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Nomad
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Mar 5, 2021

Legend of the Storm Sneezer
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Mar 5, 2021

53. How Can Christian Fans React When Fantasy Creators Get Cancelled? Part 1
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Mar 2, 2021

My Novel ‘The Mermaid’s Sister’ Arose from True Depths of Mourning
Articles | Carrie Anne Noble on Mar 1, 2021

The Icarus Aftermath
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 26, 2021

My Screenwriter Mom Introduced Me to Fantastic Sci-Fi in the 1960s
Articles | Jason William Karpf on Feb 25, 2021

52. Do Christians Really Need Science Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 3
Podcast | Lorehaven on Feb 23, 2021

Join Our March 11 Livestream Exploring Christian Reactions to Fandom Cancel Culture
News | Lorehaven on Feb 22, 2021

The Hourglass and the Darkness
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 19, 2021

Venus is More Than Just a Love Goddess
Articles | Shannon Stewart on Feb 18, 2021

Introducing Fantasy Enthusiast and New Lorehaven Writer Shannon Stewart
News | Lorehaven on Feb 17, 2021

Stories with Bad Ideas Can Still Help Us Grow
Articles | L.G. McCary on Feb 15, 2021

Gretchen and the Bear
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 12, 2021

The Mandalorian is a Religious Fundamentalist, and Here’s Why That’s Awesome
Articles | Josiah DeGraaf on Feb 11, 2021

Introducing Fantasy Creator and New Lorehaven Writer Josiah DeGraaf
News | Lorehaven on Feb 10, 2021

51. Do Christians Really Need Fantasy? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 2
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Feb 9, 2021

The Death and Rebirth of Magic in Children’s Fantasy
Articles | R. J. Anderson on Feb 8, 2021

Torch
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Feb 5, 2021

Fictional Magic Systems Can Go Beyond Rules and Reveal Deeper Characters
Articles | Elijah David on Feb 4, 2021

How God Uses Story Villains for Our Good
Articles | Zackary Russell on Feb 3, 2021

Introducing Sci-Fi Creator and New Lorehaven Writer Zackary Russell
News | Lorehaven on Feb 2, 2021

50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 1
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Feb 2, 2021

Frank E. Peretti to Give Keynote Address at Realm Makers Writers Conference This July
News | E. Stephen Burnett on Feb 1, 2021

Fugue for the Sacred Songbook: In Eb Minor
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Jan 29, 2021

How A Year Without Superhero Films Rebooted Our Universe
Articles | Jason Joyner on Jan 28, 2021

New Book ‘Reading Evangelicals’ Will Focus on Famous Christian Fiction
News | E. Stephen Burnett on Jan 27, 2021

Introducing Superhero Novelist and New Lorehaven Writer Jason C. Joyner
News | Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2021

49. How Can We ‘Terraform’ the Church to Enjoy Fantastic Fiction?
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Jan 26, 2021

Militant Secularism Could Force Christians to Create New Subcultures
Articles | Mike Duran on Jan 25, 2021

Flight of the Raven
Reviews | Lorehaven Review Team on Jan 22, 2021

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The Mermaid's Sister, Carrie Anne Noble
Etania's Worth, M. H. Elrich
Cinderella Spell, Laurie Lee
When Desperate Measures Are All You Have Left, J. C. Morrows
Fractures, James C. Joyner
Torch, R. J. Anderson
The Terran Summit, Anna Zogg
The Xerxes Factor, Anna Zogg
The Paradise Protocol, Anna Zogg
The Awakened, Richard Spillman
The Ascension, Richard Spillman
Love's Sacrifice, Kelsey Norman
Unbroken Spirit, Kelsey Norman
Seed: Judgment, Joshua David
Reviews

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Nomad
“R. J. Anderson’s fantasy Nomad is a rollicking read with fascinating conflicts and plot twists.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 5, 2021

Legend of the Storm Sneezer
“Teen readers fond of lengthy, lighthearted ghost-and-zombie tales will enjoy Legend of the Storm Sneezer by Kristiana Sfirlea.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 5, 2021

The Icarus Aftermath
“Arielle M. Bailey’s The Icarus Aftermath spins a golden yarn of vivid characters and gripping emotion, set in a world ripe for exploration.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 26, 2021

The Hourglass and the Darkness
“Kyle L. Elliott’s novel The Hourglass and the Darkness posits a world before the great Flood, starting a promising series.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 19, 2021

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53. How Can Christian Fans React When Fantasy Creators Get Cancelled? Part 1
Fantastical Truth, Mar 2, 2021

