Fantastical Truth

Some people tell us, “Monsters lurk everywhere. But they never, ever look like monsters.” Or do they? They also suggest, “Usually the most obvious ‘villain’ is in fact the innocent victim who’s been traumatized by another more terrible monster you never would have suspected.” Or is that really true? Many narrative-makers seem to think so, from pundits to true-crime podcasters to major fantastical...

Somehow the demons returned. Serious philosophers and flippant folks alike are saying “that’s demonic” about evil ideas or even “she’s a demon” about wicked people. For many Christians, this development may come as a surprise. That’s because many of us heard little about demons growing up, while some of us heard only demons blamed for other religions, the “wrong” cartoon shows, or even mental illn...

Narnia fans had a rough week. After the confirmation that Netflix’s version of “Narnia” will have a female-voiced “Aslan” for a 1950s-set movie with a “rock and roll” vibe, the internet lit up. Fans were upset. Pundits piled on. Non-Christian critics on YouTube cussed at Greta Gerwig. And in response, apparent defenders of the corporate creator began repeating old myths about The Chronicles of Nar...

At first we tried to be optimistic about Netflix’s new Narnia-inspired movie. Even when that rumor first dropped in April 2025 that claimed Meryl Streep was “in talks” to voice Aslan . Then last week brought us this grave news that Netflix and/or director Greta Gerwig did indeed cast Streep, a female actress, to voice the male King of Narnia, Aslan. They included high-res art of a glammed-up...

The Pendragon Cycle streaming series began with a slower start for its January release on Daily Wire Plus. Well, this month, everything changed. Based on the first two volumes in Stephen R. Lawhead’s series, The Pendragon Cycle worked its new wizardry to reach the top three shows on Prime Video. Let’s go behind the scenes of the Cycle, touching on controversies but staying pre-political and pre-me...

Last week we remembered the Sept. 11 attacks . But some people, shall we say, did not know how to grieve well. That’s for many reasons. One of them is strange yet simple—they can’t fathom that real people could really do something like this. But it’s true that many groups of real bad guys really want to take over the world. So today, author Kerry Nietz, student of futuristic caliphates, returns to...

In the last 25 years, whole human beings have been born, grown up, graduated, married, and become parents. They may not remember that day when our world was gripped by events that seemed stolen from dystopian novels. On Sept. 11, 2001, militant religious terrorists hijacked four planes in the United States and plunged them into the sides of large buildings. Thousands died. Millions mourned. And ev...

Last summer the new He-Man movie kind of failed at theaters. Stephen enjoyed the film! Others did not care so much, especially if they didn’t grow up in the 1980s. But last week, after the death of voice actor Peter Cullen, fans celebrated the legacy of Transformers . And last month, the Masters of the Universe remake film wielded the power of Grayskull to rule streaming media. No matter your age,...

As students return to school, some can’t help dreading their assigned books. Even good readers in good schools will feel burdened by reading classic novels. So how can we remind ourselves and others that we’re not made to read as a duty to adults, but made for reading as part of our joy in Christ? Katherine Briggs, author of The Threshold Duology and part of the upcoming Classics Rebooted series,...

Once upon a time, a homeschool father dreamed of helping his children grow their love for writing. So while he worked for 20 years as a computer geek, he also trained to create fantastical fiction. Then, after hundreds of rejections, he broke through with his tale of two young teens who discover their secret ancestries: Dragons in Our Midst. Since then, Bryan Davis has won the trust of thousands o...

Christian kids, do you recall all those old warnings against fantasy fiction?[1. Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash .] Some people implied that if you made up too much stuff, you’d lose track of reality. Alas. For some cases, they’re absolutely right. Too many people are abusing God’s gift of imagination. They cast people they do not know as villains in a fantasy world in which they...

Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Does whatever other heroes can’t. And these days, that means make a good movie . Other super-movies, even in the Marvel world, take on the fake responsibilities of social activism, then are forced to fight the sinister criticism of fans. Meanwhile, Spidey and his amazing friends just keep uniting people in his friendly cinematic neighborhood. How does one hero keep wielding...

Homer’s original heroic myth defined fiction, morality, and philosophy for centuries across Western civilization and beyond.

Despite the real challenges of failing franchises, some fans who may have started with honest criticism fall into sinful cynicism.

Great tales remind us to love and defend the people close to us, while Scripture says “the glory and honor of the nations” will last forever.

This year’s Realm Makers event came up fast . Zack and Stephen had a blast at the annual event just two weeks ago in St. Louis, Missouri. Whether you got to join us there, or would like to catch up later, let’s survey the successes of this three-day conference and expo. And as more Christian fans (and creators!) find their place in these challenging yet fantastical worlds, we will explore how Real...

Gatekeepers everywhere. If they’re not “Big Hollywood” trying to fence out Christian creators, they’re natural barriers like lack of resources. Then along comes the siren call of generative AI. It is said these tools can boost creators’ art powers and help them dodge burly guards at the gates! Of course, these programs also generate quite a ruckus. But apart from disputes over job changes and envi...

One of the sillier myths in our culture claims, “Most men don’t read.” Sometimes this is a real trend. Other times it’s wishful thinking because some folks don’t want to share stories that boys and men want to read. Still, we can join to equip Christian fathers and other mentors for their unique God-given responsibility—to train kids to fight dragons. And for that mission, author James R. Hannibal...

This week we wanted to explore 1980s fantasy. But sometimes it’s hard to recover nostalgia when present-day villains keep killing our favorite heroes. Last week, the BBC announced Doctor Who is dead. For now. Rest in peace, Time Lord. Also these days, Stargate fans are rallying to hold Amazon to its original promises of restoring that universe with original creators, and stop the ‘Zon from s...

What if the wicked villains did conquer the elves? And what if a young elf-maiden was forced to carry the offspring of one of the invaders? That’s the new novel The Rending Cauldron , just brewed by fantasy author and Realm Makers president Rebecca P. Minor. Today, Becky joins us in the studio to explore tough topics, dark drama, and the expanding worlds of Christian-made fantastical fiction. Epis...

So much sci-fi likes to imagine that humans survive for centuries with some knowledge of classic literature, music, and cultural memory—everything except our religious beliefs. But today we explore a new sci-fi subgenre that dares to suggest the opposite. Faithful priests and other religious heroes of the future may not be wicked villains. In fact, they may be kind of awesome—and potentially fight...

Summer has returned. That often brings seasonal vacations that give you downtime in a car or airplane, maybe on a nice beach somewhere. You already know that’s a great opportunity to catch up on reading. So what are some tips and tricks to refocus on reading, finding the best fantastical novels and gaining the most from these worlds? Episode sponsors All that Glows by Lauren Smyth Realm Makers 202...

On May 14, we’ve had one Ascension Day, yes.[1. Photo by Chase Kennedy on Unsplash .] What about second Ascension Day (May 21)? In either case, Ascension Day marks the lesser-known sequel to Easter Sunday, honoring the time when Jesus Christ returned to Heaven. His disciples recorded His famous last words, including His command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in th...

This week marks Ascension Day, May 14![1. Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash .] So let’s rise to that occasion and survey at least seven notions about that place to which Jesus ascended—Heaven. Is it true that Heaven is only “spiritual”? Or that we can’t know about Heaven is like, so it’s best we not think much about that unchanging, un-earthly or very-earthly dimension where “time shall be no more” a...

Pragmata released to gaming consoles April 17. The new Capcom title promptly sold 1 million copies by its first weekend and provoked much discourse from fans and some haters. Why the hate? Because players everywhere, especially men, loved the key concept of an outer space soldier teaming up with a little android girl to fight robo-monsters. Gamers declared they would do anything to protect Diana....