Fantastical Truth

We love stories with fine writing.[1. Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash.] As the Scripture says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” But sometimes readers just want basic style, quick tools for the simple job of getting you in and out of a fantastical work of fiction. Which kind of stories do you prefer and why?

The answers to the questionnaire were as varied as the writers themselves. Did Isaac Asimov plant symbolism in his work? “Consciously? Heavens, no! Unconsciously? How can one avoid it?” Iris Murdoch sagely advises that “there is much more symbolism in ordinary life than some critics seem to realize.” Ayn Rand wins the prize for concision; addressing McAllister’s example of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, she wrote, “This is not a definition, it is not true—and, therefore, your questions do not make sense.” Kerouac is a close second; he writes, “Symbolism is alright in ‘Fiction’ but I tell true life stories simply about what happened to people I knew.”

Though McAllister now claims, “It never occurred to me that [the writers] would answer,” once they did he was delighted—as was his English teacher: “a sweet, teacherly soul,” impressed by his industry but unable to absorb the import of its result. The search for symbols would continue, at least until the end of the 1964–65 school year.

“The conclusion I came to was that nobody had asked them. New Criticism was about the scholars and the text; writers were cut out of the equation. Scholars would talk about symbolism in writing, but no one had asked the writers.”

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:18–20

@‌Lorehaven and specifically, the #FantasticalTruth Podcast has been so good for me. They have validated my love and use of fantasy, sci-fi, and even #ChristianHorror for God’s glory. If you have ever wondered if Christians can engage with horror, give this episode a listen.

A combination of the death of a classmate, and watching one of the Faces of Death films, showed me that I was too casual about death in general, but also that I wasn’t completely desensitized. When watching a slasher film I knew that the whole thing was fake, so I wasn’t bothered by it. When I saw a story about death in the news, I didn’t think of it as fake, but I also didn’t have much in the way of compassion because they weren’t people I knew, and I hadn’t seen their horrible deaths. But with the death of a classmate, and seeing the gruesome deaths of others, it was like I had been woken up by a cold bucket of water and a punch to the gut. Compassion was awakened in me. And as I come to know Jesus better, that compassion grows.

This is our final episode before Thanksgiving 2024! As we head into the holidays, let’s thank God for His gift of the complex gospel that He has made simple for us, as we go on seeking and finding His fantastical truth.

Boom. Doom. Gloom. Criminals pillage. Cities burn. Mobs rampage. Tyrants rule with iron fists. We live in a society! People here often feel we’re overdue for dystopia. Even now, dystopian tales prove popular among many readers. Let’s explore why and ask whether Christian fans really need these stories.

You can look the other way once, and it’s no big deal, except it makes it easier for you to compromise the next time, and pretty soon that’s all you’re doing; compromising, because that’s the way you think things are done. You know those guys I busted? You think they were the bad guys? Because they weren’t, they weren’t bad guys, they were just like you and me. Except they compromised… Once.

“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible (p. 132).”

—Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

We love stories with fine writing. As the Scripture says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” But often readers want basic style, quick tools of phrase for the simple job of getting you in and out of a fantastical work of fiction. Which kind of stories do you prefer and why?

Hi! Wow. Middle of autumn. I know what you’re thinking about. Christmas! This weekend the new comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! releases in theaters. And five Thanksgiving seasons ago, in Nov. 2019, new fans began watching the second half of a new biblical fiction drama called The Chosen. This week, we’re thankful to host one of the three Chosen screenwriters who also cowrote The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, Ryan Swanson.

Head writer and executive producer Ryan Swanson happened to go to high school with Dallas’s wife Amanda (he was her Sadie Hawkins dance date, actually). Several years ago, they got back in touch, Amanda introduced Dallas and Ryan, and the rest is history. All three writers on The Chosen (Ryan, Tyler Thompson, and Dallas) contribute equally, but Dallas and Tyler would be the first to tell you Ryan is the “keeper of the story.” Nothing gets through unless Ryan deems it high enough quality. It must pass the smell test; it must be good storytelling and television. If we have something to include from Scripture or an important spiritual truth to convey, that’s awesome, but Ryan makes sure it “works.” Not by changing it, of course, but by making sure the show and the plot elevate it.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, directed by Dallas Jenkins and co-written by Ryan Swanson, releases in theaters Friday, Nov. 8.