52. Do Christians Really Need Science Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 3
Fantastical Truth, Feb 23, 2021

51. Do Christians Really Need Fantasy? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 2
Fantastical Truth, Feb 9, 2021

50. Do Christians Really Need Fiction? | Fiction’s Chief End, part 1
Fantastical Truth, Feb 2, 2021

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SpecFaith

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

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The Fantastical Elements of Romantic Fiction, part 2
Parker J. Cole, Mar 4

Settling the Solar System in Science Fiction, part 3: the Moon
Travis Perry, Feb 24

The Fantastical Elements of Romantic Fiction, part 1
Parker J. Cole, Feb 17

Settling the Solar System in Science Fiction, part 2: Venus
Travis Perry, Feb 11

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E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 6

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Badfan v Superman 8: A Moral Cinematic Universe

Austin Gunderson ends our Badfan v Superman series with expectation for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Austin Gunderson on Jul 30, 2015 | Series: Badfan v Superman | 6 comments

SpecFaith staff explorers E. Stephen Burnett and Austin Gunderson share their month-long conversation about Man of Steel and how the film flies over many critics’ heads. See part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, or read the the whole Badfan v Superman series.

E. Stephen Burnett: I am thrilled that, by all indications, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is even attempting to tackle the issue of serious super-consequences.

Austin Gunderson: Thanks, Stephen, for this stimulating discussion. I think it’s an important one to have, and not just for genre fans.

When Alan Moore (author of such comics classics as “Watchmen,” “Batman: The Killing Joke,” and “V for Vendetta”) in 2014 referred to superheroes as “children’s characters” who enable “a retreat from the admittedly overwhelming complexities of modern existence” — a phenomenon he described as “potentially culturally catastrophic” — I think the pop-negativity surrounding Zack Snyder’s Superman is part and parcel of what he was addressing. For if our heroes inhabit a separate moral universe, how can their decisions possibly inform our lives?

While much of the backlash against the violence in Man of Steel purported to chastise the film for flippancy, I think what was really at issue for many people was the fact that it wasn’t sufficiently flippant to qualify as pure escapism. Of course, the film is escapist — no story whose hero leaps tall buildings in a single bound can really claim otherwise — but it’s an escapism with consequences in a universe of functional moral physics. When a genocidal superhuman tries to purge the planet, he cannot simply be insta-converted or banished or extinguished off-screen. He must be deliberately slain.

Many citizens died to bring us this GIF.

Many citizens died to bring us this GIF.

The Avengers manages to avoid this hard truth via the usual means: our heroes kill a bunch of faceless minions no one cares about, then merely exile the sympathetic villain. Easy-peasy. The metropolitan destruction they wreak in the process is forgiven them to the extent it’s treated as the result of a playful tussle. After all, it’s just a movie, guys, and look at Hulk punch Thor! See, it’s all in good fun. LOL!

But Man of Steel doesn’t break for comedic relief. It’s not interested in cushioning the blow of collapsing skyscrapers, or in using the imagery of destruction as an exciting backdrop for feel-good fun. When the towers fall in Metropolis, we’re reminded of September 11th, not Independence Day. And we don’t like that. This is supposed to be a superhero movie, dang it, not a serious movie! I came here to relax, not to grapple with the personal implications of Just War Theory!

Whether such an attitude is healthy for society as a whole, time will tell. I certainly don’t think it’s healthy for storytelling. If in our stories we aren’t willing to examine our own responses to evil by pairing consequences with actions, we’ll have created a dangerous rift between fiction and reality: the rift of fictional morals. A world in which evil just isn’t that serious a problem is a delusion, not a fantasy. And if it’s there that we live our imaginative lives, we’ll be left dangerously unprepared for real evil in the real world.

batmanvsuperman_supermanisirkedatbatmanIt’s for this reason, Stephen, that I share your excitement for Batman v Superman. I anticipated great things even before I saw the recent extended trailer, but now that we know for certain that the fallout from Supes’ battle with Zod will be a major plot point, I’m ecstatic. A Superman who appears in court is a Superman prepared to confront the implications of “collateral damage,” vigilante justice, and public ingratitude. More than that, a Batman willing to actually take action on the premise that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” is a Batman who operates on principle, rather than the insipid pragmatism so common in superhero stories.

