matter. A human, pantomime, Aslan wd. be to me blasphemy. From Lewis’s letter to Jane Douglass in 1954: Aslan is a divine figure, and anything remotely approaching the comic (above all anything in the Disney line) would be to me simple blasphemy. 2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) Walden Media produced, 20th Century Fox distributed (Now that Disney has bought Fox, this film is also owned by Disney.) Released in the U. S. on Dec. 10, 2010 Budget: about $140–$155 million Earned: about $415 million We share our memories of the film’s anticipation We share our initial and current response to the film Caution: we’re a bit negative, especially about the humanistic hints in earlier films that flourish into non-book themes here. 3. What’s next for Narnia? We lament the current limbo of further (and faithful) Narnia film adaptations. Yes, Netflix technically has the rights to remake the series, and we express cautious pessimism. Briefly we explore the pros and cons of making Narnia movies versus making Narnia miniseries, for certain books. Stranger Than Fantastical Fiction “Japanese Police Panel Proposes Crossbow Permits To Prevent Crimes,” The Daily Caller, Dec. 17, 2020 This isn’t for a citizen vigilante force. There was apparently a crossbow attack in Hyogo province, back in June, that injured and killed four people. So this is about preventing future crossbow attacks. Apparently there have been other crossbow attacks in recent years in other countries. Is there a crossbow villain out there somewhere? At any rate, the Japanese police want to limit crossbow usage to ” animal anesthesia, academic research or sports.” Perhaps next we will see a Japanese, crossbow equivalent to the NRA? I can already see the bumper stickers. Next on Fantastical Truth Announcement: this episode is our last regular episode of this year. Next year brings great topics, including many we couldn’t explore this year! Well-wishes, merry Christmas, happy new year, further up and further in, etc.

What if you were a piskey girl, born without wings, raised underground, and desperate to learn to fly so she can venture in the strange world beyond? That’s the start of author R. J. Anderson’s series The Flight and Flame Trilogy, whose book 2, Nomad, just released in November. Now, R. J. is our guest on Fantastical Truth. Lorehaven reviews Swift A famous movie colonel stated, “You can’t handle the truth!” But just as often it’s even harder to handle getting to the truth itself. In R. J. Anderson’s Swift, book 1 of her Flight and Flame trilogy, a miniature young piskey woman named Ivy must handle many difficult situations. Only then can she learn many different truths about her mother, her real allies and enemies, the piskeys themselves and their real history, the outside world and whom she can trust, and herself. Ivy’s story feels self-contained, though not every question is answered or conflict resolved. This little novel packs big twists and turns that will keep readers engaged all the way through the end. Lorehaven reviews Nomad A tiny heroine finds big adventure in R. J. Anderson’s Nomad, book 2 of the Flight and Flame Trilogy series. It follows Ivy’s adventures as she explores the greater world, learns more about her gifts as a child of piskeys and fairies, and makes new friends as well as a powerful enemy. Her efforts to help her piskey clan appear largely thankless, and she becomes embroiled in the convoluted past of her companion Martin. Developments and discoveries abound, though as befitting the middle book of a trilogy, fans will find little resolution so far. Overall, Nomad is a rollicking read with some fascinating conflicts and plot twists that should be very satisfying to those who enjoyed the first book, Swift. Introducing R. J. Anderson R. J. (Rebecca Joan) Anderson is a Canadian author of fantasy and science fiction for older children and teens. Her debut novel Knife, which has sold more than 80,000 copies worldwide, was a Canadian Library Association Honour Book and won the Concorde Book Award in the UK, while her young adult thriller Ultraviolet was shortlisted for both the Sunburst Award in Canada and the Nebula Award in the US. Her latest release is the Flight and Flame Trilogy, beginning with the US editions of Swift and Nomad (formerly published only in the UK) and wrapping up with a brand-new third book, Torch (coming February 2021). Follow her website at RJ-Anderson.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. Read her article “The Christian Roots of Fantasy” from Lorehaven‘s fall 2018 print issue. You can also browse her novels, including any Lorehaven reviews, in the Lorehaven library. We ask questions such as: 1. How did you find biblical truth and fantastical stories? 2. What other stories have you created, and what led you this universe of fairies and piskeys? 3. Tell us about book 3, and then what’s next for you? This painting, “Every Knee Shall Bow,” is from contemporary artist Gaye Frances Willard. Prints are available here. Fantastic fans We had plenty of discussion surrounding episode 44, “How Might Santa Claus Serve in Your Christmas Celebration?: Christian Jaeschke wrote: My parents didn’t believe that he was a danger to my upbringing and imagination, I just never grew up with the belief in Father Christmas. So he never really made an impression on me. I remember being very young and getting in trouble at school for telling my classmates that he wasn’t real (no malicious intent, I was a curious child). At 7 years old, I remember being flummoxed by his appearance in Narnia, but I got over that quickly. Denise Bryce wrote: The American story of Santa Claus has evolved far beyond the European historical figure (and legend) of St. Nicholas. I distinguish between the American Santa and the historical St. Nicholas. I see Santa Claus as a competitor to Jesus. Santa is omniscient (knows when you’ve been sleeping, etc), omnipotent (that’s a lot of toys to deliver!), and omnipresent (every home in the sorta-Christian world on the same night!). December 6th is St. Nicholas Day in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions, and that’s a fine day to hang stockings. Tim Steele wrote: We made intentional time when our children were toddler / elementary age reading ” ‘Twas a Night before Christmas,” penned by Clement Clarke Moore, coupled with a book explaining the historical Saint Nicholas (4th century AD), in an age-appropriate way which led to some great conversations allowing our children to enjoy the Christmas season and yet also celebrate The Reason for the Season. Stranger than fantastical fiction “Former Israeli space security chief says aliens exist, humanity not ready,” The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 10, 2020 Next on Fantastical Truth About fifteen years ago, in December 2005, many new fans first entered a wardrobe and passed into C. S. Lewis’s land of Narnia, at least as director And

Every Christmas, you see this image as a painting, meme, card, or ornament: a devoted Santa Claus, with his red elf-hat removed, kneels before the Christ-child in a manger. Still, many well-meaning Christians see Santa as a pretender to Christ’s throne rather than a worshiper before Him. How do faithful fans respond? What do you think about the “Santa Claus vs. Jesus Christ” clash at Christmas? Concession stand If you just got here to Fantastical Truth, this episode builds on many others. We have a growing body of work here and at Lorehaven about magic and Santa. Also, no, we’re not accusing anyone of legalism here. That’d be legalistic. Quotes and notes Redeeming Santa Legends for Delighting in Grace, article Don’t Ditch Santa, part 1, article Don’t Ditch Santa, part 2, article Jesus vs. Santa Notions are Stuff and Nonsense, article Fictional Magic, two-part podcast series Author and pastor John Piper writes: It is mindboggling to me that any Christian would even contemplate such a trade, that we would divert attention away from the incarnation of the God of the universe into this world to save us and our children. Not only is Santa Claus not true — and Jesus is very truth himself — but compared to Jesus, Santa is simply pitiful, and our kids should be helped to see this. Santa Claus offers only earthly things, nothing lasting, nothing eternal. Bethany J. wrote: I’m not a fan of Santa, myself, but my big issue with him isn’t the make-believe (which is fine!) or even the “competition” he supposedly makes for the true purpose of Christmas. My issue with him is that it often goes beyond make-believe and becomes just a flat-out lie. I don’t have a problem with Christians including Santa in their Christmas traditions, but should Christian parents really tell their kids that Santa is REAL, when he’s not? JoAnna wrote: Many years ago we stopped playing the Santa game because I had a child who insisted Santa was real but not Jesus. She was too confused by all the hype. So we switched to treating Santa like [any] other cartoon character and made sure the kids all knew mom was the real gifter of toys ?. For us Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’s coming to earth along with celebrating the joy of being together. We’re not anti-Santa either. I try and teach my kids about St. Nicholas and many of the other wintertime characters. William Umstattd wrote: Giving gifts is a great analogy representing the gift Jesus was and is to the world. Jesus gave the gift of eternal life so we give gifts to each other on Christmas as a reenactment of what Jesus did for us. We do this in December because winter is sad, depressing and cold. We were sad and depressed in our sin but then Jesus came and turned our sadness into happiness. Christmas and gift giving is the same but for winter instead of sin. As a four year old this concept is difficult to understand. What’s easy to understand is the excitement of getting a gift. 1. Sacred Santa: Santa stands beside the manger This is the idolatry we all kinda fear deep down in our imaginations. Yes, we have our Nativity scene. But Santa Claus is given equal value. Or maybe the big six-foot animated Santa glows brighter than the scene. We could adopt the Santa mythology wholesale, potential idols and all. Yes, we could drift into consumerism, and enjoying gifts for their own sake. We even sing along with songs that reinforce moralism. Piper rightly notes: Santa Claus offers his ephemeral goodies only on the condition of good works: “He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake.” That is a pure works religion. And Jesus offers himself all the gifts freely, by grace, for faith. 2. Satanic Santa: The manger must crush Santa’s head By contrast, or in response, other parents bar Santa from the scene entirely. Some buy into superstition, even the whole “SATAN” anagram, or anti-magic. Of course, you get plenty of suspicions about early paganism in Christmas. All of Church history tangles with false religions here and there. It’s a fact. Honestly, even Piper for his wisdom crosses into this territory in his article. Some idolize parents, but we wouldn’t disparage them as inferior to Jesus! It’s a healthy fear of idols, twisted into a fear of God’s material gifts in culture. This painting, “Every Knee Shall Bow,” is from contemporary artist Gaye Frances Willard. Prints are available here. 3. Servant Santa: Santa kneels at the manger and before Christ’s throne Both those methods can set up idols based on fear/control, not gospel grace. Piper is right to expose Santa-as-idol, but ignores Santa-as-cultural-servant. Piper writes: Not only is Santa Claus not true — and Jesus is very truth himself — but compared to Jesus, Santa is simply pitiful, and our kids should be helped to see this. To this Stephen responded

What if you put Yoda, a G. I. Joe, He-Man, Skeletor, a Care Bear, and more nostalgic 1980s toys into a yellow box, and sent it hurtling at you through a green void, hurled by a shadowy figure in the background that could only be The Devil? That’s the cover of a book from vintage 1980s evangelical culture, and we’re exploring turmoil in toy boxes just in time for this holiday season. Sponsor: The Pop Culture Parent Parents often feel at a loss with popular culture and how it fits in with their families. They want to love their children well, but it can be overwhelming to navigate the murky waters of television, movies, games, and more that their kids are exposed to every day. Popular culture doesn’t have to be a burden. The Pop Culture Parent equips mothers, fathers, and guardians to build relationships with their children by entering into their popular culture–informed worlds, understanding them biblically, and passing on wisdom. This resource by authors Jared Moore, E. Stephen Burnett, and Ted Turnau provides Scripture-based, practical help for parents to enjoy the messy gift of popular culture with their kids. Introducing Turmoil in the Toy Box (1986) From the back cover: A shocking exposé of the toy and cartoon industry. It reveals the hidden dangers found in He-Man and Masters of the Universe, Barbie, Rainbow Brite, G.I. Joe, Smurfs, Dungeons and Dragons, Care Bears, ThunderCats, E. T., Cabbage Patch, to name a few. This book unmasks the New Age, Occult, Violent, and Satanic influences that have invaded the once innocent toy box. TURMOIL IN THE TOY BOX also explains the importance of play, and how toys can enhance or stunt a child’s development. In addition, this book provides the reader with an alternative to today’s more popular toys. This book first released in 1983 from a company called Starburst. Author Phil Phillips was a traveling evangelist who became concerned about toys. Since then, Phillips seems to keep a low profile since this book (and similar followups). The book is largely forgotten, yet it seems to have contributed to some evangelical “moral panics” in the 1980s and 1990s. One website, Cartoon Brew, revisited the book a few years ago. This is one rare example of a non-Christian resource’s fair evaluation. Concession stand We will be kind. This author meant well. Nothing we say questions media discernment. Nothing we say challenges the threat of the occult or Satan. But: occult harm comes by the heart, not by “catching” symbols’ evils. Also: Stephen can’t personally vouch for the 1980s toys, of which he had few. 1. This book could have been much worse; the author shows good will. Phillips makes some positive references to child psychology The book shares healthy warnings about consumerism and binge-watching. Even better, he offers encouragement for parents to play with their kids and stimulate imagination! 2. Still, the book merely assumes evils of occult ‘symbolism.’ With the influx of television in our lives, it often shapes the personalities that children give to their toys. Today, many major toy companies simultaneously release toys and cartoons. As a result, when children watch cartoons, images are formed in their minds regarding how the toy should behave and the various “powers” it has. … When a child watches a cartoon and then plays with a toy connected to that cartoon, he is no longer projecting himself into the toy. Instead, cartoons have programmed the child to play with toys in a certain way. … For this reason, it is not healthy for children to play with toys linked to television shows. When a toy is linked to occult symbolisms, the negative influences are more severe. —Turmoil in the Toy Box, page 35 (emphasis added) The author jumps from rational and even “secular” arguments, to conclusions about the occult or Satan. He does not reason or shows from Scripture, but only assumes, these occult connections and their dangers. Ultimately the book shares both healthy warnings about children’s imaginative development, mixed with mysticism. 3. The book offers very little gospel; its reasoning is secular and/or moral. When Stephen re-read this book, he thought he would find lots of religious arguments. Instead, Phillips rarely argues from the Bible. He even engages a lot with secular culture. The author seems more adept with secular literature. If he mentions the gospel, it’s only in asides. But in a book about holiness and sin, you can’t just limit the gospel to asides. A Christian book must stress the gospel! Ultimately Stephen felt this book gave him good challenges when he first read it in the 1990s. It also gave him categories for grounding “pop culture parenting” more firmly in the gospel of Jesus Christ. What do you think? Tell us about your favorite toys, and/or Christian warnings against them. As an adult, how do you look back at thes

