Episodes

‘Tis the season for Christmas stories and stories fans claim are Christmas stories. Which ones have aged for every season? And which ones could be safely left back in childhood when we thought they were fun? In this special episode, let’s open the spiced eggnog, celebrate the best, and boo the rest. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Memoria by J. J. Fischer Laurie Christine: Garden of Mysteries: A Dragon Slayer Bible Story The Jabin Kainos series by Vince Mancuso Mission update Lorehaven ...

Nov. 29 was C. S. Lewis’s birthday. The famous author and scholar was born 126 years ago in 1898. And while fans eagerly await whatever director Greta Gerwig and Netflix might do with Narnia, we decided to ask: how would we take Lewis’s other fantasy tales, the Ransom Trilogy, to adapt for the screen? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Memoria by J. J. Fischer Laurie Christine: Garden of Mysteries: A Dragon Slayer Bible Story The Jabin Kainos series by Vince Mancuso Mission update Lorehave...

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? Episode sponsors Audio-Epic.com: “1232” podcast Laurie Christine: Garden of Mysteries: A Dragon Slayer Bible Story The Jabin Kainos series by Vin...

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. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Lethal Kings by Victoria McCombs Laurie Christine: Garden of Mysteries: A Dragon Slayer Bible Story The Jabin Kainos series by Vince Mancuso Mission update ...

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. Episode sponsors Sky Turtle Nova: Rift by Steven James Above the ...

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....

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...

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 i...

“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 actua...

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. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Immortal...

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? Episode sponsors Audio-Epic.com: “1232” ...

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? Special mention In Memory of Daniqua Grace White ♡ Support Siblings With Funeral Episode sponsors Audio-Epic.com: “1232” audio drama podcast Return of the Lost Ones by David Liberto Above th...

In the year 2099, imagine having to cancel your family vacation plans to St. Louis or that Oklahoma ranch. How come? Because, unfortunately, it’s dystopian times and there’s a wall there. It’s even worse inside those middle districts for Asher, son of The Defiance, because his one true love is now trapped on the Lazurite side, and her father runs totalitarian government. This month we’re crossing The Wall in our September book quest, and today we invite Brian Penn to explore this debut and other...

“Back in the olden days, Christian art was king.[1. Photo by Jelly Dollar on Unsplash.] Top artists like Michelangelo and Da Vinci pioneered in their creative fields, and later composers like Bach and Handel revolutionized their day’s music. Then later, of course, Lewis and Tolkien did this for fantasy! So why today do all the Christian artists copy The World instead of leading in culture?” How often have you heard these questions? And how often have you heard solid, logical answers to them? Ep...

Space. The next-to-final frontier. So what’s the final one? It’s the future. As sci-fi fans, Stephen and Zack enjoy debating space travel possibilities, Moon stations and Mars colonies (likelier now after the liquid water finding?), and of course those armies of the aliens. Now we’ll ask whether today’s scientists and speculators recognize Christianity’s crucial role in their disciplines, and whether they see a place for Christianity in their vision of the future. Episode sponsors Enclave Publ...

When was the last time you were reading a story or hearing music, and you felt those chills and sense of wonder that made you think, “Oh, wow, thank you, Lord”, or consider that the Holy Spirit was active in this artwork?[1. Photo by John Price on Unsplash.] We might say the story was “inspired,” similar to how we believe the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit. But as we celebrate stories #MadeByHumans, do we also believe God Himself does special work to help make these stories? Episode spon...

A new power is arising. Saruman’s forces, often joined by some wild Men who don’t know better, are felling the good trees of Middle-earth to make weapons of war. In response, some would-be trolls come out of their hoards to stomp all over this land and forget the true meaning of Tolkien. How then do today’s fans still love The Lord of the Rings—books, films, and/or memes? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Winter’s Maiden by Morgan L. Busse The Katrosi Revolution series by Jamie Foley Loreha...

You are being haunted.[1. Photo by grayom on Unsplash.] Specters from your past, or someone else’s past, lurk in your world. They twist meaning and distort symbols. They make you jump in the night, recoil from stories others find wonderful, and make the upright seem downright wicked. There is a cure that helps us imagine better, but first we must recognize the problem. What on earth is Church Back Home Syndrome? And why does this matter for Christian fantastical fans? Episode sponsors Enclave ...

“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’” Well, there you have it. God opposes artificial intelligence. But when many people see advantages to these generative tools, how can we celebrate the virtue of stories made by humans? Lorehaven has one way: a hashtag campaign (along with buttons and book stickers) just launched at Realm Makers called #MadeByHumans. We’ll talk about this important idea and cover each day of...

Cain Cross once dreamed of helping make dream-worlds. Now their world is being attacked by another pandemic. This one strikes as you sleep, sending victims into dark tunnels of despair to fight for their waking lives. We seek a cure for The Nightmare Virus, the new YA sci-fi thriller from Nadine Brandes. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing at Realm Makers The Katrosi Revolution series by Jamie Foley Lorehaven Open World at Realm Makers Mission update Lorehaven reviews: The Nightmare Virus Su...

Twenty years ago, two authors, one publisher, twelve action thriller novels, and forty teen spinoff books came to a grand finale with the fictionalized return of Jesus Christ to Earth. One of those top authors, marriage and prophecy teacher Tim LaHaye, has since passed to his eternal rest. The other author who’s written hundreds of novels, Jerry Jenkins, is still working! And today, Jenkins joins our studio to explore the Left Behind legacy. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Nightmare V...

Some Christians think that in an end-times Rapture event, young children automatically go to Heaven.[1. Background photo by David Moum on Unsplash.] But what about older kids? Such as teen rebels who disobey parents, won’t go to church, and reject Jesus? Left Behind: The Kids explored the exploits of the Young Tribulation Force, and was adapted for its own fantastic dramatic audio series by today’s guest: Darby Kern. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes Th...

It’s not an audiobook. It’s also not a movie series. Directly between these lies the medium of audio drama, such as 144 episodes about the end of days. Based on the best-selling novels, how did GAP Digital, working with Tyndale House Publishers, proudly present the dramatic audio edition of Left Behind? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing at Realm Makers The Katrosi Revolution series by Jamie Foley Lorehaven Open World at Realm Makers Mission update Lorehaven reviews: Steal the Morrow Subscr...

When the Tribulation arrives, you will need a Tribulation Force. So it was with the Left Behind series, when blockbuster success for grown-up readers led Tyndale House in want of a spinoff series. Thus was born again Left Behind: The Kids, all forty of them, overseen by series main author Jerry Jenkins but most written by today’s special guest: author and speaker Chris Fabry. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing at Realm Makers Realm Makers 2024 writers’ conference Lorehaven Open World at Realm...