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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

‘One Piece’ Manga Reaches Chapter 1000: How Did This Pirate Become King?
Articles | L. Jagi Lamplighter on Jan 20, 2021

48. What Were the Top Seven Issues for Lorehaven Readers in 2020?
Podcast | Fantastical Truth on Jan 19, 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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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

Gretchen and the Bear
“Carrie Anne Noble’s delightful fantasy/sci-fi mashup Gretchen and the Bear defies every expectation.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 12, 2021

Torch
“Torch blazes a solid conclusion to the series’ themes of just leadership and racial reconciliation among fairy folk.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 5, 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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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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Does ‘Engaging Popular Culture’ Include Right-Wing Talk Radio?
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 9

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E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 6

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I Can’t Follow All These Popular Shows and Movies; How Do You People Do It?

I find myself feeling lost and “uncool” among all these lists about the best popular culture of 2018.
E. Stephen Burnett on Jan 8, 2019 | 5 comments

Not long ago, the internet was full of all those “best of” articles. This includes that favorite topic of those writers who explore popular culture stories in biblical perspective: the best TV/film/music/games/etc. of 2018.

Their lists leave me feeling very lost.

Here’s one example, from The Gospel Coalition‘s Brett McCracken. I already knew when I clicked on his article, “The Best Movies of 2018,” that I’d likely struggle just to recognize the titles. The results did not disappoint. I had not seen a single one of McCracken’s top-ten titles, and only recognized the name of a movie called First Reformed.1

I’d seen only two of his Honorable Mentions: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and, of course, Black Panther.

I might try to see Christopher Robin and certainly A Quiet Place.

But the other titles? I haven’t seen them. And some of them I hadn’t even heard of.

Several of these titles recur in a site closer to me, Christ and Pop Culture. (I’ve written there before and hope to write there again.) CAPC has been running a twelve-days-of-Christmas-style series. But, like many of the stories and songs favored by my CAPC colleagues, I struggle to keep up with all. This. Media.

Only the “Eight Worlds of Wonder” and “Ten Supers Saving” installments include stories I know well and enjoy.

The rest of them—I will either concede some level of disinterest, or feel annoyed for not being able to engage with them.

But apart from disinterest, I struggle with this thought: how in the world do folks have time for all these stories and songs and games and books and albums and beyond?

Especially movies that debut, not more accessible to streaming, but initially exclusive to theaters?

I’m not trying to be legalistic. Nor would I insinuate that movies are pre-judged worthless. Or that people ought to spend their money or time more effectively. I’m sincerely curious, and here’s why: Because I don’t even have children yet, and I can’t imagine taking this much time, not just for popular culture pursuits, but for engagement specific with That Latest Critically Acclaimed Film Everyone’s Talking About.

Previously I’ve felt uncertain about this. As if I’m missing out. As if people will judge me “uncool,” or perhaps even unequipped for cultural engagement or even evangelism.

But that’s silly. You don’t need to see all these movies, even the Critically Acclaimed ones, to participate in real life.

And you certainly don’t need to see them to be made aware of particular spiritual truths.

Anyway, I’m not a filmmaker or a full-time film critic. That’s not my creative calling. Books and magazines, and someday novels—ah, that’s more like it.

Though, to my credit(?), I have swayed a few movies’ Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Jan. 18 update: See this sequel article, in which friends of mine share how they find the time to follow these popular (or best-reviewed) films and shows.

  1. I saw the trailer for First Reformed, but the story just didn’t strike me as being very Reformed. Not a single tulip in sight. Honestly, even the highly acclaiming reviews from the Christian movie blogger set did not intrigue me. ↩
E. Stephen Burnett

E. Stephen Burnett creates sci-fi and fantasy as well as nonfiction, such as The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ (coauthored with Ted Turnau and Jared Moore, from New Growth Press). Stephen explores biblical truth and fantastic stories as publisher of Lorehaven.com and cohost of the Fantastical Truth podcast. He and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area, help with foster parenting, and serve as members of Southern Hills Baptist Church.

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  1. Tony Breeden says:
    January 9, 2019 at 5:09 am

    Stephen, your point doesn’t follow from the article you cite. Mccracken’s list is pretentiously artsy not popular. I saw First Reformed. It was a bitter disappointment. The rest of that list is a jaw-mccracken yawn until he gets to the honorable mentions like A Quiet Place and Black Panther.

    His article would have been more accurately titled The Best Movies of 2018 To Avoid, of The Best Movies of 2018 You’d Be Better Off Missing.

    Reply
    • E. Stephen Burnett says:
      January 9, 2019 at 7:25 am

      I refer to McCracken’s list as only one recent example. He had plenty of popular-level films on his list, such as Christopher Robin, yet I find myself scrambling for time even to see actually popular films. Fair point that an aside about these other offerings’ lack of actual “popularity” could have helped!

      Increasingly I’m convinced that the pro-critic sorts of people, including many Christians, have very, very different priorities for movies than do I.

      Reply
  2. E. Stephen Burnett | Feedback: Here's How My Friends Find Time for All These Popular Shows | E. Stephen Burnett says:
    January 18, 2019 at 8:15 am

    […] Last week’s article posed a question: “I Can’t Follow All These Popular Shows and Movies; How Do You People Do It?” […]

    Reply
  3. E. Stephen Burnett | If Creators Turn a Story Into Just More 'Worldview' Work, I'm (Likely) Out | E. Stephen Burnett says:
    April 2, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    […] I can’t see every movie, climb every secular mountain, ford every Sexualityist stream. […]

    Reply
  4. Speculative Faith | Should We Be Against Christians Who Are Against Popular Culture? says:
    July 16, 2019 at 8:49 am

    […] I skip maybe 80 percent of these thinkpieces for this very reason: I don’t actually follow all that much of what’s ragingly popular in our culture (e.g., America). The internet and specialized fandom/interest groups is a cause of this. I’ve […]

    Reply

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