Missing the Mark Interview

I recently joined author Christopher Lansdown on his Google Hangouts series Missing the Mark. We ended up talking for almost three hours about science fiction, theology, and whatever else struck our fancy. Chris is quite a knowledgeable fellow, and I'm grateful to have been invited to his show. Check it…
January 19, 2017

The Designer Guide to Secondary World Religions

Ragnarok Publications has been gracious enough to host an article that I wrote on designing fictional religions on their blog. How do you avoid clichés like Crystal Dragon Jesus, the Evil Church of Evil, and smarmy secularist characters who know the Bible better than lifelong churchgoers? You build from the…
October 28, 201613 Comments
Krampus 2015 Review

Krampus 2015 Review

Michael Dougherty describes the title character of his latest holiday-themed horror film, Krampus, as the "shadow of St. Nicholas". I was intrigued enough by this statement--and by Red Letter Media's glowing review--to go and see the movie. Horror fans are probably aware of Dougherty's spooky gem Trick 'r Treat--the best horror anthology film…
December 11, 20152 Comments
The Demonic Obsession of Cultural Marxists

The Demonic Obsession of Cultural Marxists

An interesting phenomenon, from my perspective as a theologian, is the number of people who've started asking if the cultural Marxists who seem hellbent on destroying Western civilization are possessed by demons. The question would have been laughed off as recently as five years ago, even among most Christians. But…
December 9, 20154 Comments
The Self-Publishing Beatitudes

The Self-Publishing Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are eight benchmarks given by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount that describe the perfection of Christian life. Not only are they points of reference for building virtue, they're also interrelated to build on each other. Here are eight mental habits that I've found useful in my…
November 3, 20152 Comments
Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 5

Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 5

Capping off yesterday's penultimate installment, I bring you the conclusion of "Izcacus". Eddie Sharp’s Notes – June 9 (?) Lots of climbers die no one knows how or where. Not me I won’t be like them. Im writing so they’ll know. Crawled back to camp. Passed out. Woke up dont…
October 16, 2015
Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 4

Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 4

Picking up where we left off yesterday, here's "Izcacus" Part 4. Eddie Sharp’s Notes – June 7 Summit Day: Overslept a bit. Frankly, I needed it after yesterday’s weirdness. The storm blew over and laid down fresh powder, but the increased avalanche risk is minimal. Temperature holding steady. Air’s so…
October 15, 20151 Comment
Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 3

Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 3

Continued from yesterday: "Izcacus" Part 3 Steve Herzog’s Field Notes – May 31 Saturday. 9 AM: According to this morning’s measurements, the glacier has receded 12 m compared to samples taken from the same location this time last year. DDT, dioxins, and heavy metals are present in higher than normal…
October 14, 2015
Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 2

Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 2

Yesterday I shared the first part of my horror/techno-trhiller story "Izcacus". Here's Part 2. Veronica Fulbright’s Expedition Log – 28 May Wednesday. I watched the eastern sky turn red-gold behind the Bezengi Wall on our descent, but night lingered in the mountains’ shadow until long after landing. The wind was…
October 13, 2015
Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 1

Serialized Short Story: Izcacus Part 1

A friend and respected horror buff once told me that there are only two kinds of vampires: the "supernatural" kind that suffer vampirism due to a curse, demonic activity, etc.; and the "scientific" variety whose infection by some pathogen mimics traditional vampire qualities. He went on to insist that writers…
October 12, 2015