Fantastical Truth

In the last month, we have seen fans who share their strong feelings about, say, horror fiction, movie trailers, or big studio companies. In response these fans often hear scoffing from high-school bullies who hate “nerds.” But there’s a new and not-very-clever tactic in play. It’s the accusation that passionate fans are just turning into monsters who may be worse than Satan—fighters in a scary culture war. Why do some critics say this? What do they mean? And how is this a great big old manipula

“The Prince of Darkness grim / We tremble not for him.” Martin Luther wrote those words, and yet many people don’t follow them. When they aren’t denying the Devil exists, they’re scared of him. And outside of a biblical worldview, they are right to feel fear. So who is Satan? Why does he haunt the margins of Scripture, often lurking in allusions and cameos rather than starring as a featured villain? And how can faithful Christians battle this unholy foe, especially during spooky season?[1. Photo

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 franchises. We’ll explore how fans may get sick of the constant misdirection that’s now become predi

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 illness. As we reenter Monster Month, how can we wrangle these reactions?[1. Photo by Eleni Petrounakou

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 Narnia and C. S. Lewis while scoffing at his fans for being so overexcited about a movie. How can we be

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 lion with obvious chimera creature textures and colors inspired by 1970s music celebrities. They boast