I had the privilege to record the song Remember Me from Mark Schultz years ago, at Gap Digital during the time they were recording these. I’m grateful that Todd didn’t inform me who he played in the series until after I finished the song. Imagine my shock to know that “Mac” recorded my song! At that time, I only knew him as the guy who ran Gap Digital and did these audio dramas. I had asked him to sign a magazine for me. He asked me if I wanted it signed by Todd Busteed or Spencer Binford. It took me about 30 seconds to realize he was the voice of Mac! This series is what my name here is based on…Chloe got Left Behind.

I hadn’t really equated the types of alien stories with how they represent some of our basic fears. The kind that might freak me out the most is the fear of “invading your personal space” and feeling helpless in the face of such a creature. Alien and Aliens are two of my all-time favorite movies, despite the first one qualifying as more frightful. The xenomorph with its beastly design and never-ending goal to get you like a space zombie is one thing, but then how they’re born from your own body in a way that’s out of your control is very scary. It’s the fear of “invading your personal space” on two levels.

Did anyone else read the My Teacher is an Alien books? I loved those as a kid. I reread them with my son a couple years ago and the first three are good, then the fourth goes super environmentalist. Pretty disappointed. Props, Zack, for mentioning Sphere. That was my favorite Crichton book–and yes, way better than the movie.

Boom. Doom. Gloom. Criminals pillage. Cities burn. Mobs rampage. Tyrants rule with iron fists. We live in a society! People here often feel we’re overdue for dystopia. Even now, dystopian tales prove popular among many readers. Let’s explore why and ask whether Christian fans really need these stories.

What’s the red-headed stepchild of Christian-made fiction? If you said science fiction, you’re partly right. But here’s a happy prediction: this other wandering genre is probably getting adopted! That might leave outside the other orphaned books—in the genre called horror. Is this one genre above others doomed to be rejected? Mike Duran, author of the nonfiction book Christian Horror, returns to challenge our preconceptions of spooky stories.

Special note: Share this podcast episode before Nov. 5 for a chance to win your free autographed copy of Christian Horror. Use the hashtag #ChristianHorror when you tag Lorehaven on Facebook, on Instagram, or on TwitterX.

This previous podcast episode explores the purpose of healthier horror fiction.

Mike Duran is a novelist, artist, and freelance writer. Mike writes fiction and non-fiction. His newest release is Keeper of the Woods (2024); he also wrote The Ghost Box (2014), which was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best 2015 indie novels—first in a paranoir series that continues with Saint Death (2016), and The Third Golem (2020). His nonfiction books Christians and Conspiracy Theories (2023) and Christian Horror (second edition, 2023) apply biblical truth to these fantastical topics.

Share this podcast episode before Nov. 5 for a chance to win your free autographed copy of Christian Horror. Use the hashtag #ChristianHorror when you tag Lorehaven on Facebook, on Instagram, or on TwitterX.

So, late with a comment as I listened to this a few days ago, sorry.

This is another excellent episode and it had me questioning some of my own beliefs and how I was raised.

I grew up in a Christian home, mom taught a weekly Good News Club, and both of my parents volunteered quite a bit at Church (Children’s ministry for my mom, adult Sunday School for my dad). My parents are also huge Science Fiction nerds. I have memories of attending a Star Trek convention back in the mid-70s. Heinlein and Azimov books were throughout our house, and they took us to see Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back more times than I can count.

Fantasy was a different story. I know I saw the cartoon of “The Hobbit” in the late 70’s/early 80’s, but that was it. Dungeons & Dragons were forbidden, and that stuck with me into adulthood so much that Fantasy Fiction isn’t my thing. The exception is Tolkien and CS Lewis, we had those books grown up, but nothing else. But D&D? Yeah, I struggle with that one.

