Mike Duran
@mikeduran.bsky.social
Novelist, artist, & freelance writer. Publishers Weekly starred review recipient. Interested in religion, science, conspiracism, media, books & monsters.
Pinned
I'm guessing when you have to beg your cohorts not to celebrate the assassination of a political foe, you're losing the argument.
If I have any credibility with you from 20 years of reporting on rightwing & fascist movements, please listen when I beg you not to celebrate Charlie Kirk getting shot. Leave aside morality: this isn’t a match in dry grass, it’s a torch. We do not want what this could ignite & we would not win.
September 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
I'm guessing when you have to beg your cohorts not to celebrate the assassination of a political foe, you're losing the argument.
mikeduranauthor
The backlash to Angel Studios' latest "family film," Sketch, provides a unique window into contemporary Christian art and evangelical culture.
www.mikeduran.com/2025/08/30/s...
The backlash to Angel Studios' latest "family film," Sketch, provides a unique window into contemporary Christian art and evangelical culture.
www.mikeduran.com/2025/08/30/s...
‘Snowplow Parents’ Overreact to Angel Studios’ New Family Horror-Comedy
Childhood is full of horrors. Which is why the horror genre is full of children. Films like It, the Babadook, The Sixth Sense, Poltergeist, and many more, all feature children grappling with real, …
www.mikeduran.com
August 30, 2025 at 1:35 PM
mikeduranauthor
The backlash to Angel Studios' latest "family film," Sketch, provides a unique window into contemporary Christian art and evangelical culture.
www.mikeduran.com/2025/08/30/s...
The backlash to Angel Studios' latest "family film," Sketch, provides a unique window into contemporary Christian art and evangelical culture.
www.mikeduran.com/2025/08/30/s...
While the Bible frames a world steeped in mystery, it also describes a world where said mystery can become a doorway to deception and damnation.
The Dangers of Christian Mysticism www.mikeduran.com/2017/11/27/t...
The Dangers of Christian Mysticism www.mikeduran.com/2017/11/27/t...
The Dangers of Christian Mysticism
This summer, at a writer’s conference I attended, popular Christian author Ted Dekker described himself as a “Christian mystic.” During that weekend, both in public sessions and p…
www.mikeduran.com
March 12, 2025 at 3:49 PM
While the Bible frames a world steeped in mystery, it also describes a world where said mystery can become a doorway to deception and damnation.
The Dangers of Christian Mysticism www.mikeduran.com/2017/11/27/t...
The Dangers of Christian Mysticism www.mikeduran.com/2017/11/27/t...
A deep dive into a rather peculiar subject. rockmusic #hinduism #LSD #occultism #HurdyGurdyMan #jimmypage #Donovan
www.mikeduran.com/2025/03/08/i...
www.mikeduran.com/2025/03/08/i...
Is Donovan’s ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ about the Antichrist?
It’s a question that could only be borne out of some paranoid evangelical fever dream. Which it partly was. I graduated high school in 1976. The 60’s counter-culture movement was windin…
www.mikeduran.com
March 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
A deep dive into a rather peculiar subject. rockmusic #hinduism #LSD #occultism #HurdyGurdyMan #jimmypage #Donovan
www.mikeduran.com/2025/03/08/i...
www.mikeduran.com/2025/03/08/i...
Fun announcement! This Fall I'll be the guest presenter at the Rhetorica Christiana forum at William Carey University. Been invited to talk about "Christians & Conspiracy Theories." (Also I may host a separate session on "Christian Horror.") Stay tuned!
www.wmcarey.edu/arts-and-let...
www.wmcarey.edu/arts-and-let...
Rhetorica Christiana
www.wmcarey.edu
February 25, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Fun announcement! This Fall I'll be the guest presenter at the Rhetorica Christiana forum at William Carey University. Been invited to talk about "Christians & Conspiracy Theories." (Also I may host a separate session on "Christian Horror.") Stay tuned!
www.wmcarey.edu/arts-and-let...
www.wmcarey.edu/arts-and-let...
Last night I had a dream that Reagan Moon encountered a one-legged prostitute. She helped him and somehow he helped her out of the trade and back into normal life. I woke up wondering what the woman's name was and how I could fit her into my WIP. #writerproblems
February 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Last night I had a dream that Reagan Moon encountered a one-legged prostitute. She helped him and somehow he helped her out of the trade and back into normal life. I woke up wondering what the woman's name was and how I could fit her into my WIP. #writerproblems
Remember all that buzz about @bsky.app surpassing X? Well recent data reveals that the app does not even appear in the top 35 social media platform.
explodingtopics.com/blog/top-soc...
explodingtopics.com/blog/top-soc...