What if you lived in an Arctic-like frontier, trying to survive despite the Invaders who keep moving into your native land? Then the Invaders kidnapped your brother, who told the captain the secret location of a lost treasure? Explore the award-winning fantasy novel Seventh City with us and author Emily Hayse! From Lorehaven’s featured review of Seventh City: Cold weather can bring wintry mixes of ice and freezing rain, which in turn can give us mixed feelings. Songs may romanticize falling snow and crackling fires, while kids long for days home from school. Then reality stings our skin with frostbite and makes grown-ups fear icy injuries and frozen pipes. Is winter, then, good or bad? It’s both and neither. Winter is just a season, offering equal parts peril and cheer. So it is with Seventh City, the wintry-mixed and morally challenging fantasy from Emily Hayse. Set in a land north of this fantasy world’s Arctic circle, this tale starts simply: a young mother tells her daughter, Maki, about the fabled city, Inik Katsuk. This is “the place where the heroes dwell,” the mother recalls. “It was closed to all but those who proved themselves worthy. . . . And the good live there.” A day later, Maki and her older brother, Tsanu, can’t find her. Their mother has abandoned them. From there, Seventh City fulfills its silent pledge to explore a land of incredible physical and moral terrain. Chilled weather threatens your life, yet also blesses you with epic snowscapes, campfire camaraderie, and glimpses of the aurora borealis. Meanwhile, even heroes must tread on ground frozen by bitter grief: When Tsanu is kidnapped by a foreign military captain determined to find the lost city, Maki must rescue him by infiltrating the camp of these hated Invaders. It’s in this territory, often unmapped by Christian readers, that Seventh City truly inspires. Yes, these Invaders are only irredeemable. Or are they? Yes, Maki’s people, the land’s natives, are only oppressed victims. Or are they? Readers tempted to favor simplistic approaches to the obvious bad guys—even invaders!—may grow by imagining themselves in a land that leaves one no easy choices to survive or do the most good. As one Invader (boldly named Ransom) phrases it, “There are many ways to react to the wrong we see in the world, Maki. Some run away from it, have nothing to do with it. Others ignore it—I cannot speak for them. It is the coward’s way. And still others brave it to its face and try, in their way, to make it better.” Like a skilled dogsled driver, Hayse navigates such perilous turns and keeps all jostling characters and subplots on their course. It’s a beauty to behold, especially when realization dawns about these deeper cultural and moral themes. Lest one expect any literary slush, it’s all been pre-cleared for smooth sledding. Sure, we’ve read those brave-girl-dresses-up-as-boy stories and seen other lost-city stories, but City treats these as relatively minor elements. Even one great leap, the concept that an ambitious and abusive Invader captain would trust one strange young man’s word about an ancient city, makes more sense by the story’s end. Hayse portrays this land so realistically, even with detailed handling of horse-care and snowshoe-crafting, that one half-expects to hear mentions of the Klondike Gold Rush. Seventh City feels like a lost history from our own world. It is only separated from reality by imaginative touches like a mythical city and giant creatures. Bundle up for Seventh City’s fantastical journey, and don’t mind the wintry skies. Only from such gray areas can we experience the lessons and wonders of winter. Exploring Seventh City with author Emily Hayse Emily Hayse is a lover of log cabins, strong coffee, NASCAR, and the smell of old books. Her writing is fueled by good characters and a lifelong passion for storytelling. When she is not busy turning words into worlds, she can often be found baking, singing, or caring for one of the many dogs and horses in her life. She lives with her family in Michigan. Follow her on her website, Twitter, and Instagram. Today, Emily releases The Rivers Lead Home & Other Stories, a short story anthology set in the world of Seventh City. Find this new volume’s digital release or pick up the paperback. We ask questions such as: How did you first discover biblical faith and fantastic imagination? Which images led to your creation of Seventh City? How did you read and research to bring Maki’s chilly world to life? You’ve mentioned this: how did your season of grief affect the story? You also mentioned this during the award announcements. Quite a surprise? What other (standalone? fantasy?) novels have you written? Which stories next seem to be calling your name? Fantastic fans David Corder writes about episode 35: I enjoyed this episode about C.S. Lewis and his thinking in regards to creating story, and how it was talked about how you don’t “preach” in a sto

This year, one of us at Fantastical Truth cancelled Netflix, and the other did not. Maybe you should too? Or maybe you are not actually “supposed” to join this “cancel culture.” More recently, we just had another Halloween, a subject of many boycotts. Should Christians join this habit of boycotting things? Will this change anything in them? Or could this change anything in ourselves? Sponsored episode Lorehaven’s new issue has released for fall 2020! This includes our cover feature with Seventh City author Emily Hayse. Get our review of this Arctic fantasy and Emily’s new article about it. Plus more than 12 reviews of the best Christian-made fantasy we can find. Subscribe at Lorehaven.com for updates. We’re planning upgrades in 2021. You’ll not want to miss this news. Exploring boycott ‘cancel culture’ with Cap Stewart Cap Stewart is a contributing writer to the nonfiction book Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues, edited by Joshua D. Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior. Cap developed his love of stories through drama, radio, freelance writing and editing, videography, independent filmmaking, and collecting and reviewing film scores. He has written for several print and online publications. Cap instructs online audiences on the Christian’s forgotten duty when confronting a pornified culture. He has written several articles for Lorehaven’s blog and has been blogging at Happier Far since 2006. Cap Stewart Some of Cap’s relevant articles include: A Public Plea to the Director of Cuties, CapStewart.com When High Fantasy Becomes Porn Fantasy 1 Game of Thrones Sex: It’s Not Just Awkward, It’s Violation Actually, Fantastic Films Don’t Require Sex and Nudity We explore questions such as: First let’s talk about Netflix and That Movie. What’s our response to this? How have Christians understood “boycotts” in the past and present? Is this just a “culture war,” like newer, secular versions of “cancel culture”? Should we avoid, say, Netflix or Halloween even for non-“boycott” reasons? What are good and uniquely biblical reasons to avoid nudity in movies? How do we see the early Church avoiding/engaging their pagan culture? How can we avoid/support so we can grow, and maybe influence others? Fantastic fans David Umstaddt wrote about episode 39: I’ve been trying to tell people how Christian and profound the Dracula book is. Alas it seems there hasn’t been a good adaptation that really “gets” Dracula. The board game Fury of Dracula is probably the best adaptation I’ve seen. I REALLY want that shirt with that Bram Stoker quote on it. The one about novelists job being to emulate Christ in long form. Next on Fantastical Truth What if you lived in an Arctic-like frontier, trying to survive despite the Invaders who keep moving into your native land? Then the Invaders kidnapped your brother, who told the captain the secret location of a lost treasure? Explore the award-winning fantasy novel Seventh City with us and author Emily Hayse!

For generations, politics have been taking over imaginations. This seems especially true in the United States this election year. But is this really true? In fact, we all have little imaginations, experiences and pictures hidden deep in our minds, that influence our views on politics and public policies. Today’s sponsor Lorehaven has released its fall 2020 issue! You can read it today exclusively at Lorehaven.com. Our cover story features novelist Emily Hayse with her award-winning Arctic fantasy Seventh City. Inside, you’ll find fourteen other reviews of the best Christian-made fantasy. You can also find fantastic gift items at the Lorehaven store, such as exclusive Tshirts for Christian fans. Concession stand Obviously, we won’t talk about who to vote for in any elections. We’ll also try to make this topic more “evergreen,” not locked in place/time. However, we will talk about some public policy, at least on the way. We do assume that “voting” is a Christian’s civic responsibility. We also assume that religious freedom is real and worth fighting for. At the same time, Christians don’t run society like a local church. We often debate what this means. Another assumption: we’re not like an Old Testament society. Leaders are not kings or even Caesars. We prefer irreverent humor about politics, to prevent it from becoming too much of an idol. Now, how can fantasy help better shape our views on politics, public policy, and perceptions of elected leaders? 1. Stories help us explore how messy our world is, with hard choices. Shallow stories often pretend the world is simple, with easy choices. Good guys versus bad guys, no antiheroes, no villains with complex stories. Bible heroes are not always the good guys, and “sinners” aren’t always the bad guys. Historical figures and early church leaders aren’t always good, compared to bad guys. Reality isn’t like that. The best stories remind us of this uncomfortable fact. Darth Vader and other horrible villains might have a good heart deep down. Christians can behave abusively, while God works good in secular authorities. Oh, and you might have to vote for a bad guy, to prevent a worse bad guy. 2. Stories help us see reality apart from modern labels and stigmas. Not long ago we talked about C. S. Lewis’s “watchful dragons.” Lewis didn’t just make pictures for fun. He thought about their practical use. Similarly, a modern creator may start with images, but also think as citizens. This is why I think it’s good for stories to engage with public policy issues. This isn’t about specific political parties. It’s about the deeper beliefs we have. Stories can reduce these issues to their elemental form. We see them anew. We can also “simulate” the consequences of particular ideas in another world. We can also see human sources of beliefs, for example, the Sexualityism religion. Stories like The Island, Frank Peretti’s novel Prophet, Star Trek, and Doctor Who explore human life’s dignity. 3. Stories help us see that we can’t simply bludgeon one another with “Facts.” Memes and stories help subvert the weird ideas we have without knowing it. Stories remind us that even political opponents have their tragic backstories. By the way, it’s good to recall this in debates: lived experience shapes belief. For example, no one is ever, socialism-curious because socialists make great points. They’re socialism-curious often partly because of bad experiences that they associate with whatever they regard as “capitalism.” Modern politics is a dark pit that can swallow our soul. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be vote or be involved in politics. Many faithful Christians are! But without Christ as our ultimate king, we can lose our souls as we fight the other side. Fantastic fans L. G. McCary wrote: Zack’s comments about how he would fall asleep watching 24 reminded me of this story: back in high school, a camp director started a sermon by saying that for him, watching Star Trek was a sin. I rolled my eyes because I grew up on Star Trek. Then he explained that he usually did his quiet time in the evenings before bed, and he found that when he watched Star Trek, he was so excited or interested in what he’d just watched that he couldn’t focus on reading his Bible and hearing from God. He finally quit watching the show altogether. He ended the sermon by saying “I’m not saying watching Star Trek is a sin. I’m saying for me, Star Trek damaged my relationship with God and watching it became a sin. I want you to think about the things in your life that might not be inherently sinful but are still a hindrance to your walk with Christ. Throw them off so you can run your race well, even if it feels silly.” Next on Fantastical Truth This year, Stephen cancelled N

“Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own free will! … Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring. … I am Dracula, and I bid you welcome …” He’s no cartoon. He’s no misunderstood monster. Instead, the infamous Count Dracula is a hideous perversion of humanity. This parasitic undead being preys spiritually and physically on the innocent, and must be destroyed. Join us as we explore Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and its incredible reflections of good heroes who use common and sacred weapons to hunt and to slay this incredible evil. Excerpt from Dracula This starts with Dr. Van Helsing speaking. He’s not a cartoon or an action hero. He’s a gentle, fierce, and fatherly professor. “But before we go let me see you armed against personal attack. I have myself, since you came down, prepared your chamber by the placing of things of which we know, so that He may not enter. Now let me guard yourself. On your forehead I touch this piece of Sacred Wafer in the name of the Father, the Son, and . . .” There was a fearful scream which almost froze our hearts to hear. As he had placed the Wafer on Mina’s forehead, it had seared it . . . had burned into the flesh as though it had been a piece of whitehot metal. My poor darling’s brain had told her the significance of the fact as quickly as her nerves received the pain of it,and the two so overwhelmed her that her overwrought nature had its voice in that dreadful scream. But the words to her thought came quickly. The echo of the scream had not ceased to ring on the air when there came the reaction, and she sank on her knees on the floor in an agony of abasement. Pulling her beautiful hair over her face, as the leper of old his mantle, she wailed out. “Unclean! Unclean! Even the Almighty shuns my polluted flesh! I must bear this mark of shame upon my forehead until the Judgement Day.” They all paused. I had thrown myself beside her in an agony of helpless grief, and putting my arms around held her tight. For a few minutes our sorrowful hearts beat together, whilst the friends around us turned away their eyes that ran tears silently. Then Van Helsing turned and said gravely. So gravely that I could not help feeling that he was in some way inspired, and was stating things outside himself. “It may be that you may have to bear that mark till God himself see fit, as He most surely shall, on the Judgement Day, to redress all wrongs of the earth and of His children that He has placed thereon. And oh, Madam Mina, my dear, my dear, may we who love you be there to see, when that red scar, the sign of God’s knowledge of what has been, shall pass away, and leave your forehead as pure as the heart we know. For so surely as we live, that scar shall pass away when God sees right to lift the burden that is hard upon us. Till then we bear our Cross, as His Son did in obedience to His Will. It may be that we are chosen instruments of His good pleasure, and that we ascend to His bidding as that other through stripes and shame. Through tears and blood. Through doubts and fear, and all that makes the difference between God and man.” There was hope in his words, and comfort. Interview about the vampire with Geoffrey Reiter Geoffrey Reiter (Associate Editor) is associate professor and coordinator of literature at Lancaster Bible College. He holds a BA in English from Nyack College and a Ph.D. in English from Baylor University, along with an MA in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of several academic articles on genre fiction and philosophy and has also written for Christianity Today online. We explore questions like: How did we both discover Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula? How did Bram Stoker come to write Dracula? What are some general myths people have about Stoker’s famous Count? What key themes and elements in the novel are often overlooked by pop culture adaptations, including the many dozens of Dracula movies? How do Jonathan and Mina Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincy Morris fight the Count and his evils? What of Dracula’s legacy in creative history, including pop Christian works? For example C. S. Lewis may have referenced Stoker’s Dracula in The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, book 4): “You don’t know what you do by keeping me here. I am speaking from the depths of my heart, of my very soul. You don’t know whom you wrong, or how, and I may not tell. Woe is me! I may not tell. By all you hold sacred, by all you hold dear, by your love that is lost, by your hope that lives, for the sake of the Almighty, take me out of this and save my soul from guilt!” —Renfield, a madman being sane, in Dracula chapter 18 ″‘Once and for all,’ said the prisoner, ‘I adjure you to set me free. By all fears and all loves, by the bright skies of Over

