Some people tell us, “Monsters lurk everywhere. But they never, ever look like monsters.” Or do they? They also suggest, “Usually the most obvious ‘villain’ is in fact the innocent victim who’s been traumatized by another more terrible monster you never would have suspected.” Or is that really true? Many narrative-makers seem to think so, from pundits to true-crime podcasters to major fantastical franchises. We’ll explore how fans may get sick of the constant misdirection that’s now become predictable in fiction—and has even corrupted real justice as many defenses of evildoers deflect their blame into the shadows.[1. Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash.]
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Mission update
1. Traditional villains can still get plot twists
- Fairy tales, superhero stories, and Westerns show clear bad guys.
- Detective stories, suspense, and other genres hide them until later.
- Who’s right? They both are, either traditional or plot-twist villains.
- Stephen’s favorite? Clever stories that manage to do both at once.
- Traditional villains can surprise us. Twist villains still affirm justice.
2. Subversive surprises erode reader trust
- That’s different from subversive stories that fail at the plot twist.
- Famously, Frozen intros a secret villain with very little clear setup.
- Other stories can get so “clever” their twists often defy plain logic.
- Worse, such monsters defy plain morality and affirm subversion.
- Real nuance is twisted into “there is no good or evil, only power.”
3. Beware the disorder of real deathworks
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
—Isaiah 5:20 (KJV)
- This isn’t just about bad stories. God almighty hates this disorder.
- Now it’s wreaking havoc in real court cases and their onlookers.
- People feel compelled to seek “surprise monsters” and raw power.
- Based on their feelings, they reject boundaries of fiction/reality.
- Plot twist: all along, such disorders turn real people into monsters.
Com station
Top question for listeners
- Do you prefer villains to be traditional or surprising?
Victor DiGiovanni wrote solid critiques to ep. 332:
There is no amount of changes Gerwig or anyone can make to Narnia to where it even remotely approaches blasphemy or directly insulting Jesus. Narnia is a series about talking animals, and rats who wield swords, and boys who turn into dragons and children who travel to magical worlds through wardrobes and magical paintings and where a white witch cast a magical land into a hundred years of winter. …
Thank you, and also Stephen, for your thoughtful responses to my comments. While I am typing my comments in responses to yours, on this article, it’s more about the discussion as a whole that I’m responding to.
- The entire conversation is well worth reading, even at great length.
- Stephen offers praise and summary responses, seeking wisdom.
- To sum up: Narnia isn’t Scripture, but worth defending as fans.
- Some may go overboard, but true Narnians don’t answer for that.
- In this case some “outrage” is surely warranted; if not now, when?
- Our goal isn’t to impress “the world” but to glorify our own Author.
Next on Fantastical Truth
“The Prince of Darkness grim / We tremble not for him.” Martin Luther wrote those words, and yet many people don’t follow them. When they aren’t denying the Devil exists, they’re scared of him. And outside of a biblical worldview, they are right to feel fear. So who is Satan? Why does he haunt the margins of Scripture, often lurking in allusions and cameos rather than starring as a featured villain? And how can faithful Christians battle this unholy foe, especially during spooky season?