I can appreciate those who like to play RPGs (I still have some sci-fi ones), but the whole “avoid the appearance of evil” is very much in my head when I see or hear about Christians playing D&D. I have learned that the “appearance” part is less important than what God is telling you about your hobbies. Are they an idol on your time (or money), or in the case of RPGs, are they a way for you to act in an un-Christian manner simply because it’s make-believe?

I like how you guys broke down the difference between what 1 Thess 5:22 says, and how many have re-interpreted it. From what I said above, yes, I’m a victim of the re-interpretation. I don’t know that I will go out and start bingeing on Christian Fantasy books now, but you’ve given me something to think and pray about.

Hi! Wow. Middle of autumn. I know what you’re thinking about. Christmas! This weekend the new comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! releases in theaters. And five Thanksgiving seasons ago, in Nov. 2019, new fans began watching the second half of a new biblical fiction drama called The Chosen. Next week, we’re thankful to host one of the three Chosen screenwriters who also cowrote The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, Ryan Swanson.

Most fantasy fans don’t truly believe that dragons lurk in caves or the Fae are dancing in the woods by moonlight. But if you’re a sci-fi or horror fan, you might truly believe that real creatures from space have come to Earth for nefarious ends. Or that they might dwell among us today. Now that we might know the name of the U.S. Pentagon’s secret UFO or UAP program, let’s consider: what are the scariest alien stories? And why do so many fans want to be scared by these narratives about unearthly beings on Earth?

What’s the red-headed stepchild of Christian-made fiction? If you said science fiction, you’re partly right. But here’s a happy prediction: this other wandering genre is probably getting adopted! That might leave outside the other orphaned books—in the genre called horror. Is this one genre above others doomed to be rejected? Mike Duran, author of the nonfiction book Christian Horror, returns to challenge our preconceptions of spooky stories.

We just upgraded Lorehaven.com, especially the Library with its many genres and subgenres.[1. Photo by Camille Orgel on Unsplash.] Nearly 1,400 titles cover a wealth of Christian-made fantastical fiction going all the way back to The Hobbit. Most of those published titles are fantasy. That’s the most popular genre today. But what might be the future of Christian-made fantastical storytelling? Kara Swanson and Brett Harris, directors and co-founders of The Author Conservatory, give us a glimpse into what themes and themes they see from upcoming authors.

Voices of the Future vol. 3: Stories of Healing & Home is available. Author Conservatory plans to release vol. 4 later in 2024.

Kara Swanson writes stories about fairy tales and fiery souls. She spent her childhood a little like a Lost Girl, running barefoot through lush green jungles which inspired her award-winning Peter Pan retellings, Dust and Shadow. She is also the cofounder of the Author Conservatory, where she has the honor of teaching young writers to craft sustainable author careers. You’ll find Kara with her toes in California sand as a SoCal resident, belting Broadway show tunes on weekend drives to Disneyland with her delightfully nerdy husband, or chatting about magic and mayhem on Instagram.

Brett Harris is the bestselling author of Do Hard Things and co-founder of the Young Writer’s Workshop and the Author Conservatory, which have trained thousands of writers since 2017. He is a personal mentor and coach for many of the world’s top young writers and authors and his mission is to raise up the next C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Sorry but abstain from the very appearance of evil does mean to abstain from the appearance of evil. We don’t get to cherry pick what we like and believe is safe out of God’s word. Gerrymander it to say anything but the plain and self evident meaning of the text at your own risk. But only the Holy Spirit gets to apply the text and define what specific evils are so evil we don’t want caught so much as looking guilty and such is almost certainly sins in the text such as fornication not drinking root beer and ball room dancing and playing Uno.

The example of co-workers of opposite genders is not very sound for me.

A better example: Christians are commanded not to have intercourse until after marriage.