Want to be perfectly safe? Want to guarantee your own life, foretell the future, and control your world? Want to … become a god? Then just follow this four-step method: Believe a lie. Practice some occult method that the real God forbids. ???? Profit. Of course, this kind of idolatrous witchcraft doesn’t work in reality. It also isn’t usually the same as reading a fantasy novel with “magic” people, practices, or things in it. But what if Christians can’t tell them apart? Or feel genuinely tempted by the association between occult magic God forbids, and fictional magic that you might enjoy? Concession stand Repeated: “fictional magic” definition versus “occult magic” definition. In this series, we often cite examples of “white magic” from Christian circles. This isn’t because we Blame the Church first. It’s just based on familiarity. We don’t believe the Holy Spirit is useless. Most in Christ’s Church know better. More often, to be sure, it’s non-Christians who practice idolatrous “magic.” 1. Fictional magic may or may not provoke these temptations in readers. Again, it’s helpful to note what God doesn’t warn against in Deut. 18. Do imaginations or folklore ideas, such as flying brooms or magical “superpowers,” fit inside the Biblical category of actual witchcraft? Or do they come from popular culture, historic folklore, or story traditions? Reading and imagining these does not automatically count as doing divination or practicing idolatry. Things, in the Bible and in reality, do not always lead to automatic sin For some people, certain things do not automatically tempt us to sin. 2. Yes, many Christians would disagree on this. How do we respond to them? Some fantasy fans, and readers, seem truly tempted by stuff that doesn’t tempt us. Here we might run into some differences between generations, regions, and experiences. Romans 14:1–6: As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. (Romans 14:1–6, ESV) These texts are about the “gray areas,” stuff that tempts some but not others. People tempted by a thing are “weaker,” and those who aren’t are “stronger.” Paul talks about “opinions” in Romans, and “association with idols” in 1 Corinthians 8. He doesn’t speak of stronger folks having convictions, versus compromisers. 1 Corinthians 8: Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Corinthians 8, ESV) 3. We can glorify Christ with fictional magic! Yet let’s care for family and fans who still struggle. Many people, myself included, do not associate folklore magic with idols. Th

Our hero rides a broom. The sidekick turns his enemy into a toad. Then things get even dicier when another character talks with a ghost, or predicts the future. What’s a Christian fan to think about fantasy stories that include magic? Or creatures? Or (especially around this time of year) creepy and evil-looking creatures? How does Scripture actually warn us about the occult, and why? Episode sponsor Here’s a fantasy for middle-grade readers: Legend of the Storm Sneezer, from author Kristiana Sfirlea. Monster Ivy Publishing says this is “for fans of Doctor Who and the darkly whimsical.” 13-year-old Rose Skylar (rose SKY-ler) sneezed a magical storm cloud at birth, and it’s followed her around ever since. But when Stormy causes too many disasters, Rose is taken to an asylum for unstable magic in a haunted forest whose trees have turned to stone. Guided by time traveling letters, Rose teams up with her future selves and her (maybe) imaginary best friend to save her storm cloud and solve the mystery of the specters and the stone trees. But will they find what killed the ghosts before what killed the ghosts finds them? Explore more at KristianasQuill.com. See listings at Amazon, Bookshop, Indiebound, and Barnes & Noble. Concession stand First, a word about expectations. We use “fictional magic” to mean made-up magic that doesn’t work in reality. We use “occult magic” to describe suspicious practices, likely forbidden to us. Also, this isn’t just about “mechanics of writing,” like magic systems or style. It’s about whether and why, not what or how, magic appears in fantasy. Second, we won’t dismiss the challenge as if only legalists would care. Rather, this is an important challenge. It’s about holiness and obeying Jesus. If someone could show me that fantasy magic is sin, we must get rid of it. After all, Jesus got “harsh” by saying even offending limbs have got to go. Christians have many stories. Some of us know more about occult evils. Others know more about evangelical “white magic” practices or legalism. One may say to the other, “That’s not a problem!” when it really is. So this really, really calls for sensitivity, even awareness of sin-trauma. Third, we will still view any experience or tradition according to Scripture. Reason: it’s Scripture, not experience, that should interpret all other stories. That includes our personal experiences and that includes our fictional works. One key idea I will assume going forward: sin comes from heart, not things. My key text here is Mark 7, when Jesus challenges the “food = sin” notion. The idea that sin comes from things can itself be pagan: occult-type thinking. By contrast, Jesus and the apostles teach about us redeeming gifts. They also teach (especially Paul) about sensitivity to those who are tempted. We’ll deal more with that in our second and third points about application. First, we must do some “deep magic” about magic warnings in the Bible! 1. Fictional magic is everywhere, and more than we realize. This isn’t just about Harry Potter or Twilight controversies (from last decades). Christians often fail to realize that “magic” in stories can take many forms. We often lock all our deadbolts against stories with overt magical content. But we open doors to “the Force” of Star Wars or classic Disney fairy tales. You can call the story’s magic “science,” “superpowers,” or “alien abilities.” But it’s still indistinguishable from magic. In practice, it’s all just magic. Space doesn’t permit a full exploration of fictional magic. But we can try to focus on what many discernment materials don’t: What magic, exactly, does Scripture warn about and why does it warn us? 2. Scripture warns against real occult practices that result from idolatry. Our key text is Deuteronomy 18, the prime Old Testament warning. It helps to read the whole thing, not just verses nine through twelve. There’s more in here than a focus on pagans doing pagan things. When we step back we see God focusing on Israel’s leadership and worship. Deut. 18 continues last chapter’s instructions about these crucial themes. Deut. 17: trials for individual sin, priest and judge discernment, future king. Deut. 18: God specifies how his people should support the order of priests. For now, the priests are God’s special class of “mediators” for Israel. That’s the context for why God moves to a darker topic: fake mediators. Idols. Briefly, let’s go verse by verse in Deuteronomy 18: “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.” First we read this as they would have read it, with their context, not ours. “The land is yours but it’s a bad neighborhood. Don’t copy your neighbors.” Next we apply this truth to

We’ve re-entered the most “spooktacular” season of the year. In our next episode, we’ll explore occult magic and concerns Christians often have! But today, how might such paranormal or even horror elements like ghosts and spirits and such-like actually help awaken our imaginations to the good and evil worlds around us? Mike Duran, author of many books including the Reagan Moon series, joins us to explore the paranoir genre. The Reagan Moon series Lorehaven reviewed book 2, Saint Death, in our very first issue. Excerpt: What do you get when you cross a quasi-Catholic folk cult, an interdimensional conspiracy, and a hard-boiled reporter/Earth Guardian? Why, Mike Duran’s Saint Death, of course. This second installment in the Reagan Moon series conjures a menagerie of the grotesque and macabre. When an anonymous tip leads Moon to a shrine used for human sacrifice, he learns demonic forces are threatening Los Angeles. But this time our loner hero must team with a band of fellow oddballs to stand a chance of averting catastrophe. Book 3, The Third Golem, is described in part: Reagan Moon is a survivor. He’s bested ghosts, lizard people, and death angels. But his greatest foe is waiting in the wings. When an herbalist is ritually murdered in Chinatown, Reagan Moon and the Imperia are drawn into a mysterious plot to reawaken a mythical monster. Seems Balfour Rothbard, chaos magician and technological whiz kid, is seeking to resurrect the legendary Third Golem. Rooted in Kabbalistic lore, the fabled golem was created as the ultimate super soldier; a kick-ass artificial intelligence fueled by magic. With the help of Ki, the Wayward Guardian, the magician now seeks to awaken the ancient golem and empower it to occupy a place of ultimate power: The Crossroads of Time. Exploring paranoir dimensions with Mike Duran Mike Duran is a novelist, blogger, and speaker, whose 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. He is the author of The Ghost Box (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 now also The Third Golem (2020). Mike also wrote the Southern Gothic horror novelette Wickers Bog (2016), a non-fiction exploration on the intersection between the horror genre and evangelical fiction entitled Christian Horror), and other novels and nonfiction. You can learn more about Mike Duran, his writing projects, cultural commentary, philosophical musings, and arcane interests, at MikeDuran.com. “What do you get when you cross a quasi-Catholic folk cult, an interdimensional conspiracy, and a hard-boiled reporter/Earth Guardian? Why, Mike Duran’s Saint Death, of course.” —Lorehaven magazine Among our questions for Mike Duran: How did you first discover biblical faith and/or fantastic fiction? How do your understand “paranormal” or “paranoir” stories? What images led to your creation of Reagan Moon and his world? How can these stories uniquely awaken/train the Christian imagination? Now, here’s a fun one: in your belief, is this series a “Christian” series? In today’s world, do you think Christian creators of excellent works can find success in “mainstream” popular culture? What’s next for you and/or for Reagan Moon? Among resources we reference: “Evangelizing Fandom” at Superversive SF Holly Ordway’s book Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith Fantastic fans Guess what. You’ve less than three Christmas shopping months left! We want to know which kids’ books (Christian-made or otherwise) you love. Email us or send a comment via social media. We’ll use any feedback for a future episode about the best kids’ stories. Stranger than fantastical fiction A jet suit company plans to aid emergency services on Britain’s mountains. Reuters video. Reuters article: “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a flying paramedic” BBC article: “Jet suit paramedic tested in the Lake District ‘could save lives’” Next on Fantastical Truth We seem to have stumbled into a “Spectober” podcast series. Next we’ll finally bring to the podcast an issue of rightful concern to many Christians: should we enjoy fantastical tales that have witches, spell-casting, and other magical elements? If we do enjoy these, what are the limits? We’ll delve into Scriptures like Deuteronomy 18, and compare God’s actual warnings about the occult to the fictional ideas popular in fantasy stories.

Christian creators often say things like, “C. S. Lewis didn’t create his fiction to teach Christian truth. Instead he only used his imagination.” But is this what Lewis actually wrote? And is this how Christians ought to create stories today? Stranger Than Fantastical Fiction Life-sized Gundam in Yokohama is now in testing mode This Life-size Gundam Robot Built in Yokohoma, Japan is Terrifying From 2015: Gundam Global Challenge Winners Determined To Make A Full Size Gundam Walk Gundam Factory website Concession stand This theme isn’t responding to anyone in particular. It’s more of a meme. This doesn’t enable the pragmatic, dull, shallow “creativity” we do critique. Also, this isn’t all about authors. We’re all created to be creative for God’s glory. Lewis’s essay: ‘Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s To Be Said’ We’re exploring Lewis’s essay. You can likely find it copied to the internet with a unique phrase like “pure moonshine.” Our copy comes from a paperback called Of Other Worlds: Essays and Short Stories. Here’s the main quote as we often read or hear it: Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child-psychology and decided what age-group I’d write for; drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out ‘allegories’ to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn’t write in that way at all. Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn’t even anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord. Lewis does quietly rebuke the notion of committees making or using stories as mere “teaching tools.” But he also doesn’t accept an idea of “creative freedom” for its own sake. He doesn’t believe in simply “The Author” enjoying images, but also “The Form” and “The Man.” 1. ‘The Author’ Lewis dismisses “the renaissance ideas of ‘pleasing’ and ‘instructing.'” He isn’t addressing the entertainment/teaching dichotomy. Instead he says: All I want to use is the distinction between the author as author and the author as man, citizen, or Christian. What this comes to for me is that there are usually two reasons for writing an imaginative work, which may be called Author’s reason and the Man’s. If only one of these is present, then, so far as I am concerned, the book will not be written. If the first is lacking, it can’t; if the second is lacking, it shouldn’t. Lewis talks about the author: the inspiration, images, imagination. He speaks of “the bubbling,” the disorganized array of ideas and pictures. Only then does he give the example of his own initial Narnian images. But we cannot stop there! Story-making doesn’t end with the images alone. Then “the form” organizes the images and “the man” gives them purpose. 2. ‘The Form’ Lewis says of the initial outpouring of images and ideas: This ferment leads to nothing unless it is accompanied with a longing for a Form: verse or prose, short story, novel, play, or what not. When these two things click you have the Author’s impulse complete. For Narnia, Lewis said the fairy-tale was a perfect form for “what’s to be said”: As these images sorted themselves into events (i.e. became a story) they seemed to demand no love interest and no close psychology. But the Form which excludes these things is the fairy tale. And the moment I thought of that I fell in love with the Form itself: its brevity, its severe restraints on description, its flexible traditionalism, its inflexible hostility to all analysis, digression, reflections, and ‘gas’. . . . The fairy tale seemed the ideal Form for the stuff I had to say. If a creator kept “freedom” with images alone, there would never be a story. This is where the Form “disciplines” our imaginations so we can serve others. 3. ‘The Man’ Next we come to the surprising part: Lewis does believe in intentional faith. This is very important, and often ignored when we talk about Lewis’s stories! Alas, I suspect it’s also ignored by some Christians who want “creative freedom.” Lewis said, “At first there wasn’t even anything Christian about [his images].” Emphasis on at first. Remember when Lewis talked about man/Christian? Here it is. First Author with images and Form, then “the Man.” Capitalized: Then of course the Man in me began to have his turn. I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had

