Fantastical Truth
Escape bad books. Find the best Christian-made fantasy and sci-fi for God’s glory.
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Escape bad books. Find the best Christian-made fantasy and sci-fi for God’s glory.
Reading the feed…
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, will teach us how fantasy fans can learn to love timeless classic fiction.[1. Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash.] Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Winter’s Dawn by Morgan L. Busse Realm Makers f
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 of fans with more tales in this world, plus supernatural thrillers and superhero stories. Today we invite Bryan into our own cozy cave to explore how families can teach truth in fantasy this school yea
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 are the big moral heroes. This habit is taking over social platforms and podcasts. How can Christian fans respond with wisdom? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Winter’s Dawn by Morgan L. Busse Realm Make
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 such great power? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Winter’s Dawn by Morgan L. Busse Realm Makers fundraiser for ongoing defamation lawsuit The Talismiths: The Secret Saboteur by M. L. Hodder King
Everyone’s talking about that new release from Christopher Nolan, the feature film that is just so big that it’s one everyone oughtta see. Zack has already seen it. Stephen will see it sometime. Meanwhile, what about that book by Greek poet Homer that changed the course of our world’s epic storytelling? Dramatist and author Phil Lollar—no stranger to that name!—returns to the studio for our tour of The Odyssey. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Worlds Collide by Clint Hall Above the Circle of Earth (softcover) by E. Stephen Burnett Iffy Eats Monsters for Breakfast by Bryan Timothy Mitchell
That’s how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness. That turns good fans … toxic. How does this toxification happen? Or does it happen? Maybe it’s all the fault of big corporations. Or social media. Or foreign adversaries poisoning the discourse. In either case, we need discernment to sort honest criticism from harshest cynicism. Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Worlds Collide by Clint Hall Above the Circle of Earth (softcover) by E. Stephen Burnett Iffy Eats Monsters for Breakfast by Bryan Timothy Mitchell Lorehaven Guild: July 2026 book quest for The Silver Chair Mis
Not just Independence Day, but all month long, American citizens are celebrating our nation’s semiquincentennial called “America 250.” Other fans from around the world are joining in! But some folks, of course, feel uncertain about such patriotism. Don’t our countries have a lot of problems? Isn’t our eternal citizenship in Heaven? Let’s explore how Scripture endorses “the glory and honor of the nations.” And let’s recall how fantastical stories illustrate this good love of our country.[1. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.] Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Worlds Collide by Clint Hall Abo
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 Realm Makers is not just helping you find your tribe, but helping slowly change the real world. Episode sponsors Twist of Time by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo Author Up
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 environmental impacts lies one greater question for us fans—can all these cool tools actually help Christian storytellers make amazing new works that change our world? Episode sponsors Twist of Time by Tr
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 rides back into the studio. Episode sponsors Twist of Time by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo Author Update from Author Media Descendant Publishing Mission update Ne
"Doctor Who" fans grieve Russell T. Davies' destruction of the Time Lord. "Stargate" fans insist Amazon un-cancel its revival. And "Star Wars" suffers another box-office defeat.
When evil assaults beauty and buries all hope under dark despair, complex fiction can show our Hero's distant yet dazzling light.
Zackary Russell invites Jon James, Yuval Kordov, and Andrew Gillsmith to explore this subgenre in which priests forge faith into new centuries.
E. Stephen Burnett surveys practical tips to find the best fantastical novels and focus on gaining the most from these literary worlds.
Jesus Christ’s Great Commission applies to all believers, but Christian-made stories are free to share Him in many different creative ways.
Just in time for Ascension Day, Stephen reviews old notions about New Earth, like "it will never be physical" or "it's best not to think about it."
When new game “Pragmata” teamed up a space soldier man and adorable android girl, many players found themselves feeling parental.
While some readers and religious folk prefer safer stories, other fans pursue tales of honor in hopes of leveling up as warriors.
Apollo pioneers like Buzz Aldrin and modern explorers like Victor Glover show that only faith in God inspires us to travel beyond Earth.
Even before AI-powered universal translators, fantastical tales have been crossing culture barriers to help us celebrate shared values.
Critics are writing off famous fantasies, and we concede their demise. We also believe in an Author who surprises us with epic resurrection.
Project Hail Mary reminds us how much we love earnest virtue-based stories more than false “sincerity” or “cool” grimdarkness.
Honest fiction reminds us that armed conflict is terrible, yet can also be heroic and necessary so long as warriors fight for peace.
Often the book was truly better, but sometimes new film and TV versions offer changes that expand and honor the original story.
In all versions, Eiichiro Oda’s pirates-with-powers tales honor the best of human ambition and familial loyalty in an wackily sincere world.
