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Cain Cross once dreamed of helping make dream-worlds. Now their world is being attacked by another pandemic. This one strikes as you sleep, sending victims into dark tunnels of despair to fight for their waking lives. We seek a cure for The Nightmare Virus, the new YA sci-fi thriller from Nadine Brandes.

Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing at Realm Makers
2. The Katrosi Revolution series by Jamie Foley
3. Lorehaven Open World at Realm Makers

Mission update

• Lorehaven reviews: The Nightmare Virus
• Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild

Quotes and notes

• “I Process Big Questions Through Story,” interview with Nadine Brandes
• “Why Our Dreams May Tell Stories As We Sleep,” Zack Russell at Lorehaven

Introducing guest Nadine Brandes

Nadine Brandes has been known to do wild things (like ride a sleeper train across Russia) in the name of book research. She’s the four-time Carol Award–winning author of seven young adult books and has been a professional fiction editor for over a decade. She is passionate about Jesus, motherhood, and creating with the Creator. When she’s not busy inventing worlds and magic systems, she’s adventuring through Middle Earth with her Auror husband and their four Halfling children.

• NadineBrandes.com

1. Origin story: biblical truth, fantastic imagination

• How to process big questions through story: from death to magical life
• Crossing genres, from sci-fi dystopias to historical fantasies

2. Everyone has dreams, but no one programs them

• Creating this different strain of Virus: modern and genre inspirations
• Balancing light and darkness: story realism versus reader responsibility
• Why Our Dreams May Tell Stories As We Sleep

3. The futures of reality and fantastical worlds

• Predictions for Christian-made storytelling in genres and theme
• New stories from Nadine Brandes coming in 2025 and beyond

Com station

• Have good or bad dreams helped remind you of fantastical truth?

Next on Fantastical Truth

“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’” Well, there you have it. God opposes artificial intelligence. But when many people see advantages to these generative tools, how can we celebrate the virtue of stories made by humans? Lorehaven has one way: a hashtag campaign (along with buttons and book stickers) just launched at Realm Makers called #MadeByHumans!