“Viral pandemic takes over year 2020. Everyone is hardest hit, but especially the recreation economy!” Now that you’ve likely spent months struggling with work, school, and all the rest of it, how goes your enjoyment of books? And how can an outreach like Lorehaven, devoted to finding the best Christian fantasy, fare In These Uncertain Times™? Stranger Than Fantastical Fiction It’s official: we’ve entered the Space Laser Wars. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that Russia and China “have weaponized space, through killer satellites, directed energy weapons, and more.” Full video: Defense Secretary Speaks at Air, Space and Cyber Conference. 1. Lorehaven is growing its online presence. Lorehaven.com shares reviews, articles, the SpecFaith blog, a complete library, and beyond. Up through spring 2020, we also offered an actual print magazine every quarter. You could order new copies online (and still can for older issues), or get copies at events. This year we adjusted. We’re sharing more articles online and posting all our existing reviews daily! Lorehaven also hosts the SpecFaith blog. Stephen usually posts on Tuesdays. In fact, that’s how Zack found us. Zack first read these two articles: https://speculativefaith.lorehaven.com/will-christians-colonize-cosmos/ https://speculativefaith.lorehaven.com/twelve-reasons-left-behind-series-actually-awesome-part-1/ And of course, Lorehaven hosts this very podcast, now closing on forty episodes. Meanwhile, Stephen will soon resume livestream events with Realm Makers. The next one is set for this Thursday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. Eastern. Title: How Can Fantastical Stories Boost Your Bible Reading? Of course, there’s still the Lorehaven Book Clubs group on Facebook! Shout-out to Steve Rzasa for running that, with so many great authors there. Remember, Lorehaven is ad-supported. That’s how we can make it free. We also have an online store with, among other fare, truly fantastical shirts. Christmas is coming quicker than you think. Only three shopping months left … 2. Print copies are on hold for the foreseeable future. For the time being, Lorehaven must operate as a webzine. Lack of events means lack of ability to fund and distribute print copies. To clarify: readers want to find our content easily! The best way to do this is digitally. That rules out, say, an older “send print copies by mail to paid subscribers” concept. Lorehaven is funded entirely by advertisers. That means we make it available for free. We’re also more easily able to interact with readers that way. Also that way, we can work better to time reviews with upcoming releases. Our fall 2020 issue is already in the works, with a dozen-plus reviews, new articles, beyond. Of course, you must subscribe free at Lorehaven.com to get that new issue. 3. Lorehaven plan for online outreach and at least some events in 2021. Stephen taught/mentored at two virtual events this year. We really, really miss live events—especially with The Pop Culture Parent now being released! Next year: will live events resume? Such as homeschool and writers’ conferences? If so, then Lord willing, we’ll have Lorehaven booths with many more resources to share. Our mission remains to find the best Christian fantasy that can help us worship Jesus better. Fantastic feedback We share this letter and offer advice about the balance of sheltering kids and training kids to engage their world for Christ. Elizabeth writes about our recent two-part Pop Culture Parent series: My parents were very strict growing up. I couldn’t watch cartoons with magic. My Saturday mornings started with chores first. I had to work as fast as possible so I could watch those morning cartoons. That usually meant I missed the magic themed ones like He-Man or Smurfs. So I grew up watching GI Joe, Transformers and Gumby. Honestly, I’m happy with that because I hate Fantasy, but love SciFi. Now that I’m a parent, I’m strict on what my kids watch, but it’s more about language, visuals and sexual content. I don’t want inappropriate images to be burned into their brains. I don’t want them to be flooded with bad language that they will end up attempting to use in everyday life. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have this discussion with my mother in the past? The idea that the magic from Smurfs really isn’t as bad as some of the junk they put into cartoons now. On the idea of popular culture… My son has had moments of almost anxiety/panic attacks. It relates to the idea of popular culture. He believes in Jesus, in salvation. Every day we have a Bible study and read the Word. Sundays we’ve been hosting a Bible study in our home, since our church is closed. His worry is eternity. What will it be like? What about the video games he plays/the electronics he uses? What about the Marvel movies he enjoys? And then he starts thinki

We often explore the joys of exploring fantastical worlds in books or film. But what’s it like to actually bring these characters to life in a theater setting? Or to help guide the production of live performances for families and churches? Zack explores this creative challenge with Christian Youth Theater artistic director Julie Novak. Christian Youth Theater: mission and values Mission Christian Youth Theater develops character and creativity in kids of all ages through quality theater arts training that brings families and communities together while reflecting the Creator. Values Treat each individual with respect and significance Develop character traits including discipline, self-confidence, and integrity Bring families together through the use of individual talents and abilities Share the love of Christ in word and deed Episode sponsor: The Pop Culture Parent At this point, you may still have concerns about engaging popular culture with your children. Isn’t being a pop culture parent simply optional? Don’t you have more important things to teach your children, such as biblical worldviews, apologetics, or career readiness? Later we will answer these concerns in more detail. For now, we’ll provide the main reason cultural engagement is a vital part of our parental calling. This “impossible” mission—which we must choose to accept—is a way to glorify God by enjoying him forever through his gifts. We do this in three ways: by worshiping and enjoying personal relationships with God through Jesus by the Holy Spirit, by reflecting his grace in relationship with our children and other Christians, and by letting that grace shine to those who need to know God—that is, bringing his gospel to our friends and neighbors. We can’t do any of this apart from making and engaging culture. —from The Pop Culture Parent, page 10 Order The Pop Culture Parent from: Amazon 10ofThose.com New Growth Press The Gospel Coalition store ChristianBook.com Introducing Julie Novak, artistic director, acting instructor at Christian Youth Theater Julie Novak has been teaching and directing theater in a school and community setting for over 20 years. While teaching at the renowned Valley Christian Conservatory, in San Jose, California, she developed her own theater arts curriculum for students 6-8 grades and a curriculum for students 6-12 grade while teaching and directing at Summit Christian Academy in Austin, Texas. Julie has directed plays, musicals, one acts, musical reviews, competition scenes, concerts and benefit shows too numerous to count! She has been trained in a multitude of acting techniques, such as the Wheeler Recording Method, On Camera Acting, Improvisational Acting, various vocal genres and public speaking. Outside of her teaching career she has worked as an acting coach, speaker, ghostwriter, vocalist and done voice over studio work. Her greatest love is working with young people in the arts and helping them develop confidence and belief in their personal gift set. Julie began CYT Austin after she felt called to take her passion to speak life and encouragement into young people through the arts, outside the walls of a school and into her community. Questions that we ask Julie Novak include: What are basic definitions / purposes / ideas of the theater, and/or musical theater, and/or children’s theater? Why become a character, rather than just read about one? What is acting like? How does theater help us explore humanity itself? What’s your own origin story with theater/musical theater/children’s theater? What happens when, say, a performance might go way off-script? What happens when something goes wrong but a quick-thinking performer comes to the rescue? Why choose Christian Youth Theater (CYT)? What is CYT? What can kids expect at CYT? Do you have to be a Christian to work with CYT? CYT says, “Find your character.” What does spiritual development within CYT look like for kids? What does CYT do? How might this be different from other theatrical groups, or Christian theatrical groups? What are some challenges unique to making performances with kids, or unique to Christian theater audiences? How does the gospel specifically motivate excellence in theatrical storytelling, dance, music, and so forth? How do you feel these stories specifically benefit children (and audience members) in their Christian lives? What events are you really hoping to do once the pandemic has (Lord willing) run its course? Fantastic feedback We’re planning a future episode about kids’ favorite fantastical stories (Christian-made or otherwise). Send us your favorite story, including: Your name and permission to read your note on the podcast Your favorite fantastical story, including title and author (if you know) The story’s general plot, and what you loved about it so much Anything else about the story that helped you grow as a Christian.

If God gave humans the gift of making culture, including popular culture, what does that mean for us now? How does human sinfulness corrupt our stories and songs, despite the good reflections in these gifts? And what five questions can help us engage the messy mix of popular culture, and—for Christian parents and leaders—teach our kids to do the same? Zack and Stephen continue exploring Stephen’s new book The Pop Culture Parent. Episode sponsor: The Pop Culture Parent This book has now arrived from New Growth Press! Here’s the book’s back cover: Knowing how to deal with popular culture as a parent can be overwhelming. How can you entered into your children’s lives and connect with their interests but still point them toward Jesus? Many parents fear the influence of popular culture or ignore it altogether. This guide equips parents to raise grace-oriented disciples and cultural missionaries in a post-Christian world. “Ted Turnau and his friends Stephen Burnett and Jared Moore have articulated essential counsel for parents struggling to adopt the right attitudes toward guiding their children, and themselves, into being ‘in the world but not of it.’” William Edgar, apologetics professor at Westminster Theological Seminary “In The Pop Culture Parent, Ted Turnau, Stephen Burnett, and Jared Moore not only effectively remind us that the gospel is relevant to every square inch of our lives but also practically equip us to parent our children with wisdom and discernment. A helpful, thoughtful, and encouraging book.” Bruce Riley Ashford, Provost and professor of Theology and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; author of Letters to an American Christian and The Gospel of Our King “As parents of four and a wide age range, my wife and I just entered our fourth decade with small children in our home. The struggle to raise children to know and honor the Lord in a fallen world is real! The Pop Culture Parent is a wonderful and welcomed resource to help parents leverage culture as we seek to ground our children in the gospel. I only wish it would have been written sooner!” Paul Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board “This book gives us clarity of vision on how parents and kids can navigate the confusing and complex works of entertainment around them. If your desire is to give a Christ-centered vision of enjoying and engaging culture, then The Pop Culture Parent is most certainly for you.” Mike Cosper, Author of Recapturing the Wonder; director of Podcasting at Christianity Today Order The Pop Culture Parent from: Amazon 10ofThose.com New Growth Press The Gospel Coalition store ChristianBook.com Episode summary 1. Popular culture is God’s gift, but it’s been corrupted by sin. We cannot extol popular culture without dealing with sin. Now our culture and popular culture has been distorted by sinful idolatry. That’s why it’s healthy to be cautious about popular culture. 2. Jesus redeems us, so he can redeem popular culture today (and forever?). Even in a sinful world, broken/spiritually people reflect God’s purpose. Today God’s common grace preserves morality in our hearts (Rom. 2:14-15). If we see the Cultural Mandate as forever, then culture may last forever. One way or another, we’re dealing with eternal realities here. 3. In light of the gospel, try these five simple questions about popular culture! What is the story? What is the moral and imaginary world? What is good, true, and beautiful in this world (common grace)? What is false and idolatrous in this world? How is Jesus the true answer to this story’s hopes? Fantastic fans Listener “davycrackers” wrote this Apple Podcasts review: Not just reviews of books… Not just topical Christian discussion… But well thought out, careful and well-phrased biblically sound insights into the enjoyment and discernment of fiction. One of the things I personally love most about this podcast is how much Christian fiction-lovers and writers camaraderie it creates. It makes me feel part of something… It also so frequently reminds me of the bigger story of God’s glory I live every day of my life. Thank you Lorehaven! Next on Fantastical Truth It’s one joy to read or watch heroes in fantastical worlds. But what’s it like to actually bring these characters to life in a theater setting? Or to help guide the production of live performances for families and churches? Zack has invited a friend of his, Christian Youth Theater director Julie Novak, to help us explore how we better develop Christlike character by playing fantastic heroes.

Popular culture. It’s all around us. Christians debate whether popular culture is mostly good, mostly bad, or else kind of pointless. But why haven’t we been asking the hidden big question: what is the point of popular culture in God’s universe anyway? Introducing The Pop Culture Parent Parents often feel at a loss with popular culture and how it fits in with their families. They want to love their children well, but it can be overwhelming to navigate the murky waters of television, movies, games, and more that their kids are exposed to every day. Popular culture doesn’t have to be a burden. The Pop Culture Parent equips mothers, fathers, and guardians to build relationships with their children by entering into their popular culture–informed worlds, understanding them biblically, and passing on wisdom. This resource by authors Jared Moore, E. Stephen Burnett, and Ted Turnau provides Scripture-based, practical help for parents to enjoy the messy gift of popular culture with their kids. Preorder from: Amazon New Growth Press The Gospel Coalition store ChristianBook.com By engaging with their children’s interests, parents can explore culture while teaching their children to become missionaries in a post-Christian world. By providing realistic yet biblical encouragement for parents, the coauthors guide readers to engage with popular culture through a gospel lens, helping them teach their kids to understand and answer the challenges raised by popular culture. The Pop Culture Parent helps the next generation of evangelicals move beyond a posture of cultural ignorance to one of cultural engagement, building grace-oriented disciples and cultural missionaries. About the authors Ted Turnau teaches culture, religion, and media studies at Anglo-American University in Prague, Czech Republic. He has a PhD from Westminster in apologetics and wrote Popologetics (2012) to help Christians engage popular culture. Ted Turnau authored The Pop Culture Parent. He and Carolyn have three grown children. Ted enjoys jazz and blues, movies, games, and Japanese culture. E. Stephen Burnett explores biblical truth and fantastic stories as publisher of Lorehaven Magazine and cohost of the Fantastical Truth podcast. He has also written for Christianity Today and Christ and Pop Culture. E. Stephen Burnett authored The Pop Culture Parent. He and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin, Texas area, and serve as church members and foster parents. Jared Moore serves in pastoral ministry. He has a PhD in systematic theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and cohosts The Pop Culture Coram Deo Podcast. Jared also served as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He authored The Pop Culture Parent. He and his wife, Amber, and their four children enjoy popular culture together. Quotes and notes In The Pop Culture Parent we use this quote from Tim Keller: Culture is the shared beliefs and values, the shared conventions and social practices of a subgroup or an entire society in which we are taking all the raw materials [of creation], everything in life, and rearranging it in order to express meaning, in order to express what we think is the good, the true, the real, and the important. And in the book we ourselves define popular culture this way: Popular culture is a subsection of culture. As we use the term, it is a type of artistic expression. Art is the part of culture humans most directly use to engage with questions of meaning. When we think of art, we usually imagine symphony halls or museums. These kinds of spaces can be called “elite culture.” Popular culture is simply art that occupies common spaces such as streaming television, musical artists and bands, the internet, and comic book stores. These things give us art with easy access—expressions of the human heart that everyone can reach. . . . That’s a solid sociological definition. However, we also need to show how culture, especially popular culture, fits into gospel history. For Christian parents, we must see how these stories, songs, images, and games are not only things humans made up. They are also a gift God has given us. He wants us to make and enjoy culture. Making these things is an essential part of being human—part of God’s will for us on earth. Episode sponsor Here’s a fantasy for middle-grade readers: Legend of the Storm Sneezer, from author Kristiana Sfirlea. Monster Ivy Publishing says this is “for fans of Doctor Who and the darkly whimsical.” 13-year-old Rose Skylar (rose SKY-ler) sneezed a magical storm cloud at birth, and it’s followed her around ever since. But when Stormy causes too many disasters, Rose is taken to an asylum for unstable magic in a haunted forest whose trees have turned to stone. Guided by time traveling letters, Rose teams up with her future selves and her (maybe) imaginary best friend to save her storm cloud and solve the mystery of the specters and the stone trees. But will they find wha

