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Austin Gunderson

By day, Austin Gunderson is a media production professional; by night a reader and writer of fantasy, and is the former Lorehaven review chief. He resides in Utah with the wife of his youth and two children.

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‘Batman v Superman’: An Exquisite Superhero Theodicy

The sequel to ‘Man of Steel’ neither ignores the world as it is, nor pretends there’s nothing beyond it.

‘The Secret Of Kells’: The Shape Of The Light

As civilization ends, one boy in a remote Irish abbey seeks beauty in the face of evils both ancient and emergent.

‘Jesus Triumphant’ … and Hollywoodized

The penultimate novel in the “Chronicles of the Nephilim” series chomps down on the leg of a live lion before being hurled into a bog of extinct cliches.

‘The Force Awakens’ After Finally Finishing Its Beauty Sleep

"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" banner

Imagine watching “A New Hope” as though it was actually “Episode IV” instead of a de facto “Episode I.”

Story Evangelism: The Gospel Has Power In Realistic Fiction

Should Christian Stories Evangelize? Chapter 4

Should Christian Stories Evangelize? Chapter 2

Badfan v Superman 8: A Moral Cinematic Universe

Badfan v Superman 5: You’ll Believe A Man Can Die

Badfan v Superman 3: Challenging Cheap Optimism

Feed The Right Wolf: ‘Tomorrowland’ and The Allure Of Fatalism

Christians know we’ll never arrive in Tomorrow until Christ reigns on New Earth. But how far might we go if we reached for the stars?

‘Inside Out’ and Upside Down: Sorrow As A Symbiote

When Pixar takes you inside a young girl’s mind, expect the counterintuitive.

‘The Ghost Box’ and The Spirit Sea

In a Los Angeles awash with the supernatural, opening your eyes means entering a battle.

‘David Ascendant’ Faces Giant Flaws and Thrills

This rip-roarin’ roller coaster of sword-and-sandal war and scandal rises despite its defects.

Speculative Caroling

‘Enoch Primordial’ Soup

Enoch Primordial: A mass of fantastical ingredients does not a fantastic story make.

Taken Into The Dance: The Metaphysics Of ‘Interstellar’

Visceral emotion and bittersweet beauty mark this unabashed ode to hard-core humanism.

‘The Maze Runner’ Chases A Hope Unseen

“The Maze Runner” is not a mere special-effects extravaganza but an intimate exploration of human choices and survival.

‘The Apocalypse Door’ Opens on Spiritual Thrills

Warrior-priest bashes in heads, dispenses one-liners while battling demonic plot to fast-track end of world. ‘Nuff said.

‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ … and Eternity

In a future of desperate war, one coward’s life is transformed by all the time in the world.

Chariots, Horses, and Aircraft Carriers are No Match For ‘Godzilla’

Neither nature nor nature’s God pay heed to humanity’s hubris.

‘Leviathan’ Will Pull You In With A Hook

In this frenetically savage thriller, an evil creature of incredible power drives characters into the arms of that Being Who is mightier still.

Judging ‘Noah’

Russell Crowe in Noah.

This speculative adaptation of the biblical epic eliminates all assurance of salvation in order to gaze unflinchingly at the justice of God.

A Storyteller Sings In ‘The Way Of Kings’

This monumental epic, a work of singular beauty and depth, treats its readers with respect by challenging the convictions of its characters.

Debugging ‘The DarkTrench Saga’

This far-future sci-fi hurls the reader into a dystopia of universal Islam, where a man enslaved by technology will step into legend when he encounters the living God.

‘A Cast Of Stones,’ A Clash Of Tones

This well-written and entertaining novel is a step in the right direction for Christian fantasy, but its dissonance of conflict forestalls greatness.

‘Bid The Gods Arise,’ and Wake Me Up As Well

Reviewer Austin Gunderson: This fantasy’s fascinating setting and villains keep readers engrossed, but the story suffers in style, pacing, and plot.