The Christian onlooker would (we hope) make inquires before passing judgment; the non-believer, so often looking for any reason to find fault with us, could yell “hypocrisy “, or perhaps, “oh, it’s not such a big deal then, if they can do it so can I.”

Most fantasy fans don’t truly believe that dragons lurk in caves or the Fae are dancing in the woods by moonlight. But if you’re a sci-fi or horror fan, you might truly believe that real creatures from space have come to Earth for nefarious ends. Or that they might dwell among us today. Now that we might know the name of the U.S. Pentagon’s secret UFO or UAP program, let’s consider: what are the scariest alien stories? And why do so many fans want to be scared by these narratives about unearthly beings on Earth?

“Judge not” gets twisted to shut down God’s Law.[1. Photo by Peyman Shojaei on Unsplash.] The phrase “money is the root of all evil” gets twisted to shut down biblical ambition. And “no eye has see, no ear has heard” often gets twisted to shut down a longing for Heaven. But what twisted Scripture most often gets used to reject Christ-exalting fantastical imagination? This top text may be 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Avoid the appearance of evil.” But does that text actually say to avoid not just actual evil, but anything that appears evil in the eyes of … someone?

Some commentaries on the meaning of this verse include: . . .

Abstain from all appearance of evil. (KJV)

Reject every kind of evil. (NIV)

Abstain from every form of evil. (ESV)

Stay away from every kind of evil. (CSB)

Some Christians believe we must not only avoid committing actual sins but also avoid anything that could appear evil to someone else. However, a quick study of the full chapter in 1 Thessalonians shows that the term eidos (“appearance” in the King James Version) has nothing to do with someone’s opinion of how something looks.

Paul tells Christians to respect teachers but also test them, no doubt by comparing their teachings with Scripture and the gospel. They must avoid false teaching—not what appears to be false but what is actually false. The King James Version’s “appearance” is better translated into current-day English as “form” or “kind” of evil. In fact, no modern Bible translation uses “appearance” here, and original readers of the KJV probably took appearance of evil to mean actual evil.

The Pop Culture Parent, page 82

Indeed, to misread [this verse] as meaning “anything that might look evil” leads to an absurd standard no one could keep, not even Jesus. He ate with sinners and talked with prostitutes, and the Pharisees thought his actions appeared to be evil. Jesus claimed to be the great I Am, and the Pharisees picked up stones because it appeared that Jesus had committed blasphemy.

The Pop Culture Parent, page 83

Christians must not let a misreading of this verse restrict our freedom to enjoy certain things with thanksgiving to God. Moreover, if we misuse this verse, we may be fueling hypocrisy, teaching our children that we value outward appearances more than the truth.

The Pop Culture Parent, page 83

I agree. Cuddles and kisses should be as good as it gets for anyone under 18. Even if it hints for sex behind closed doors should be left out. Adult books are fine for anything more than that. I know kids these days do read adult books but it shouldn’t be in YA stories. ❤️

They use the term wholesome for video games too and they are the furthest things from it👏👏

We just upgraded Lorehaven.com, especially the Library with its many genres and subgenres. Nearly 1,400 titles cover a wealth of Christian-made fantastical fiction going all the way back to The Hobbit. Most of those published titles are fantasy. That’s the most popular genre today. But what might be the future of Christian-made fantastical storytelling? Kara Swanson and Brett Harris, directors and co-founders of The Author Conservatory, give us a glimpse into what themes and types of stories they see from upcoming authors.

Many fantasy worlds have people groups that don’t like each other. And many people in fairy-tale lands warn you never to go in the forest. But in Ellie Castor’s community of Bishop’s Gap, the feud between her family and the Levy family is getting worse. And the root of it lies at the heart of the forest where she must never go—unless it’s to fight the curse. Today we’re tramping into the dead leaves in Helen Dent’s new fantasy The Burning Tree.