Why use jokes to make a point? What does satire reveal about human imagination? Babylon Bee senior writer and comedic sci-fi creator Frank J. Fleming joins today’s episode. (It’s nicely timed, too, after our cohost Zackary Russell wrote the headline of this viral Babylon Bee story.) Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by author J. J. Johnson, who just released his fantasy novel A King’s Return. Islandia had been without a High King for a generation. Eloy, the last High King, embarked upon a journey shrouded in mystery after a cryptic warning found from a long lost prophet promised a return of ancient dark forces. Eloy had placed the rule of Islandia and the five kingdoms in the hands of his closest friend, King Richard. After thirty years most have long since stopped looking for Eloy’s return or the darkness foretold. Many under Richard’s rule have grown discontent and jealous of his appointment. All hope for peace is lost and chaos reigns after the icy hand of an assassin takes the life of King Richard and plucks him from the throne. What now? Will Prince Titus, Richard’s son, have the strength to hold Islandia together, or will it descend into war over the High King’s throne! The kingdom is divided by the sword as each must decide where their loyalties lie. Order from Amazon A King’s Return in hardback, paperback, or digital. Explore more of J. J. Johnson’s world at KingdomsofIslandia.com! Today’s guest: Frank J. Fleming Frank J. Fleming is the author of science fiction, fantasy, and satire. As Senior Writer for The Babylon Bee, he’s known for hard-hitting stories like, “Really Interesting Theological Discussion Ruined By Someone Pulling Out A Bible Verse,” and “Engineer Frustrated At Inability To Tell Responsible Citizens From Train Robbers,” as well as “”Report: The Squirrels Are Up To Something.” And if you follow the Babylon Bee podcast, you know that Frank is the voice of most of the Trump jokes. Frank started out blogging political commentary on imao.us, which stands for In My Arrogant Opinion (brilliant title). His political satire was featured on The New York Post. He says he wrote satire because it didn’t require any research; he could just make stuff up. In 2016, he got sick of politics like the rest of us, and now he’s focused on writing speculative fiction. And the best part about sci-fi and fantasy is that he can once again just make stuff up and not have to do any research. Frank wrote the comedic sci-fi novel Superego. This story of an intergalactic hitman with no morality asks: “Can a genetically engineered psychopath grow a conscience, get the girl, and save the galaxy? Two out of three ain’t bad.” It’s followed by Superego: Fathom. Frank and his wife Sarah are raising four children in Austin, Texas. Find all of Frank’s books on his website and follow him on Twitter. We explore questions like: How did you first discover Christian truth and fantastical fiction? What are your favorite Babylon Bee articles? Why has the site grown so popular, even more than ChristianityToday.com and CNN.com? What makes satire work and why is it valuable? Why not just tell the truth directly? Why tell it “slant” as Emily Dickinson famously said? Is satire too mean? We live in a hyper-sensitive time, after all. How do you take that into consideration when writing jokes? What led you to write the comedic sci-fi novels Superego and Superego: Fathom? Before you wrote Christian satire or sci-fi, you wrote political satire novels, like Punch Your Inner Hippie. For this, does having an inner psychopath hitman comes in handy? You’ve said elsewhere that you wanted to leave full-time political commentary when you perceived more important things in life, like family. Can you share more? Babylon Bee stories we cite include: Church Tech Guy Completes Historic Perfect Service Calvinist Tech Guy Assures Church His Mistakes Were Ordained Before The Foundation Of The World Mother Returns Home From Women’s Retreat To Giant Smoking Crater Man Complains About Plot Holes In Movie About Space Wizards Fighting With Colored Laser Sticks Thanks To New Laws, VeggieTales Finally Introduces New Cannabis Character Brilliant Trump Puts Himself On All Postage Stamps, Forcing Democrats To Push For Abolishing USPS Next on Fantastical Truth Christians like to debate whether popular culture is mostly bad, mostly good, or else just “neutral.” But we’ve often missed the big question about what popular culture’s purpose is in the first place. What if popular culture was actually God’s idea all along? Inspired by Stephen’s new book The Pop Culture Parent (with Ted Turnau and Jared Moore), we’ll take this quick tour of God’s original plan for all our stories, songs, and beyond.

What if eternal life was a curse, and the Tree of Life was reappearing in a place even angels dare not tread? What if you didn’t know whether you’d killed your own father? And most recently, what if you escaped from captivity but left your brother behind? Novelist Shawn Smucker explores such mystic challenges at the margins of life, and he’s our guest on today’s episode. Exploring memory and magical realism with Shawn Smucker Two-time Christianity Today Book Award winner Shawn Smucker captivated readers with his genre-bending novels The Day the Angels Fell in 2017 and Light from Distant Stars in 2019. Now, Smucker is back with his newest novel, These Nameless Things, a stunningly distinctive contemporary novel that grapples with the hard question, Is there a limit to the things we’ll do to assuage our own guilt and rescue the ones we love? Once held captive and tortured on a mysterious mountain, Dan was lucky to have made it out alive. But freedom comes at a cost. Left with little memory of the horrific ordeal, Dan remembers one thing—his escape meant having to leave his brother behind. With each day that passes, Dan waits with other survivors in hope of his brother’s escape. But just as long-forgotten memories start rising to the surface, the sudden appearance of a wounded woman throws everything further into question. As Dan struggles to know whom to trust, he is caught once again in a paralyzing moral dilemma—but this time, will he choose to save his own life or his brother’s life? A poignant tale of the bonds of brotherhood, These Nameless Things will have readers frantically flipping pages for answers in this thought-provoking narrative. Shawn Smucker is the author of The Day the Angels Fell, The Edge of Over There, Light from Distant Stars, as well as the memoir Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find him at ShawnSmucker.com. We ask questions such as: Shawn, how did you discover biblical truth and fantastic imagination? Your latest novels skirt the edge of the fantastical. For example, in Light from Distant Stars there’s a strong element that I would call magical realism, especially with the Beast and two mysterious children. Yet most of the story enhances Cohen’s traumatic and happy memories to a level beyond mere “contemporary” exploration. How would you describe this element? You said your first novel, The Day the Angels Fell, started with the question, “Could it be possible that death is a gift?” How do themes of life and mortality drive your thematic pursuits? Which images and ideas drove you to create These Nameless Things? How does “normal life,” and your writing in nonfiction such as memoir, help inspire the themes of your fiction? What comes next in your stories, both nonfiction and fiction? How can fans connect with your ongoing work and your podcast? Explore more in Lorehaven magazine From our summer 2019 cover story, ‘I’ve Always Loved the Magic at the Margins’: Shawn said he wants to keep making contemporary stories with fantastical edges. “As a kid, you wonder if there really are gnomes or fairies, and you think you see them,” he said. “I really enjoy reading and writing stories that could be true, even though they’re fantastical . . . creating something that happens in this real world, but challenges the boundaries between real and magical or fantastical.” For example, Light from Distant Stars (releasing July 2019) does not start with any fantasy backstory or map of a distant star system. It begins with Cohen Marah, very much a person of our world, staring down at his dying father in a funeral home. Cohen must then reckon with his father’s impending death, and his own childhood brokenness when his father was caught cheating with a Sunday school teacher. Still, the story gets fantastical as Cohen flashes back to a side quest involving two mysterious children, an escaped arsonist, and a shadow-creature called the Beast. “I got the idea from mythology—Thanatos and Hypnos,” Shawn explained. “What I was really exploring with this book was the questions of: How accurately do we really remember things from our childhood? And how do these memories that we think we remember impact our very real lives in the present? From our summer 2019 featured review of Light from Distant Stars: . . . For readers who must continue imagining their way through such trauma, or need to accompany loved ones who do, Light from Distant Stars is a Godsend. In the real world, we need more than platitudes or devotionals to help us heal. Instead, to start imagining our way through any family trauma, in the light of our Father and his truly good gifts, we need more fierce and compassionate stories like this one. From our spring 2019 review of The Edge of Over There: With The Edge of Over There—sequel to The Day the Angels Fell—Shawn Smucker unveils a masterwork of lyrical grandeur. It’s

Where did Jesus’s apostles come from? What was Peter doing, or Matthew, before the Savior arrived on Earth and called them to leave their jobs and follow him? Moreover, how much can Christians ask these kinds of questions—or even create movies, or a whole streaming drama series, to explore this? That’s what we explore today, especially about the fantastical biblical drama series The Chosen. Episode sponsor: Nathan Lumbatis with Daniel and the Serpent’s Abyss Nathan Lumbatis wrote Daniel and the Serpent’s Abyss. It’s book 3 in his Sons and Daughters fantasy series. Learn more from Dove Christian Publishers, or shop the book at Amazon. Nathan Lumbatis and his series were recently featured on the SpecFaith blog. Six months after returning from their adventures in Daniel and the Triune Quest, Daniel, Ben, and Seren eagerly await their mission to save Raylin and acquire the last Weapon of Power: the Abyssal Staff. Daniel can’t believe his luck when Gabriela shows up and declares she will guide them to the British Isles, where Raylin has been haunting ancient ruins in her frenetic search for more spiritual power. When the group is transported to Ireland, however, everything goes wrong. Raylin, driven mad by the possessing power of the Voidblade, is as powerful as several demons put together and impervious to their attacks. Seren, desperate to save her sister, impulsively starts an explosive battle to bind her—a decision that turns the entire quest on its head and drives Daniel to a point of desperation he never anticipated. Through it all, the Three are noticeably absent and quiet, not answering prayers or sending aid. What’s worse, Gabriela seems distant and preoccupied. So much for Daniel’s hopes for improving their relationship. . . . Daniel and the Serpent’s Abyss is a young adult, Christian fantasy novel exploring forgiveness, faith, and the empowering role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. It is the third in the Sons and Daughters series, which includes Daniel and the Sun Sword and Daniel and the Triune Quest. 1. What is The Chosen and how can you watch the series? The Chosen is a biblical fiction drama, with one season out so far. It follows the mission of Jesus through the eyes of his followers. The series is funded by supporters who “pay forward” so new fans can watch. Creators plan to film season 2 this fall and debut it around Easter 2021. You can find it at thechosen.tv, on VidAngel, and sometimes on YouTube. The Chosen has gained quite a fan following, with FAQs, fan art, and even fanfiction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=craeyJdrCsE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzbavpKCZyg 2. What is biblical fiction and how is this unique? Let’s start by accepting what biblical fiction is not meant to be. It’s not a replacement for Scripture. It’s not a sermon or textbook about Scripture. It’s not an exact, verse-by-verse re-enactment of Scripture. It’s not only focused on historical figures like Jesus, Mary, or Paul. Instead, let’s understand and accept what biblical fiction is meant to be. It is set in ancient times as described by the Bible. It often involves historical people that Scripture describes. It often explores plotlines and specific events we read in Scripture. It usually adds situations, people, or events we don’t read in Scripture. It sometimes retells biblical stories in varying orders or with details changed. Examples from The Chosen: Mary Magdalene’s expanded origin story Peter’s money issues and personality expansion. Matthew being a person on the autism spectrum. Jesus meeting and teaching little children early in his ministry. Quote from Cap Stewart in the summer 2020 Lorehaven issue: Make no mistake, The Chosen is historical fiction, imagining what may have happened alongside the gospel narratives. As a work of historical fiction, the show is similar to other cinematic Bible stories embraced by the Christian community over the years, including The Passion of the Christ (2004), The Ten Commandments (1956), Risen (2016), The Prince of Egypt (1998), and The Young Messiah (2016). All of these films embellished their biblical source material for dramatic efficacy. The Chosen’s use of artistic license always exalts, not dishonors, the Biblical narrative. Its fictional details are healthy speculation and not subversion. 3. Is The Chosen “inspired”? Many The Chosen fans are often overcome by the show’s creative power. The show is genuinely emotionally powerful, and regards Scripture highly. It’s brought together many types of Christians, including Protestants and Catholics. However, those powerful feelings feel way more spiritual to some fans. Some fans have only one kind of “spiritual” language to describe their response. But let’s be careful how we use spiritual-sounding words like “inspired.” When we say we “feel inspired,” this is not like the Bible’s inspiration. With the Bible, people were directly

