310. Why Do Young Men Crave LitRPG Action Adventures? | with Jonathan Shuerger
Fantastical Truth
You’ve likely met some Christians who emphasize safety for children rather than preparing them for spiritual conflict. That’s why some more genteel-churchy responses to pop culture have said “it’s useless” or else “stay away” from stories like Harry Potter, Doom, or Dungeons and Dragons. So is it any wonder that a top-selling subgenre among young male readers is LitRPG, often with totally epic and jacked soldier good guys (maybe with mech suits) who slay evil aliens and demons?
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Backstory: Jonathan Shuerger
Jonathan Shuerger is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who brings authenticity, faith, and a love of story to every page. His writing is marked by military precision, theological depth, and cinematic imagination. He’s the author of Devil Dog: A Marine vs. Hell, available on Royal Road. Find all his works at JonathanShuerger.com.
1. Warrior culture v. safety culture
Why we should train people for battle.
The martial art of Jiu Jitsu appeals to people.
Warrior culture seems to be dying.
Safetyism seems to be taking over.
2. How Christian culture responds to war stories
Some critics claim violent stories cause us to be violent.
What kinds of battles do we expect ourselves (or our kids) to face?
3. How young men long to level up
Exploring the quests young men want to take.
Jonathan’s new LitRPT book Devil Dog:
“A Marine wakes up in Hell. He’s confused by two things: he’s part of a Game where demons level themselves up, and he’s infused with holy energy in defiance of every infernal law. Time to regroup.”
Com station
Top question for listeners
What’s your favorite military story, whether from LitRPG or another genre?
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