Achoo![1. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash.] We must have fallen asleep over the Christmas break. But now we’re back. And in Zack’s and Stephen’s area, guess what else is back? Cedar fever! That’s the most wicked allergy season you can imagine. So we thought we’d plan for this. All year long, we’ve been asking several of our guests the question we’ll ask ourselves: what stories are we “allergic” to?

I’m pretty tired of the trope that every middle grade hero needs an obsession that defines their entire personality. While some kids have obsessions, no one’s personality completely centers on a single thing. By all means, give characters interests and hobbies and quirks, but let them be more rounded so they don’t become a stereotype.

I just wanted to reach out to thank you for hosting the Fantastical Truth podcast! I’m a 19 year-old Christian writer from Canada. I write Middle-Grade scary stories that give kids courage to face the scary things in their own lives. I first came across Fantastical Truth after meeting someone from Lorehaven at the Write-to-Publish conference last June and she mentioned the podcast to me.I have been so blessed by the podcast! I love the perspectives on stories you and Stephen share and I have found it very helpful as an aspiring author myself. Thank you for making this podcast and sharing your Biblical insights on fantastical stories! I’m excited to keep listening!

Wow. Last year we saw so many films flop that it’s not even funny. Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars, Doctor Who, all the usual suspects got paid in “exposure” but not much else. But we did see several breakout movie wins in the year 2023. What did we love? What did we ignore? How can Christians best discern these supposed “get woke go broke” stories—and their critics?