What happens when a twelve-year-old Wally McDoogle, also known as a “walking disaster area” and “Dork-oid,” battles a bully at summer camp? Or gets cast as the victim of an alien invasion movie? Or gets dragged into a hot air balloon, or gets lost in the jungle of a mission field? All while writing his own hilarious superhero stories? If you’re Wally McDoogle, you get your own middle-grade comedy series from Christian creator extraordinaire Bill Myers, today’s guest on Fantastical Truth. To date, Bill Myers’ books and videos have sold over 8 million copies. Not bad for a man who never wanted to be a writer. As author/screenwriter/director his work has won over 60 national and international awards, including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. His DVDs and books have sold 8 million copies. His children’s DVD and book series, McGee and Me, has sold 4.5 million copies, has won 40 Gold and Platinum awards, and has been aired on ABC as well as in 80 countries. His My Life As… book series has sold 2.1 million copies. He has written, directed, and done voice work for Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey radio series and is the voice of Jesus in Zondervan’s NIV Audio Bible. As an author, several of his children’s book series and adult novels have made the bestseller list. Explore more and follow him by email at BillMyers.com. We ask Bill Myers: How did you first discover biblical faith and fantastical stories? How did you help create the video series “McGee and Me!”? What inspired your novels such as Blood of Heaven and Eli? You also wrote episodes for Adventures in Odyssey with the Mulligan family. How do they reflect your own life journey? And of course, how did you create the Wally McDoogle series? What’s changed for Wally McDoogle’s new editions? Meanwhile, what’s next for your movie Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog, Splat? Fantastic fans Elizabeth wrote about episode 22 (the one with the UFOs): My husband and I were having a similar discussion after watching the Unsolved Mysteries episode about the alien encounter. They had multiple personal accounts. And we wondered, as a person a faith, how do you reconcile that? These people sound so convinced in what they experienced and they have nothing to gain by sharing those experiences. Rather, quite a lot to lose including lifelong ridicule. And then your podcast mentioned something similar about military personnel. But it was when you were discussing the nukes being turned off and “what if” aliens were trying to save us. I immediately thought of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and John Carpenter’s purpose visiting Earth. 🙂 Just an overall great discussion covering lots of different perspectives and theories. I know my husband will enjoy this as well. “Straight White Christian Conservative Man” wrote in a YouTube comment (about episode 14): Please read carefully. The “new heavens and earth” is spiritual, not physical. It represents the new covenant that began at the crucifixion of Christ and was officially established at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70, which was prophecied by Jesus Himself. The resurrection is also spiritual. It occurs at the “twinkling of an eye” when people surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, proclaiming Him as their Lord and Savior, saved through faith by His grace, serving with humility and love. Revelation is the most misinterpreted book in the bible by far. The end of the age was the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant, the new heavens and earth. Please be skeptical, not only about preterism, but also about what you’ve been taught to believe, that is futurism. I’m concerned for Christians like you. However, I’m also filled with love knowing that God has blessed us with people like you two. I will continue to pray for this podcast and to watch your podcast videos because I know God is using both of you to shed His light and grace upon others through the lens of fantastical literature. In the meantime, please check out this website for more information. … Thank you for the shout-out. God bless this podcast and God bless America! (To this Stephen shares a careful rebuttal.) Next on Fantastical Truth We’re finally getting season 2 of “The Chosen”! They announced in July that they would start filming it this fall. This biblical drama from creator Dallas Jenkins explores the life of Jesus through the eyes of those who knew him best: his followers. Season 1 introduced Mary Magdalene, Peter, Andrew, Matthew, and the rest, and it’s taken the world by storm. As it should. Because frankly this is probably the best biblical fiction and among the best specifically Christian-made fiction we’ve seen. How come? And what are the unique challenges of biblical fiction in particular? We’ll explore those next t

Does the wardrobe equal the Bible, the White Witch equal Satan, and Peter equal—well, Peter? Some people read C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series as if only its “allegories” matter. Should you? That’s one of our four myths we explore in this episode to conclude our Narnia’s Top Seven Myths series. 4. Queen Susan “fell away” and will never return to Narnia again. This myth arises near The Last Battle‘s end, when Aslan is making all things new. Much virtual and real ink has been spilled asking what happened to Susan? Some feminists and many atheists really hate this part. Phillip Pullman says (source): This seems to me on the part of Lewis to reveal very weird unconscious feelings about sexuality. … It’s a filthy thing to do. Susan is shut out from salvation because she is doing what every other child who has ever been born has done – she is beginning to sense the developing changes in her body and its effect on the opposite sex. Emily Wilson in the New Republic says: poor Susan cannot get into heaven because she starts wearing lipstick … “I don’t know, therefore aliens,” seems to become, “I don’t know, therefore, sex.” From reading the text, we actually see it’s not really about makeup or sex. How absurd. Lewis is all about the original goodness of God’s created gifts. It’s not about “growing up.” It’s about the vanity we claim is “growing up.” Only if you assume one is “grown up” at this age would you reject Lewis here. Lewis himself answered the question. In 1960 a reader named Pauline Bannister asked Lewis about Susan. He replied: Dear Pauline Bannister I could not write that story [about Susan’s future?] myself. Not that I have no hope of Susan’s ever getting to Aslan’s country, but because I have a feeling that the story of her journey would be longer and more like a grown-up novel than I wanted to write. But I may be mistaken. Why not try it yourself? —from The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, pages 1,135–1,136 Lewis literally asks his reader to consider fanfiction. “Why not try it yourself?” Of course, he suggests this long before fanfiction became a huge “industry.” But it’s very clear Lewis believes Susan will someday return to true Narnia. 3. Emeth in The Last Battle reveals that C. S. Lewis was a universalist. This one gets complex. Again, we could have a whole episode here. It deals with Emeth, a Calormene (not a Narnian) in The Last Battle. Near Narnia’s end, Emeth enters a stable and a kind of in-between afterlife. Emeth served a false god all his life, but then Aslan welcomed him and his services. Some Christians say, “This means C. S. Lewis was a universalist.” This is refuted by comparing this with Lewis’s nonfiction (examples here). Lewis defended the doctrine of Hell in Mere Christianity and elsewhere. He acknowledged it’s tough, but said in The Problem of Pain it’s still biblical. There’s no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and especially of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom and it has the support of reason. Where there is a “contradiction,” Lewis’s nonfiction interprets his fiction. At least one other book explores Heaven vs. Hell: The Great Divorce. In this book, people leave “hell” and tour heaven, revealing their evil. Lewis says he doesn’t make afterlife speculations. It’s about today’s choices. What’s going on in The Last Battle anyway? Emeth may fall into a category in some Christian traditions: a “noble pagan.” There’s an idea that good non-Christian people have a chance somehow. In 2008 during a forum discussion, Phillip Pugh summarized Lewis like this: One has to remember when reading Lewis that he is at heart a Medievalist even if his theology is basically Anglican. When reading Medieval works like Dante’s Divine Comedy (which had a profound effect on Lewis) we find that the “Noble pagans” like Socrates, Plato, and Virgil, are placed in a sort of limbo where they are not suffering and yet there is no light. I think Lewis has something of this in mind, taking some cues from George MacDonald to embellish it (though not taking it to MacDonald’s universalist extreme). He is saying that Emeth had Tash and Aslan confused because of his cultural background. I disagree, but it’s not as bad as many would think. That’s not an idea Scripture teaches. But it’s not the same as universalism. Lewis liked to speculate, and he did speculate about “inclusivism.” That is, what if God gave you some kind of chance to repent after death? We can’t make this a tota

Which Christian-made fantastical novels won big at the 2020 Realm Awards hosted at Realm Makers conference, just this past weekend? Also, guess who’s coming to dinner at the 2021 Realm Makers conference, hosted (pandemic approval pending) again in St. Louis, Missouri? Realm Makers Pandemic Edition wrapped just this past weekend Stephen and Zack attended, and did a lot of work during this “staycation.” Next year’s speaker will be Frank E. Peretti. (Last seen in this review and this Fantastical Truth episode.) Realm Makers equips Christian writers of fantasy, sci-fi, beyond. Yearly membership gets you access to ongoing material. Annual conferences are scheduled for July, and usually in real life. This year’s conference was of course different, held entirely online. So was the 2020 Realm Awards ceremony, broadcast to everyone. Realm Awards: complete list of winners Alliance Award winner, chosen by reader vote Brand of Light, by Ronie Kendig from Enclave Publishing Get the full review, with “best for” and “discern” notes, from Lorehaven. Heart of the Curiosity, H. L. Burke, with 2020 Parable Award-winning cover by designer Austin Lord Parable Award winner for best book cover designs Heart of the Curiosity, by H. L. Burke with cover by Austin Lord Realm Award, children’s Hello Ninja, by N. D. Wilson from HarperCollins Realm Award, middle grade Iggy & Oz: The Plastic Dinos of Doom, by J. J. Johnson from Dark Side Geeks Realm Award, fantasy Seventh City, by Emily Hayse from Hayse Publishing Realm Award, science fiction Brand of Light, by Ronie Kendig from Enclave Publishing Realm Award, young adult To Best the Boys, by Mary Weber from Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins Realm Award, debut Fyrian’s Fire, by Emily Jeffries from Sheepgate Press Realm Award, horror/other Amish Werewolves of Space, by Kerry Nietz from Freeheads Realm Award, supernatural/paranormal Mercury on Guard, Steve Rzasa, independently published 2020 Realm Award Book of the Year winner Seventh City by Emily Hayse Realm Award, Book of the Year, chosen from all winners Seventh City, by Emily Hayse from Hayse Publishing Fantastic fans This time we’re showing some feedback from first-year Realm Makers guests. See even more exclusive praise at this article on SpecFaith. L. G. McCary It was a bit of a miracle that I was able to attend Realm Makers 2020 (Thank you, Havok for that scholarship!). It was an incredible experience! I felt old trying to figure out Discord, but it turned out to be such a blessing! Video chat in the Mermaid room was definitely better than sitting in socially distanced circles and wearing uncomfortable masks for hours, trying to find a way to socialize safely. Best of all, I still got to celebrate with new friends when good things happened! That’s one of the best parts of conferences: comforting each other through failures and celebrating victories together. Realmies are the best at both! I can’t wait for next year and I’m already planning my costume! Philip Wilder I loved attending Realm Makers 2020. The people were very welcoming, friendly, and down to earth. I made many new friends, despite the fact that the entire conference was online. I also got the chance to play several games with others online. I even regained my passion for writing fiction and was able to get some great feedback on a new novel idea I’ve been rolling around in my head. Attending the conference online made me much more excited to attend an in-person Realm Makers conference. Perhaps one day Corona will stop trolling us all. Kristen Aguilar I heard about the Realm Makers Conference last minute when a friend invited me to go. Held virtually this year, I was able to register right before the conference started and I never looked back. Realm Makers is in a class all by itself. The people were friendly, fascinating and fun. Even virtually, Realm Makers went above and beyond to foster community and to encourage engagement with an immersive, positive experience. Whether it was branding, marketing, how to conduct media interviews, or how to take your writing or screenwriting to the next level, there was a plethora of incredible speakers and events packed into three days. I learned a ton. Plus, I went into the conference with one new friend and left with many more. Overall, a great experience! Robert Sloan My first experience at a Realm Makers conference was this year’s “Pandemic Edition,” and I’m very pleased with it. The quality of the panels, the keynote addresses, and the “pitch“ and mentoring sessions were excellent; and after years of going to various kinds of professional conferences, I confess they were truly better than I expected. By a lot. Every session had something of substance to offer, with well prepared presenters, and significant opportunities to develop new relationships and networks. The people were very forthcoming and honest and I’ve benefited from each one. The te

Is Man A Myth? asks a book belonging to Mr. Tumnus, a Faun from C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia series. Yet Christians have our own myths about Narnia. Today we begin to explore a total of seven myths about Lewis’s famed fantasy world. Myth 7: “The Chronicles show random myths.” This is a more academic idea, and it goes something like this: “C. S. Lewis, unlike Tolkien, was mostly messing around in his world-making.” “He throws in all Greek creatures, plus other fantasy elements, at random.” “And then, lo, Father Christmas comes bounding in besides.” Scholars say: “Yeah, this isn’t like Tolkien. It’s just random. Fun, but random.” Michael Ward in Planet Narnia engages a lot with this idea. Ward has a grand awesome theory about each of the seven Chronicles. He believes Lewis, a medieval scholar, was “influenced” by overarching myths. These myths were about the seven worlds or spheres of medieval cosmology. Each planet (including Sol or sun, and Luna/moon) has ideas, images, and colors. Medieval literature and worldview all supported these cosmological associations. For instance, The Lion … is very “Jovian,” about joy, kingliness, and summer. The Horse and His Boy is very “Mercurian,” with speed and images of silver. Lewis wasn’t a random person. Not at all. Not even when he seems to be. Ward does a lot of academic wrangling to support his theory (which is plausible). Some challenges: “By Jove!” occurs in all Chronicles. Each one influences the other. Ward accepts this broad influence, but says each story has its own planetary theme. Stephen believes he’s right, because of Lewis’s (as creator’s) own subconscious. As a writer, your knowledge will get into your stories before you even know it. Later, perhaps, Lewis started to get more organized about developing these themes. After all, Lewis did end up with seven books, the exact number of medieval “spheres.” The best proof? The Last Battle is “Saturnine.” Draft had Saturn, not Father Time. Even apart from the Planet Narnia idea, Narnia isn’t just random myths. The whole Narnian idea is that all these myths somehow “leaked” into the real world. (You have to bend time a bit, though. Greek myths predate Narnia’s creation!) But if the big idea is that Aslan is lord of all myths, and all serve him … ? Well then, that’s the greatest idea: before Christ, all myths say “hail the King.” It seems this may be lost on some scholars who don’t get Aslan’s central role. Especially given the stories’ first audience, children, this is a fantastic approach. Myth 6: “The Chronicles are just children’s stories.” This myth is more based on the little phrases Christians and other readers say. Too often we minimize this series as, “C. S. Lewis’s children’s stories.” We might presume fantasy altogether is foremost for children. This leaves open a silly “grown-up” idea that adults must be Realistic. Lewis, of course, not only implicitly but explicitly rejected this myth: Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. —C. S. Lewis, found in “On Three Ways of Writing for Children,” collected in Of Other Worlds This isn’t just a Lewis idea but a biblical idea. Jesus endorsed childlike faith. He didn’t endorse childlike thought, but childlike “faith.” We must have mature minds like adults, but keep the faith and heart of a child! Childlike faith and reception to wonder are essential to our growing as Christians. So for anyone who says, “I read Narnia as a kid”? Read it again. Be blessed! Myth 5: “There’s only one best reading order (chronological).” Note this box set’s chronological order, with The Magician’s Nephew being book 1, and The Horse and His Boy being book 3. Among Narnia nerds (and some scholars), it’s funny how controversial this debate can be. This myth says, “Well, Lewis originally wrote the Chronicles this way. &#823

