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Please Return to the Lands of Luxury
Reviews, Mar 24, 2023

154. What If You Had to Fake Being Genetically Modified? | Enhanced with Candace Kade
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Mar 21, 2023

Exile
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Enhanced, Candace Kade
Bear Knight, James R. Hannibal
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
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The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
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154. What If You Had to Fake Being Genetically Modified? | Enhanced with Candace Kade
Fantastical Truth, Mar 21, 2023

153. When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance’
Fantastical Truth, Mar 14, 2023

152. How Can Christian Fantasy Fans Heal from Church Trauma? | with Marian Jacobs and L. G. McCary
Fantastical Truth, Mar 7, 2023

151. How Can Fantastical Satire Sharpen Our Theology? | The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded with David Umstattd
Fantastical Truth, Feb 28, 2023

150. Is the U.S. Government Covering Up Spy Balloons or Alien Spaceships? | with James R. Hannibal
Fantastical Truth, Feb 21, 2023

149. Why Do Christian Fiction Fans Love So Much Romance?
Fantastical Truth, Feb 14, 2023

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Please Return to the Lands of Luxury
“Jon Tilton explores complex topics like memory loss, personal and societal responsibility in this light sci-fi story.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 24, 2023

Exile
“This gentle fantasy from Loren G. Warnemuende shows little magic or strange creatures, focusing on complex emotions and relationships.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 17, 2023

Illusion
“Frank Peretti’s last novel creates a romantic world with sci-fi flourishes where likeable heroes, villain twists, and familiar places sell a dramatic performance.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 10, 2023

War in Heaven
“Charles Williams’s classic supernatural thriller pairs a deeply spiritual worldview with perceptive examinations of human nature.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 3, 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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67. How Do Fantastic Stories Avoid Preachiness While Still Discipling Readers in Christ? | with L. G. McCary

Christian-made stories should not preach from on high at readers beyond the “fourth wall,” but should help disciple our imaginations in Christ.
Fantastical Truth on Jun 22, 2021 · 3 comments

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“Fiction should not preach!” many critics say. They may even preach about it. But even if excellent Christian-made stories should not preach, does this mean the stories will have no teaching at all? Is preaching the only way we learn, or don’t we also learn through discipleship. This includes but isn’t limited to sermons! With help from Lorehaven writer and That Pale Host author L. G. McCary, we explore how great Christian-made stories do have a purpose: not to preach at readers beyond the “fourth wall,” but to help disciple our imaginations in Christ.

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L. G. McCaryL. G. McCary is an old-school Whovian and a lifelong Trekkie. She has a bachelor’s in psychology which means she knows enough to mess with readers’ heads but not enough to diagnose their problems. She is the wife of an Army chaplain and the homeschooling mom of four rambunctious kids. She writes supernatural and dark science fiction on topics as diverse as artificial intelligence, ghosts, sentient snowmen, and space hotels. Her first novel, That Pale Host, releases October 2021 from Monster Ivy Publishing. Her short story, “Rendering,” appears in Havok’s Rebirth anthology.

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1. What do we mean by ‘preachy stories’ and what’s the problem with this?

How do we understand this label preachy?

  • What are legit examples of preachiness?
  • How do both evangelical and secular stories get preachy?
  • Preachy fiction feels annoying. But so can preaching that we need.
  • The best rebukes to bad “preachiness” are based on biblical facts, not our dislike.
  • Biblically, stories aren’t meant to preach.
  • Sermons are meant to preach.
  • Stories and sermons have different purposes.

2. Why do Christians overcorrect in trying to avoid ‘preachy’ fiction?

  • In response to preachiness, fans may reject not just preachiness but meaning!
  • This can lead to stories that feel at once even preachier and more shallow.
  • This is Stephen’s one exception to his working definition of “Christian fiction.”
  • Usually he defines a “Christian thing” as, “A Christian made the thing.”
  • Exception: Unless the Christian forces a solid (even secular-preachy!) partition.

3. How does great fiction help disciple (not preach at) readers?

  • We may subconsciously define “preacher” with images, not words: he’s a distant figure at a pulpit.
  • Instead, let’s subconsciously define a good pastor with images, not words. He’s a teacher, brother, friend.
  • These are very different concepts. The preacher simply lectures at a distance. The other helps pastor you in person.
  • As Christians, we ought to seek Christian-made books that help with this pastoral act of what Scripture calls discipleship.
  • This is how we grow. Sermons help disciple us, but as part of greater whole.
  • We grow by truth applied in relationships. Fiction alone helps simulate this.

Next on Fantastical Truth

What if your father drank a vial of holy water that might have come from the Tree of Life? Then you researched his work, and found yourself waking up in the Middle Ages—just as the peasants began revolting? Novelist Jody Hedlund explores this in Come Back to Me, book 1 of her fantasy-romance-time travel series The Waters of Time, and next week she joins us on Fantastical Truth.

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Explore the best Christian-made fantasy, sci-fi, and beyond, and apply these stories' meanings in the real world Jesus calls us to serve.

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    In the Fantastical Truth podcast from Lorehaven, hosts E. Stephen Burnett and Zackary Russell explore fantastical stories for God's glory and apply their wonders to the real world Jesus calls us to serve.
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    1. notleia says:
      June 24, 2021 at 6:02 pm

      I think a large part of the problem is that a lotta people in this subculture have trouble distinguishing between “descriptive” versus “proscriptive.” Which makes sense because there have been countless denominational and church splits over what, exactly, is descriptive vs proscriptive in the Bible itself. (At least they come by it honestly?)

      Also sidetrack: I found this tumblr scheisspost that talks about the difference about Joss Whedon!Thor and TaikaWaititi!Thor that reminds me a lot of Burnett’s very many feelings about firstmovie!Thor and Ragnarok!Thor, and I find it interesting:
      https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AabDKJdPHDmp1YZ7wVR39gslHVkXb2rV_4z75b9m2AUtkXcdaNg3xa0/

      Reply
      • E. Stephen Burnett says:
        June 25, 2021 at 9:30 am

        I think a large part of the problem is that a lotta people in this subculture have trouble distinguishing between “descriptive” versus “proscriptive.”

        Exactly.

        Reply
    2. Autumn Grayson says:
      June 29, 2021 at 11:50 pm

      An excellent biblical story/show/whatever is the animated short film Adam And Dog. It’s somewhat fantastical in the way the scenery is illustrated and such. But it basically goes through the story of Adam and Eve from a dog’s perspective, which gives a fresh take on the whole situation. It did a great job of showing, rather than telling — letting the audience experience the peace and beauty of Eden and the sadness of having to leave. I’d say it’s even more poignant since it’s shown from the perspective of a character that doesn’t entirely understand what happened with the humans. There is some nudity, since it’s about Adam and Eve, but it’s animated(and therefore not exploiting real people) and isn’t hyper sexualized. But anyway, here’s a link to the show:

      Reply

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