Top 35 Social Media Platforms (September 2024)
Stay up-to-date with our curated list of the top social media networks, updated regularly.
explodingtopics.com
February 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Remember all that buzz about @bsky.app surpassing X? Well recent data reveals that the app does not even appear in the top 35 social media platform.
explodingtopics.com/blog/top-soc...
explodingtopics.com/blog/top-soc...
Tackling an incredibly sticky subject.
How Should Christian Novelists Portray LGBTQ+ Characters in Their Stories? www.mikeduran.com/2025/02/05/h...
How Should Christian Novelists Portray LGBTQ+ Characters in Their Stories? www.mikeduran.com/2025/02/05/h...
How Should Christian Novelists Portray LGBTQ+ Characters in Their Stories?
LGBTQ+ characters in film and novels have skyrocketed over the last several decades. Some of this is simply representative of a growing cultural acceptance of gay lifestyles. However, part of this …
www.mikeduran.com
February 6, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Tackling an incredibly sticky subject.
How Should Christian Novelists Portray LGBTQ+ Characters in Their Stories? www.mikeduran.com/2025/02/05/h...
How Should Christian Novelists Portray LGBTQ+ Characters in Their Stories? www.mikeduran.com/2025/02/05/h...
"Standpoint Theory" is a flawed paradigm for writers. Scripture affirms diversity, but never at the expense of Universal Truths. Individual experiences drive us to universal truths. For it’s these truths that bring meaning to our individual experiences.
www.mikeduran.com/2021/07/20/w...
www.mikeduran.com/2021/07/20/w...
Writing the “Other” or Writing “Us”
In Storytelling, Portraying Universal Human Experience is Superior to Emphasizing Identity Particulars My first novel featured a female protagonist. Being that my then writing group consisted mainl…
www.mikeduran.com
February 3, 2025 at 5:23 PM
"Standpoint Theory" is a flawed paradigm for writers. Scripture affirms diversity, but never at the expense of Universal Truths. Individual experiences drive us to universal truths. For it’s these truths that bring meaning to our individual experiences.
www.mikeduran.com/2021/07/20/w...
www.mikeduran.com/2021/07/20/w...
"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." -- Blaise Pascal, Pensees
January 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM
"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." -- Blaise Pascal, Pensees
Had a fun podcast interview with @michaeltolosa concerning Christians and the Horror genre. Anyone who subscribes to his free blog is entered into a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of my book "Christian Horror." #horror
#HorrorMovies
youtu.be/hG4wcPjNhWU?...
#HorrorMovies
youtu.be/hG4wcPjNhWU?...
Exploring Christian Horror with Mike Duran: Faith, Fiction, and Fear
YouTube video by Michael Tolosa
youtu.be
January 26, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Had a fun podcast interview with @michaeltolosa concerning Christians and the Horror genre. Anyone who subscribes to his free blog is entered into a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of my book "Christian Horror." #horror
#HorrorMovies
youtu.be/hG4wcPjNhWU?...
#HorrorMovies
youtu.be/hG4wcPjNhWU?...
The Battle Hymn of the Republic (sung at Trump's inauguration):
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me: As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on."
Wow.
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me: As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on."
Wow.
January 20, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The Battle Hymn of the Republic (sung at Trump's inauguration):
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me: As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on."
Wow.
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me: As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on."
Wow.
Although I don't label my stories as "Christian," my novelette "Requiem IV" may contain one of the most forthright "Christian" messages in any of my fiction. It's a futuristic military sci-fi that will be available for 99 cents in Kindle this weekend.
bit.ly/4g3fZao
bit.ly/4g3fZao
January 18, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Although I don't label my stories as "Christian," my novelette "Requiem IV" may contain one of the most forthright "Christian" messages in any of my fiction. It's a futuristic military sci-fi that will be available for 99 cents in Kindle this weekend.
bit.ly/4g3fZao
bit.ly/4g3fZao
"Christian Horror: On the Compatibility of a Biblical Worldview and the Horror Genre" is now available on audiobook. #horror #horrormovies #christianhorror #audiobook
amzn.to/3C6VP1A
amzn.to/3C6VP1A
Christian Horror (2nd Edition): On the Compatibility of a Biblical Worldview and the Horror Genre
Amazon.com: Christian Horror (2nd Edition): On the Compatibility of a Biblical Worldview and the Horror Genre (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Duran, Randy Streu, Blue Crescent Press: Audible Books & Originals
amzn.to
January 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
"Christian Horror: On the Compatibility of a Biblical Worldview and the Horror Genre" is now available on audiobook. #horror #horrormovies #christianhorror #audiobook
amzn.to/3C6VP1A
amzn.to/3C6VP1A
Echo chambers can perpetuate emotional fragility, an inaccurate view of reality, and reinforce misinformation and confirmation bias. B/c of this echo chambers require vigilant content screening, enforcement, and enforcers.
www.mikeduran.com/2024/11/26/a...
www.mikeduran.com/2024/11/26/a...