Lorehaven magazine has reviewed the complete Weaver Trilogy fantasy series, so Stephen and Zack invite author Lindsay A. Franklin to explore her fantasy series about Tanwen, the girl who literally weaves stories. Lorehaven’s reviews of The Weaver Trilogy This story spins a perfect array of delightful characters living with complex magical abilities in a truly unique world. —The Story Peddler review More adventure, higher stakes, and betrayal at every turn make The Story Raider a sequel that exceeds expectations . . . —The Story Raider review No tapestry is complete while loose ends remain. The Story Hunter is the final book in Lindsay A. Franklin’s Weaver Trilogy series, sequel to The Story Peddler and The Story Raider. The country of Tir is in turmoil. Queen Braith has been kidnapped and supplanted by a figurehead in thrall to an evil force. Famine and riots leave the people in unrest. Tanwen and the Corsyth Weavers set out on a quest to rescue the queen in order to restore peace to Tir, guided by the one person they know they cannot trust. Worse, not everyone is as they seem, and some people in their own party may betray them at any turn. Danger, intrigue, and unforeseen twists make The Story Hunter an entirely satisfying conclusion to the Weaver Trilogy series. —The Story Hunter review Weaving stories with Lindsay A. Franklin Lindsay A. Franklin would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. She writes books, edits words, and homeschools her three geeklings. Lindsay lives in her native San Diego with her scruffy-looking nerf-herder husband, their precious offspring, three demanding thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats), and a stuffed marsupial named Wombatman. Learn more at her website as well as by following LinzyAFranklin on Instagram, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Among our questions: How did you first discover faith and fantastical stories? Before fiction, you wrote two devotional books, starting with Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women. What’s your heart behind this nonfiction work? We love to explore how nonfiction truth and fantastic imagination are interwoven in God’s universe. How does this motivate your creative process? What images drove the creation of Tanwen, Tir, and its turmoil? Creators writing about creators can get pretty meta! Without spoilers, how might these themes be interwoven with the Weaver Trilogy? How’s homeschooling going? Any thoughts on the unique appeal of fantasy to homeschoolers? How have readers responded to the Weaver Trilogy? What’s your work with Realm Makers Pandemic Edition this year? What’s next for you, and where can people follow your own “weaving”? Fantastic fans From The Zignal, responding to episode 22 (the one about UFOs): Nothing but applause! This was a fantastic discussion from an interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing! From David Mock @DavidMock1, also about episode 22: @EStephenBurnett thank you for the latest podcast! It helped me think biblically, realistically, and compassionately about UFO sightings. If aliens do exist, we may find ourselves in a Acts 11:18 place if they repent and believe including the imputation of Adam’s sin to them. Slightly unrelated, it’s encouraging to trace the Bible’s idea of aliens – alien to God’s covenant from Gen to Rev, incl. resident aliens in Israel and when “to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance”, and the cosmic scale shift described in Eph 2:11-22. Straight after listening to the podcast I knew I needed some healthy Christian music and was encouraged by A Mighty Fortress is our God and It Is Well With My Soul, the eternal truths in every unsure situation 🙂 Next on Fantastical Truth Lord willing, we will explore seven top myths about The Chronicles of Narnia! These are myths that Narnia readers, including many Christians, has often believed about the series. Have you ever heard about any of these, like “C. S. Lewis was a universalist,” or “Narnia is mainly an allegory about the Christian life”? We will explore all seven of these myths.

Aliens. Oh snap. Audiences love aliens. Aliens! Aliens, from space. Ancient aliens. I don’t know, therefore: aliens. Zack and Stephen launch this latest fantastical truth-finding with clips from U. S. Navy pilots who encountered UFOs. We’ll explore those reports, other alien stories, and how Christians can respond to the very notion of life and even sentient life beyond our planet. People tend to take two sides on UFOs. Denial. This side unites materialists like Bill Nye with creationists like Ken Ham, although they dismiss the alien explanation for entirely different reasons. Belief. On this side, folks will teach you how to communicate with aliens (for a small fee), as well as Christians who say they would gladly baptize an alien. Here’s why we’re talking about this. The issue of whether aliens exist and visiting Earth is becoming a huge topic. The Pentagon has released some absolutely bonkers press releases about UFOs. President Trump has been asked about UFOs multiple times and he’s given some interesting answers. Scientists have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets. Soon our telescopes will tell us what might be located on these worlds. Christians should take the forefront of these discussions. Let’s closely survey these issues, using our imaginations and thinking biblically. Our own perspectives differ. Zack is a fan of stories about aliens and UFOs, and has been researching the nonfiction accounts about UFO sightings. Zack doesn’t have strong beliefs about whether aliens exist. Zack enjoys this topic because of its weirdness and mystery. Stephen is UFO-agnostic, and enjoys aliens as just another essential element of fantasy and science fiction. Stephen believes sentient alien life would contradict Scripture’s emphasis on the earth, humankind, and Christ’s incarnation. Stephen also enjoys this topic, partly because of wishful thinking that people have developed better space-faring technology. Concession stand: hazards of UFO exploration. Many UFO theories directly contradict Scripture, such as the “ancient aliens” idea. A lot of paranormal interests coincide with UFO research about which most Christians are rightly wary. We must be careful when exploring this entire cottage industry built around UFO research or experiences. We explore three big topics. UFOs are real and under investigation. UFOs and the idea of alien invasions (or alien saviors) reveal our deepest fears and dreams about human society. We get clearer glimpses of our own humanity and eternal issues through stories about aliens. Watch Zack’s playlist about military UFO-sightings. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCfUv9OlClNwWH351BtDI4o1glxth10d Take action on aliens. Read more SpecFaith blog articles about aliens, such as this one from Shannon McDermott. Read the original New York Times article that broke the story about the Pentagon’s UFO program. Read the newer Popular Mechanics article by Tim McMillan that takes a deep dive into the AATIP program. Follow Zack on Twitter @ztrussell. He posts a lot of UFO news and other fun things about astronomy. Visit the Lorehaven store to get our special t-shirt that celebrates God as the Creator of the cosmos: “He made the stars.” Read Christian books about aliens. Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis For Us Humans, by Steve Rzasa The Façade, by Michael Heiser Alien Intrusion, by Gary Bates Fantastic fans From Sheri, listening to Episode 20: I got to the Fantastical Truth podcast through Kerry Nietz’s post on Facebook about the episode about his book. I have been [binge]-listening to the podcast while sorting papers in my office–you have made a task I don’t enjoy much more enjoyable. Thanks! I look forward to reading the magazine. Next on Fantastical Truth We’ll explore The Weaver Trilogy with fantasy novelist Lindsay A. Franklin, whose heroine, Tanwen, has the ability to turn stories into scupltures.

Stephen and Zack are joined by W. A. Fulkerson, whose novel For Whom the Sun Sings just released this spring. Our new summer 2020 issue of Lorehaven magazine shares even more from this story: our full review and a preview chapter. Plus we ask W. A., or Wes, more about the images and themes behind this story. Go to Lorehaven.com and subscribe for free. You’ll get your digital copy of the new issue and access to all our reviews and articles. Story sponsor: C. S. Wachter’s The Light Unbound In The Light Unbound, the fourth and final installment in C. S. Wachter’s The Seven Words series, Rayne Kierkengaard faces his greatest trial yet. Cast into the decrepit frame of an obscure old man, his spirit at last rebels against the path of sorrows charted for him by the One—the Creator Father—ever since his sixth birthday. For Sigmund, that sorcerous demon who stole his childhood has returned from defeat to steal everything Rayne regained through blood and tears—his power, his family, his very identity. All but his faith in a God who views death as but a portal to victory. Ambitious in scope and relentless in speed, this novel concludes Wachter’s saga on a high note. For Whom the Sun Sings, back cover The world is blind. . . then one boy is born with sight. Nestled in a mountain haven, the remaining people of the world live in a village that is ordinary but strict. A severe peace must be kept severely, as they say. It’s all that keeps them from descending into the chaos that claimed the world a hundred years ago. Led by the Prophet Valdas and his Regents, the villagers work, play, marry, and have families. They gather in ceremony once a year to celebrate their Day of Remembrance. Life is planned, precise, and predictable until the special abilities of eleven-year-old Andrius threaten to undermine it all. From Lorehaven magazine’s review W. A. Fulkerson constructs For Whom the Sun Sings on an ingenious premise. He carefully builds a society without sight, working out the idea to consequences both obvious and unexpected. Interview questions How did you first discover fantastic stories? How did this novel For Whom the Sun Sings come to you? What thoughts have you about novels for grown-ups, or at least older readers, that just happen to feature heroes who are children? What is your purpose as a biblical Christian who creates fantastical stories? What other stories might lie ahead for you? Next on Fantastical Truth Barring any abductions or invasions predicted for 2020 by internet memes, we will explore aliens. So much aliens. Audiences love aliens. Ancient aliens! In this case, we’ll delve semi-deep into all the good stuff: UFOs, conspiracies, and possible demonic deceptions—all from as biblical a vantage as we can muster.

For this episode, we’re sharing our very first audiobook excerpt. It’s from the new audiobook version of Amish Zombies from Space, book 2 of Kerry Nietz’s sci-fi series Peril in Plain Space. Nietz started this series when he took a “joke” title for a book, and turned it into a fun-yet-serious exploration: Amish Vampires in Space. It went pretty viral, based on that title alone. At one point even late-night host Jimmy Fallon held up a copy of the book on national TV. Those Amish in space not only fought vampires, but then had to undergo a zombie plague. And now, lately, they face werewolves. Why not? Here in this excerpt, narrated by Randy Streu, we catch up with the Amish on their new planet. It’s where a certain undead-type plague is about to begin. Our thanks to Kerry Nietz for sharing this excerpt from chapter 8 of Amish Zombies from Space. Next on Fantastical Truth In our next episode, W. A. Fulkerson himself will join us to share more about For Whom the Sun Sings, which follows the tale of the one person who can see in a world of blind people. This will be a fascinating and in-depth conversation, and we’ll also preview our book review.

This week, you can hear how bestselling fantasy novelists (including many Christians) wrestle with challenging fiction content. This is a special panel discussion from the 2019 Realm Makers conference. You’ll hear novelists Terry Brooks, Brent Weeks, Robert Liparulo, and C. W. Briar—plus our own E. Stephen Burnett—explore character swears, violence, sexual content and all the rest of it. What is Realm Makers? Realm Makers is a professional organization for Christian writers of fantasy, sci-fi, other fantastical genres. They have a membership program, online community, and monthly webinars Realm Makers hosts summer conferences every July. This year’s conference is a special Pandemic Edition. Authors can meet virtually and get training in writing craft and trade. For more information, go to RealmMakers.com. This year’s faculty include Thomas Locke, N. D. Wilson, C. J. Redwine, and Steven James. Stephen is actually doing mentor sessions, too. Slots have filled up but reply to us here if you want to learn more. Lorehaven will be there, with a virtual booth in the virtual marketplace. ‘Grittier Than PG-13: Writing and the Christian Author’ This panel’s original audience was authors, but readers and fans can benefit just as much. It may help to hear authors working through these issues. Many of these authors are professing Christians. The moderator is Randy Streu. He has the deepest voice. Next on Fantastical Truth Our next episode features an audiobook excerpt from Amish Zombies from Space. That’s book 2 in sci-fi author Kerry Nietz’s Perils in Plain Space series. Narrated by Randy Streu (the same as the Realm Makers panel moderator), this excerpt catches readers up with the spacefaring Amish, and just possibly a zombie. Or more zombies. From space, no less.

Superhero fans know the Bible is full of heroic characters. But today’s guest, Chase Replogle, points out the plot twist: Scripture rarely presents them as truly role models. Chase Replogle pastors Bent Oak Church in Springfield, Missouri. He hosts the Pastor Writer Podcast, interviewing pastors and authors such as Max Lucado, Philip Yancey, and Karen Swallow Prior. His podcast has been featured by The Gospel Coalition and his writings have appeared in Christianity Today. A native of the Ozark woods, he enjoys being outdoors with his wife and two kids. With Chase Replogle, we explore questions like: Why do we love superheroes who are drawn to reveal our deepest desires? What are our favorite superheroes and/or superhero stories? Why are we so fascinated with these stories? What does Samson’s story reveal about our own flawed view of heroism? What “heroes” in our culture exemplify our unique notions about identity and self-fulfillment? Quotes and notes From Chase’s article “Why Every Millennial Man Should Reread The Samson Story”: We’ve been told our entire lives that you can be anything you want to be, but by thirty the truth has finally started to set in. It’s not entirely true, at least not the way we imagined it would be. . . . We think we can choose our way to discovering our identity. We think we can keep choosing and continue to refine our destiny. The great enemy of our day is any restriction on our free choosing. . . . Individuality and the pursuit of your own way have become the new hero’s journey. There is no calling higher than self-discovery. There is no greater adventure than the pursuit of originality. . . . The pursuit of who you uniquely are is the American dream. . . . Samson is everything a man might imagine becoming. I like to imagine him in Ray-Bans, a man bun, and a CrossFit t-shirt, hiking through some remote red stone canyon, documenting his adventurous life on Instagram. He is the model man, driven by passion and restless for adventure and romance. . . . His ultimate destination was the furthest imaginable experience from the ideal that drove him to pursue it. His desire cost him the very thing that compelled him.” Next on Fantastical Truth We’re asking a big question: what about “PG-13 content” in fantastical fiction? This time we have a different sort of episode, thanks to friends and allies at Realm Makers. That organization and annual conference for Christian authors had a panel last year about this topic. Stephen was on that panel along with several novelists, including Brent Weeks and Terry Brooks (yes, that one). So we all got to explore this together, and now, courtesy of Realm Makers, so can you.

