My favorite trope in Science Fiction is the cyborg. While many other people are drawn to concepts like AI, aliens, or time travel. I enjoy all of those tropes, in part, but something about cyborgs hits a deep cord in me. The themes of personhood and identity speak strongly to me. In a recent article on Foe, we took a look at some of the wrong places where people draw their identity, and what the effects are on them and... Read more
Have you ever heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? This psychological concept suggests that human beings have varying levels of motivation based on what needs are being met. For instance, the base of this pyramid is “Safety” and deals with needs such as food and shelter. A person who does not have food, or who is living in a war zone, does not care about such needs as love or self-esteem. The highest point of this pyramid is “Self-Actualization” which... Read more
I reread this little classic every a year. There are shelves and shelves worth of Christmas-themed books out there, but only one that can really claim not to have just impacted a few people, but the entirety of history. Before The Christmas Carol was published in 1843, Christmas was a minor holiday mostly known for drunkenness. While the church emphasized it as Christ’s birth, the general population didn’t have the means or the framework to celebrate with the same vigor... Read more
In the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter. Many people around the globe are preparing to celebrate Christmas or another religious holiday. Snow is likely already on the ground, though I sadly, I miss out on that wonder. While I’m normally very staunchly in the camp of “No Christmas Music until after Thanksgiving.” I’ve been listening to Christmas music since November first this year. The year has been far too stressful and far to quick for me to hold on to... Read more
Up until now, we have spent most of our time alternating between looking at books and movies like in Song of the Sea or The Bird Box. More recently we’ve started discussing broader topics through the lens of fiction, such as with The Election Story or Is the Bible Fiction. We have not looked at many shows or other forms of media. However, I’ve found that one of the better forms of storytelling these days is in the world of... Read more
I’m the type of nerd who enjoys watching debates for entertainment. I avoid political debates, but religious debates, particularly around science, history, and philosophy, are favorites of mine. One thing I’ve picked up, that I’ve found helpful in everyday conversation is the concept of defining your terms. Even if we speak the same language, live in the same city, or even have the same family, people often have different definitions of things that we believe we have common ground on.... Read more
There are few science fiction stories that have a more powerful but subtle impact on Western culture than the classical story The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Perhaps, if anything, Frankenstein, which we covered earlier, might compare. It is a story that has snuck its way into our everyday vocabulary and constantly plays into our storytelling. How many Urban Fantasies, for instance, play with ideas of a kind innocent person who turns into a ruthless monster at... Read more
A few years back I watched a YouTube clip of an interview with apologist Ken Hamm. The interviewer, an atheist, pressed Hamm on his perspective on science. What would happen, the atheist asked if science contradicted the Bible. Ken Hamm insisted that there were no instances he had ever experienced where true science and the scriptures did not align. The interviewer continued to press, so Ken Hamm was honest. When the Bible and science contradict, he chooses to trust the... Read more
I vividly remember returning to our sending church after returning from Papua New Guinea to the United States. We sat down for our Sunday School, and I felt out of place being in the adult class for the first time, as it had been four years since I last attended. The Sunday school teacher pulled out a large, heavy TV on its trundle. The kind that every American in my generation is familiar with, and started a film created to... Read more
It seems like just yesterday, I was browsing the aisles of the local thrift store in search of a classic science fiction book to help inspire my writing. Soon I happened upon and purchased a paperback with a familiar title: War of the Worlds. I credit this book with my active love of science fiction. Wells is still one of my favorite authors, even after having read such books as The Martian, Frankenstein, and A Brave New World. One of... Read more
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