Against Echo Chambers (or How to Curate Ideological Diversity on Your Social Media)
The re-election of Donald Trump was a national trigger for many Americans. Days after the election, Washington, D.C. Pittsburgh, New York City, Portland, and Seattle saw hundreds to thousands of pr…
www.mikeduran.com
December 30, 2024 at 3:14 PM
Echo chambers can perpetuate emotional fragility, an inaccurate view of reality, and reinforce misinformation and confirmation bias. B/c of this echo chambers require vigilant content screening, enforcement, and enforcers.
www.mikeduran.com/2024/11/26/a...
www.mikeduran.com/2024/11/26/a...
"Our regulatory agencies work exactly in reverse. They protect regulators from from citizens, not the other way around."
rumble.com/v4hsxft-chd....
rumble.com/v4hsxft-chd....
CHD.TV Exclusive With Brett Weinstein From the COVID Roundtable
Bret Weinstein has a striking message for viewers on CHD.TV: “They are sabotaging all of the mechanisms that we would normally use to figure out what’s true.” He joins Mary Holland, reporting in at th
rumble.com
December 28, 2024 at 3:15 PM
"Our regulatory agencies work exactly in reverse. They protect regulators from from citizens, not the other way around."
rumble.com/v4hsxft-chd....
rumble.com/v4hsxft-chd....
As usual, religion was a recurring theme in horror films this year. Here's a brief look at some of those films.
www.mikeduran.com/2024/12/27/r...
www.mikeduran.com/2024/12/27/r...
Religious Themes in Horror Films 2024
Religion continues to be a prevalent thematic element of many contemporary horror films. 2024 was no exception. There are many possible reasons for the intersection of horror and religion, which I …
www.mikeduran.com
December 27, 2024 at 4:19 PM
As usual, religion was a recurring theme in horror films this year. Here's a brief look at some of those films.
www.mikeduran.com/2024/12/27/r...
www.mikeduran.com/2024/12/27/r...
The "Disney Gospel" veers from the biblical Gospel in significant ways. One is its absence of human depravity. Rather than repentance of pride, self-righteousness, or self-reliance, the Disney Gospel frames the soul as inherently good, and its redemptive efforts as noble.
OPINION: “Moana 2” tracks what I have called “The Disney Gospel,” in which good is always rewarded, evil is always punished, and, with belief in some higher power — magic, a star, a fairy godmother — a happy ending is guaranteed.
https://religionnews.com/2024/12/02/moana-2-disneys-holiday-gift-from…
https://religionnews.com/2024/12/02/moana-2-disneys-holiday-gift-from…
'Moana 2': Disney’s holiday gift from the gods
(RNS) — 'Moana 2,' which set a new record for Thanksgiving weekend box office receipts, is another step for Disney in broadening its faith palette.
religionnews.com
December 12, 2024 at 1:32 PM
The "Disney Gospel" veers from the biblical Gospel in significant ways. One is its absence of human depravity. Rather than repentance of pride, self-righteousness, or self-reliance, the Disney Gospel frames the soul as inherently good, and its redemptive efforts as noble.
The most thorough report ever released on America’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded that virtually everything that would have gotten you banned from social media for spreading “misinformation” was true.
www.dailysignal.com/2024/12/06/c...
House Report Finds (Nearly) Every COVID-19 ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Was True
A House subcommittee's report reveals shocking truths about COVID-19 policies long branded as "conspiracy theories."
www.dailysignal.com
December 7, 2024 at 9:15 PM
The most thorough report ever released on America’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded that virtually everything that would have gotten you banned from social media for spreading “misinformation” was true.
www.dailysignal.com/2024/12/06/c...
6 am in the Crow's Nest sailing into Mexico. Hoping to get some decent writing time in the next week or so. #amwriting
December 1, 2024 at 2:44 PM
6 am in the Crow's Nest sailing into Mexico. Hoping to get some decent writing time in the next week or so. #amwriting
Welp. That didn't take long. lol
November 27, 2024 at 5:37 PM
Welp. That didn't take long. lol
More Bluesky civility and vibes.
November 27, 2024 at 5:20 PM
More Bluesky civility and vibes.