I mean, let’s think this through. Superman, as an indestructible alien willing to take the law into his own hands, represents an existential threat to all human liberty. He cannot be controlled by anyone but himself. In embodying the spirit of security — “Superman will save us!” — he’s positioned himself as a potential tyrant without equal. Can a man of principle like Batman really afford to wait around to see whether Supes’ dictatorship will turn out to be benevolent? Especially when, at least in Bats’ mind, he’s already caused plenty of harm?

But many people, it seems, aren’t interested in such a conflict. “That’s dumb,” I often read. “They’re on the same side. Why can’t they just get along?” One might as well ask, “Who gave them permission to take leave of their fictional moral universe?”

In the real world, people don’t extend you trust just because you claim the symbol on your chest means “hope.” In the real world, we instinctively distrust those who wield unfettered power — whether they be generals or politicians or the ever-nebulous Rich, no matter what their stated purpose. In the real world, someone’s ability to watch over you doesn’t automatically elicit goodwill. If it did, everyone would love the NSA.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" San Diego Comic Con 2015 posterSo the reason many people dismiss the Batman-Superman showdown is ultimately the same reason people complained about Man of Steel: they prefer heroes who inhabit a separate moral universe. Batman should trust Superman “because he’s Superman, dagnabbit!” If we’re forced to watch Batman develop that trust, then we’ll have to grapple with whether we would trust Superman, too. Much easier for such dynamics to be offered up pre-cooked and pre-chewed — axiomatic assumptions that allow us to cut straight to consequence-free slugfests with villains we can all agree we’re supposed to hate. We want our heroes nonthreatening and our victories cheap.

It’s my hope and expectation that Batman v Superman will aspire to a weightier ideal. By examining the painful consequences of superhero-scale destruction, and by exploring the power dynamics introduced to Earth by the coming of the Last Son of Krypton, the film seems poised to transcend Alan Moore’s gloomy dismissal of the genre he spent his career enriching. Far from catering to childish sensibilities, it appears that DC has graduated to solid food.

Read the complete Badfan v. Superman series.

Austin Gunderson
By day, Austin Gunderson is a media production professional; by night a reader and writer of fantasy, and is review chief of Lorehaven magazine. He resides in the Pacific Northwest with the wife of his youth, and serves as a member of Lighthouse Christian Center.
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  1. E. Stephen Burnett says:
    July 30, 2015 at 9:27 am

    Yesterday I had another pair of thoughts about the potential differences between both superhero cinematic universes …

    Marvel is to Star Wars what DC could be to Star Trek.

    E.g., Star Wars is set in a “lived in” universe of science fantasy, while Star Trek is set in a future universe that tries to explain things a little more and go a little deeper. Both are enjoyable story-worlds, yet with very different rules and emphases.

    Or if you like, Marvel is to Windows what DC could be to Macs.

    (No, I’m not a Mac Snob. Even if my laptop refuses to download Windows 10.)

    Reply
    • Austin Gunderson says:
      July 30, 2015 at 11:31 am

      Heh. If in your analogies Marvel represents fun-filled escapism as opposed to let’s-get-our-hands-dirty deconstruction, then Mac is probably its better match. People who use Macs — like me — don’t want to know what’s under the hood; we just want the dang thing to *work*.

      With regard to Wars vs Trek, I suppose I can see that parallel, at least when it comes to tone. But keep in mind that the Star Wars universe, despite its EU, contains no cartoon endings. Qui-Gon, Maul, Dooku, Windu, Obi-Wan, Palpatine, and Vader all end up paying the ultimate price for their beliefs, whether to our cheers or groans of grief. While Star Wars may shoot from the hip with a cocky grin, its bullets don’t conveniently veer wide.

      Reply
    • E. Stephen Burnett says:
      July 30, 2015 at 11:38 am

      Qui-Gon, Maul, Dooku, Windu

      Eh, these names are strange to my ears.

      Perhaps they are part of the “extended universe” of novels that I keep hearing about.

      Reply
      • Austin Gunderson says:
        July 30, 2015 at 1:18 pm

        Sorry — yeah, I pulled those from the “Prequel Trilogy,” a much-derided fan-fiction. Let me refresh my list of the slain:

        Owen & Beru, Greedo, Porkins, Tarkin, Jabba.

        Reply
      • Austin Gunderson says:
        July 30, 2015 at 1:20 pm

        Um, spoiler alert. And if that warning applies to you … *waves hand* … you need to go home and rethink your life.

        Reply
      • E. Stephen Burnett says:
        July 30, 2015 at 2:32 pm

        But while you’re re-thinking your life, no smoking. It’s harmful to your health!

        (Sits back, satisfied) Wow. I really saved a life today. I really did the Force’s work.

        Reply

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