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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Feb 7, 2023

Into the Darkness
Reviews, Feb 3, 2023

The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
Jenneth Dyck in Articles, Feb 2, 2023

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The Wayward, Tabitha Caplinger
Fortified, V. Romas Burton
Canaan Sleeps, Daniel Camomile
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
Dream of Kings, Sharon Hinck
The Change, Bradley Caffee
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148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck
Fantastical Truth, Feb 7, 2023

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
Fantastical Truth, Jan 17, 2023

144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 10, 2023

143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 6, 2023

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Into the Darkness
“Charles Hack’s Into the Darkness summons a close-range science fiction story, focusing on the personal challenges of space warfare among alien cultures with a steady pace and serious tone.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 3, 2023

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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What Are We Going To Do Tonight, Brain?

Evil geniuses have never conquered the world because they always invest in mediocrity. Whether it be sub-par thugs without enough brains to actually pull off a task, or superbly talented henchmen with a bit too much ambition, or perhaps the […]
Stuart Stockton on Oct 3, 2006
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Evil geniuses have never conquered the world because they always invest in mediocrity. Whether it be sub-par thugs without enough brains to actually pull off a task, or superbly talented henchmen with a bit too much ambition, or perhaps the devastatingly beautiful lady assassin, with a tad too soft a heart.

Well that and they tend to monologue a bit to much to satisfy their over-inflated egos giving the hero just enough time to escape and foil there evil schemes.

Yesterday Becky asked what to do about Christian SFF books that are just plain bad. And yes, there are books like that out there (naturally I’m not talking about your book, or my book, but that other book over there. You know, the one even bookworms can’t stomach). But Becky wants to know, do we spread the word about the sadly worm-free book or do we promote it anyway, simply for the sake of getting more exposure to the fact that there is Christian SFF out there?

Well let’s look at it this way.  If someone complained to you that there is no bread any more, and nobody would want it if there was any, and yet you had five loafs of bread which would you show them. The one fresh from the oven, with mouth-watering moistness and that all too yummy warm radiance, or maybe the two that aren’t quite oven fresh, but still all good and yummy-licious. Maybe even bring out the one that’s tiny bit–stale but still good for toast.  Or perhaps you would bring out the other one, the old, green and two minutes away from getting up and walking loaf. Of course you wouldn’t show them the last one. Just the sight of it would ruin their appetite for bread for at least a week (unless you quickly shoved the oven fresh bread in their face, slathered with rich, to-die-for strawberry jam).

Here’s the rambling point. If there is a book out there you can’t stomach, you don’t do any favors to your cause by brining attention to it, negatively or positively. The best you can do is let it die a quiet and peaceful death, maybe in the back pasture with a nice gentle brook and a happy little butterfly (that was really very mean and a bully as a caterpillar, thus it’s being trapped with said book).

Maybe it’s mean, cruel and heartless of me to say so, but not every book deserves to see the light of day (trust me, I’ve created some of the freaks myself).  If we promote and shove books out to the masses in a desperate, undiscriminating flood then we will only hurt our cause. All it takes is one or two bad books to sour a reader for a long time (and if that reader happens to be in a position of influence… Well it isn’t pretty).

There is one more very sinister creature lurking in the shadows, waiting to devour unsuspecting E.G.s as well. One much more sinister than any 007 or Kim Possible.

But I’ll talk about it next time…

Stuart Stockton
Stuart Vaughn Stockton is the author of the award winning science fiction novel, Starfire. His exploration into world creation began in Jr. High, when he drew a dinosaur riding a pogo-stick. From there characters, creatures and languages blossomed into the worlds of Galactic Lore, the mythos in which Starfire is set. He lives in the beautiful town of Colorado Springs with his wife and fellow author, Tiffany Amber Stockton. Together they have two incredible children who bring new adventures every day.
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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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