On May 20, director Zack Snyder announced that in 2021, DC fans calling to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut for the superhero film Justice League will get their wish. How do Christians see this fandom, and any other fandom joys, as biblical Christians? Stephen and Zack survey the now-successful #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, talk about DC heroes, and explore the movie controversies. Our questions include: What is the #ReleaseTheSnyderCutMovement? How did the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement start? Didn’t most fans hate Snyder’s DC movies, especially Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Why is Stephen so passionate about this fan movement? So what did the Snyders and WB announce on May 20? What happens now as we move toward releasing Justice League? What do you think Christian fans can learn from this? How can Christian fans reject “inevitability” pressures about this and even more significant cultural trends? How can Christian fans accept the fact they may look crazy? Why must we reject the “binary rating” system of review and criticism? Quotes and notes Stephen, Kerry Nietz, and Austin Gunderson versus Justice League (2017): After the originally relased film version in November 2017, we couldn’t help critique it and call for Snyder’s version to be released someday: Stephen: The characters are great. I love each and every one of them. But this rushed story and world around them felt shallow and empty. Sometimes literally. … Cities around them had no life. It needed another full hour. It needed Snyder’s deft hand in the editing and post-production. Austin Gunderson: Steppenwolf was no match for Superman. That’s been the key strength of the previous films to me: that Superman wasn’t boring. I thought this movie managed to Make Superman Boring Again. Not because he was unlikable, but because he won so much I got tired of winning. Kerry Nietz: If I had to name a fault, it would be in the stakes. They needed to create more of a sense of global peril. That could have been easily done with more small scenes in different locations. Possibly those are the types of things that were left on the cutting room floor. Later we reunited to call more directly for Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut: Austin Gunderson: Justice League was in another league entirely. As the third in a series of dark, somber, mythopoetic examinations of superhero sociology, it needed to maintain a continuity of tone while upping the stakes. Whedon wouldn’t have been capable of doing that even if WB had prohibited him from straying from Snyder’s vision. The strength of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman comes from their sincerity: Snyder really felt that he was making something epic and important, and he had sufficient skill to convey that sense instead of coming across as pretentious. But no one—no matter how skilled—can pull that off unless he himself has the degree of sincerity (innocence? faith?) he’s seeking to elicit in his audience. People say that comedy is the hardest kind of writing because laughter is an objective metric. But I actually think that mythopoeia is dang hard, too, because of the degree of sincerity involved. Even the tiniest bit of cynicism—Whedon’s calling card—will kill it dead. Stephen versus potential fandom idolatry: On the Pop Culture Coram Deo podcast, Stephen and Snyder critic Jeff Wright sparred graciously. We also explored the graces and potential idols of fandoms like this one: I think if we were to reboot our perception of the whole thing, then we could probably avoid seeing stories as either “yes or no,” absolute good/absolute bad, thumbs up/thumbs down, or the nastiness that fans have if they’re for or against The Last Jedi or for or against The Rise of Skywalker. . . . To spread it beyond the Snyder Cut or Justice League fandom: this happens with a lot of fandoms, particularly when the story choices that the creators make are not pleasing to everybody. Or if they’re perceived as subverting the old stories. . . . C. S. Lewis versus making “clever marks” about things: In The Screwtape Letters and in his other works, C. S. Lewis decried this trend-chasing purpose of enjoying anything. Instead, he recommends we try to enjoy a thing “for its own sake,” for the simple (and maybe even godly) reason of finding pleasure in it. His satirical demon Screwtape wrote this about bad reasons for liking books: And now for your blunders. On your own showing you first of all allowed the patient to read a book he really enjoyed, because he enjoyed it and not in order to make clever remarks about it to his new friends. Stephen versus “objective rankings” for good or bad stories: When Stephen reviewed Justice League (Joss Whedon version) for Christianity Today’s website, he accidentally “set a trap” for Rotten Tomatoes. Read the whole “plot” here. He concluded with this: First, we must recall that movies, like any stories, are a hig

“The earth is healing; we are the virus.”[1. Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash.] Not long ago, that slogan itself went viral. Some made fun of it. A few took it seriously. But under the slogan lies this faint suspicion: maybe humanity is bad somehow. Something is wrong with us. We don’t belong here. How do Christians engage with this idea in our nonfiction and in fiction? Three worldviews about the Earth The Earth belongs to people. Result: exploitative pollution that harms people. The Earth belongs to itself. Result: anti-human attitudes and policies that harm people. The Earth belongs to the Lord. It’s for his glory and given over to our care. The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Psalm 24:1–2 The real infection Humans are infected with a virus that’s called sin. Sin affects the Earth in many ways, including viruses, disasters, violence. Call this by any other name, and that’s a distraction from our biggest issue. People who blame “humanity” are just trying to “expiate” their guilt their way. Exploring ecologism Ecologism is a new political ideology based on the position that the non-human world is worthy of moral consideration, and that this should be taken into account in social, economic, and political systems. (Source) Preachy-green movies? The Matrix (1999) (not actually preachy-green, because a villain says that humans are like a virus) Lost in Space (1998) The Day After Tomorrow (2004) The Happening (2008) Avatar (2009) Better stories to explore sin versus creation stewardship We mention at least two: C. S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy or Cosmic Trilogy (a.k.a. Space Trilogy) J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Fantastic fans Emily S. shares her fantastical reader origin story: the Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe. Or the Snow Queen. Micah Harris of Minor Profit Press engages with our Epic Resurrection series: Thanks so much for this extended discussion on the redeemed physical creation. Something that irritates me is when mentioning some earthly pleasure, a fellow Christian responds, “But we’ll be beyond all that” in eternity. I’m sure they don’t realize how Eastern, even Gnostic , that sounds. God made nothing “common or unclean,” pronounced it all good, in fact, and “generously gives us all things to enjoy,” so there is nothing in the physical world, and our physical existence, that shouldn’t be redeemed for us to enjoy simply on the basis of “it gives you pleasure.” Not sure whether we’ll teleport into different locations (such as Jesus appearing in the closed room with the apostles) since the scriptural passage itself doesn’t differentiate that activity in his glorified body from his physicality and his eating. Regarding the latter, I love what someone pointed out. Jesus had just invited them to verify with their eyes and hands what they could see and touch, but then verified by eating what they couldn’t see: the resurrected existence of his internal organs. Micah Harris further writes: Much of our faith is speculative indeed when it comes to eternity. God has given us some roman numeral outline headings such as “no tears, no pain, etc.” but hasn’t narrowed it down much to the sub-headings or specifics. As you guys put it so well, unless the Bible says it’s not going to be there, the burden on anyone is to prove why any good thing that God himself made wouldn’t be. God would not arbitrarily rule out pleasures he made. Jesus’ words on marriage, for instance, focus simply on a society of immortals no longer having the need to reproduce. It’s reproduction, not loving each other intimately, that’s the focus of that discussion. I think marriage in the present age is like scaffolding that will no longer be needed in a world of perfect and holy individuals. Of course, I’m speculating. But we can be confident that God is not going to withhold any good thing from us. ON the reading list, I’d also highly recommend the chapters on heaven and eternity in Clay Jones’ book “Why Does God Allow Evil.” There, he argues for the eternal continuation of pleasure, of which God is the creator, in the life beyond. And certainly God created aesthetic pleasure, so there’s no reason to think it would be excluded anymore than sweet aromas or a loving embrace. Also, you guys might enjoy N.T. Wright’s “Surprised by Hope” which focuses on redeemed physical reality as our future, and Wright’s work of not only readable but enjoyable scholarship, a massive tome titled “The Resurrection of the Son of God.” Thanks again for this great three part discussion that has boldly gone where few Christians have gone before! Share any of your feedback in the comments section or feedback form at Lorehaven.com. Next on Fan

Last week’s interview with Randy Ingermanson about Oxygen went into overtime. That’s because we had to ask him about his most recent release: Son of Mary. It’s book 1 of his new four-book Crown of Thorns series. Now in this special bonus episode, we ask Randy (who uses the initials R. S. for this new series) questions like these: Click to explore more at Amazon.com. How did you begin writing your City of God series, including Transgression, Premonition, and Retribution? What kind of “gritty” content helps portray the rigors of first-century life? How long has your new Crown of Thorns series been in the making? How does biblical fiction work, exploring extra-biblical speculation? What occurs in the book, as Jesus’s messianic mission grows clear? Also on Fantastical Truth Episode 15: We explore Randy’s original foray into sci-fi with Oxygen, which follows a sabotaged mission to Mars. Episode 7: We explore how Jesus defines and redeems his gift of imagination, with biblical fiction author Brian Godawa. Episode 1: We review Patrick W. Carr’s The End of the Magi, which follows the wise men’s original quest to crown a king. Future episodes: We will explore the popular biblical fiction series The Chosen as well as Christians’ common challenges for biblical fiction. Next on Fantastical Truth A virtual-reality enemy once said that humans are a virus. Lately we’ve heard similar statements during the pandemic. By contrast, some people (even a certain leader of the Catholic church!) has spoken about the earth in very personal terms. How should Christians view The Environment, and discern stories that want us to view creation in particular and even mystical ways?

This time we’re going sub-orbital: Randy Ingermanson joins us to explore his foray into sci-fi with his 2001 novel Oxygen (co-written with John B. Olson). We also spoke with Randy about his return to his aspiration to write Tom Clancy–style thrillers set in first-century Jerusalem. This year he launched his new Crown of Thorns series. Book 1, Son of Mary, released in April. It follows the biblical quest of the greatest Hero of all time. Randy Ingermanson is the award-winning author of six novels, all written at the intersection of Science Avenue and Faith Boulevard. He earned a PhD in theoretical physics from UC Berkeley and would love to travel back in time to first-century Jerusalem. So far, the closest he’s come has been working on an archaeological dig on Mount Zion, right in the heart of the City of God. Connect with him at Ingermanson.com. Exploring Oxygen Lorehaven magazine reviewed Oxygen in our last issue‘s “The Best of Christian Fantasy” article: Once every two years, Mars veers closer to Earth, and at about the same rate the red planet orbits back into the news. Usually this happens when NASA launches another probe, or SpaceX founder Elon Musk insists his latest rocket-related antics really will someday send humans to colonize other worlds. For Christian speculative fans, however, a minor Martian invasion occurred in 2001 with the publication of Oxygen. This sci-fi thriller from John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson followed the first human mission to Mars, starting in the year 2012. In this now-alternate history, there was no Curiosity probe, no Olympic Games or presidential election hogging the headlines, and no grand promises for amazing NASA missions followed only by budget cuts. Instead, readers join the Ares program, in progress, to send a four-member team of actual people to Mars. . . . Despite Oxygen’s then-futuristic starting year, the books don’t feel like sci-fi. That’s by design, the authors conclude. For humans to reach Mars, “technology is not an issue. Most of what we need exists right now, and the rest is well within our grasp” (page 366). Still, plenty of factors prevent this journey. Christians wanting to explore harder science fiction, set in our own world, might empathize. In theory, we have all we need to explore more Christian-made sci-fi realms for God’s glory. Yet until our crafts get faster and better, Oxygen (and The Fifth Man) will help satisfy this yearning. We asked Randy questions like these: What is your name? What is your quest? What is your favorite color? How did you discover fantastical stories? And how did you start writing them? What’s the origin of Oxygen and its sequel, The Fifth Man? How do “extraterrestrial life” themes play a role in this series? In the last 20 years, what has changed in the world of Christian-made sci-fi? Fantastic fans L. G. M. shares a story about discovering fantastical stories: My first taste of fantastical fiction was when my dad and I read The Hobbit together when I was in third grade. I finished The Lord of the Rings in high school and re-read it for a college course where our final was to go see Return of the King opening weekend. I will never lose my love for Tolkien even though I’m more of a sci-fi fan now. L. G. names other stories, A Wrinkle in Time and two Star Trek series. Then: Arena by Karen Hancock. I read it over the summer of my freshman year of college and couldn’t believe Christians wrote GOOD sci-fi. Arena gave me hope that I could write Christian sci-fi, and it would find an audience. I recently sent the author an email thanking her for such a cool story that I’m convinced will stick with me until I die. L. G. also left us this five-star review on Apple Podcasts: I love Lorehaven in general … And this podcast is just one more reason to love it! So many cool topics that no one else is talking about! Jesse R. shares his testimony about finding fantasy: My earliest fantastical story that blew me away. happened when I was 9 ish years old. A now well-known movie came out called Jurassic Park and to a young boy with a very very active and well-used imagination, it was the greatest movie that ever was and will be. I saw it in the theater with my best friend for his birthday. (my parents didn’t know). Seeing dinosaurs come to life and having the thrill of interacting with them and escaping from their jaws blew me away. They truly did bring dinosaurs to life and did it in a really believable way. this movie helped stretch my imagination and greatly helped influence my curiosity toward visual storytelling. Next on Fantastical Truth A virtual-reality enemy once said that humans are a virus. Lately we’ve heard similar statements during the pandemic. By contrast, some people (even a certain leader of the Catholic church!) has spoken about the earth in very personal terms. How should Christians view The Environment, and discern stories that want us to

Let’s finish our series by exploring some big questions about the Bible’s promises of epic resurrection. Will the very idea of stories and books last into the eternity ruled by King Jesus? What about other human cultural works? Could even specific books and other human culture end up lasting into the prophesied New Heavens and New Earth? Epic Resurrection series Ep. 12: What if Jesus Promised to Redeem Not Just Our Souls but Our Bodies? Ep. 13: What if Jesus Promised to Redeem Not Just His People But His Creation? Ep. 14: What if Jesus Promised to Redeem Not Just People and Creation But Also Fantastic Stories? Scriptures we cite “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. … They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65:17–18, 21–22 (emphasis added) “Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” ‭ Luke‬ ‭12:3‬, CSB‬‬ Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25 (emphasis added) According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (emphasis added) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. Revelation 20:11–12 (emphasis added) And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. Revelation 21:22–26 (emphasis added) Intro and questions Some folks get nervous here: because we’re talking about eternal stories. Not just classic books, but actual TV, games, internet, memes, and beyond. What about stuff like R-rated movies? shows? comic-book antiheroes? Concession stand We make other concessions in part 1 and part 2 of this topic series. We can’t go deep into things like Isaiah 65:17, “the former things were not remembered.” When it comes to flawed human art (not animals, etc.) we do speculate more. We’ve got to be really careful here. God takes sin seriously. So do we. But if any kind of stories/art have no eternal worth, let’s ditch them now! 1. Why did God give us the gift of making culture (including stories and art)? As we’ve seen, Christians often catch a “meme” that it’s inferior to be human. But it was God’s idea that we should worship him in human ways. In Genesis 1:28 (the cultural mandate), God commands people to make culture. 2. After humans turned evil, why did they still go on making things? Sin corrupts our stories, just like creation (which groans) and us, decaying. But Scripture has examples of people still making stuff./ Not just Israel (records, poetry, songs) but other nations (Jubal in Gen. 4:21). 3. When Jesus redeems us, how does this change the stuff we make? Christians have insider info. We know why we’re meant to enjoy stories. Sometimes we forget, of course. But even then, Jesus is good to us. Even the idea of stories as “vehicles” for truth > “art for art’s sake.” 4. What about stories made by nonbelievers? Even today, we know plenty of non-Christian-made stories that a