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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This Present Darkness (1986), Frank E. Peretti
This Present Darkness’s 1986 publication may have seemed insignificant at the time, but Frank E. Peretti’s first supernatural thriller shook the foundations of Christian fiction.
—Austin Gunderson —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2016 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2016 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in February 2016 —

‘The Force Awakens’ After Finally Finishing Its Beauty Sleep

Imagine watching “A New Hope†as though it was actually “Episode IV†instead of a de facto “Episode I.â€
— Austin Gunderson in December 2015 —

Story Evangelism: The Gospel Has Power In Realistic Fiction

Conversion scenes don’t automatically make good stories, but good stories can show the gospel at work.
— Austin Gunderson in November 2015 —

Should Christian Stories Evangelize? Chapter 4

Evangelism is only part of the mission of God’s people, who live in a world that is about to change forever.
— Austin Gunderson in October 2015 —

Should Christian Stories Evangelize? Chapter 2

“The source of the confusion typically surrounding this topic can be traced to the failure of evangelicalism to articulate a coherent doctrine of vocation.â€
— Austin Gunderson in October 2015 —

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.â€
— Austin Gunderson in July 2015 —

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

“Superman: The Movie†made fans believe a man could fly, but “Man of Steel†sought to ground our hero in a horrifying choice.
— Austin Gunderson in July 2015 —

Badfan v Superman 3: Challenging Cheap Optimism

“Man of Steel†avoids magical thinking and asks us to fly a mile in Superman’s red boots.
— Austin Gunderson in July 2015 —

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?
— Austin Gunderson in July 2015 —

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

When Pixar takes you inside a young girl’s mind, expect the counterintuitive.
— Austin Gunderson in June 2015 —

‘The Ghost Box’ and The Spirit Sea

In a Los Angeles awash with the supernatural, opening your eyes means entering a battle.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2015 —

‘David Ascendant’ Faces Giant Flaws and Thrills

This rip-roarin’ roller coaster of sword-and-sandal war and scandal rises despite its defects.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2015 —

Speculative Caroling

One of the most beautiful Christmas hymns features an alternate-reality Nativity story.
— Austin Gunderson in December 2014 —

‘Enoch Primordial’ Soup

Enoch Primordial: A mass of fantastical ingredients does not a fantastic story make.
— Austin Gunderson in December 2014 —

Taken Into The Dance: The Metaphysics Of ‘Interstellar’

Visceral emotion and bittersweet beauty mark this unabashed ode to hard-core humanism.
— Austin Gunderson in November 2014 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in September 2014 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in July 2014 —

‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ … and Eternity

In a future of desperate war, one coward’s life is transformed by all the time in the world.
— Austin Gunderson in June 2014 —

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

Neither nature nor nature’s God pay heed to humanity’s hubris.
— Austin Gunderson in May 2014 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in April 2014 —

Judging ‘Noah’

This speculative adaptation of the biblical epic eliminates all assurance of salvation in order to gaze unflinchingly at the justice of God.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2014 —

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.
— Austin Gunderson in March 2014 —

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.
— Austin Gunderson in February 2014 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in January 2014 —

‘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.
— Austin Gunderson in July 2013 —

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