Helen Dent’s career as a writer began at age nine, when her grandfather paid her a dollar a page for what turned into quite a lengthy story. She studied monster theory (among other things) in graduate school, taught English at a Chinese university, and toured the Scottish Hebrides in a car with a needy radiator. Now she lives in Texas with her husband, kids, a cat, and a hamster. She belongs to the DFW Writers Workshop, the Fort Worth Poetry Society, and Art House Dallas.

All really interesting. Now if I were writing the series today (and it could as well be, since no one knows the day or the hour anyways), there are some changes I could possibly make:

1. Carpathia gains control of android and apple and all the streaming sevices (Netflix, Hulu, Paraomount, Disney+)

Those are just some random ideas for what the series could be like if it was written today.

“Judge not” gets twisted to shut down God’s Law. The phrase “money is the root of all evil” gets twisted to shut down biblical ambition. And “no eye has see, no ear has heard” often gets twisted to shut down a longing for Heaven. But what twisted Scripture most often gets used to reject Christ-exalting fantastical imagination? This top text may be 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Avoid the appearance of evil.” But does that text actually say to avoid not just actual evil, but anything that appears evil in the eyes of … someone?

Christian parents often ask whether stories for their kids have bad words and bad language. Today they’re also asking: “Does this story have Agenda?” Often they look for clean stories, that is, stories empty of objectionable elements. But do readers of all ages really need only clean fiction? Instead of stopping at minimalist stories that don’t contain obvious poisons, shouldn’t we also seek stories that are full of nutrients—stories that are wholesome?

You mentioned your next episode will be about wholesome stories. We are Christians and have homeschooled our awesome daughter her whole life. She is 15 now and besides her other many interests, she still loves reading. We were lucky enough to discover a curriculum called The Good and the Beautiful. The reading curriculum focuses on stories that are good, beautiful, wholesome, and I would say edifying. Focusing on Christian character and values. (This is a Mormon organization. The great majority of the curriculum is Bible-based.) There is a whole library for readers from preschool to high school level. I highly recommend the reading library, if not the whole curriculum, to anyone looking for great books for their kids.

I read Joseph Holmes’s piece on The Front Room and then I read the Wikipedia synopsis and now I’m really confused. According to Holmes, part of the movie’s message is that Christianity disempowers women and Paganism empowers them. But the premise is that Christianity somehow gives the female villain superpowers and until the end, the Pagan heroine is at a loss as to how to deal with her. Say what?

Just this month we’ve seen three examples of a polarity shift. Up is down. Water is dry. And heroes are actually villains—while the villains get justified by tragic backstory. How does this happen? In reality and fiction, why do some modern storytellers keep reversing the polarity of heroes and villains?

In Memory of Daniqua Grace White ♡ Support Siblings With Funeral

“You cannot go on ‘seeing through’ things for ever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. It is good that the window should be transparent, because the street or garden beyond it is opaque. How if you saw through the garden too? It is no use trying to ‘see through’ first principles. If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To ‘see through’ all things is the same as not to see.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.

—G. K. Chesterton

Great analysis! I agree with everything you’re saying. Also let’s remember that 80% of everything in past centuries was also in the lower end of the Pareto scale–we just aren’t aware of that stuff because it hasn’t passed the test of time.

Here’s an example of a Christian-written novel that did extremely well, but many fantasy fans may not have read it or realized the author is a Christian: “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson is literary fiction and won the Pulitzer. She is a wonderful writer. I also have a book of her essays, some of which explore Christian themes.

Count me among those who got behind on all that’s going on (Christian or otherwise) in the spec fic world because of real life. I just started listening to your podcast in the last few weeks, hoping to catch up a bit.

Christian parents used to ask whether stories for their kids had bad words and bad language. Today they’re also asking: “Does this story have Agenda?” Often they look for clean stories, that is, stories empty of objectionable elements. But is this really what readers of all ages need from our fiction? Instead of asking for minimalist stories that don’t contain obvious poisons, shouldn’t we also seek stories full of nutrients—stories that are wholesome?