June 3, 2020—A subject very close to my heart today – as I live with a chronic illness myself! I got the chance to put some questions to Allison Alexander about her book, Super Sick, which deals with the representation of chronic illness and making peace with living with it.

May 23, 2020—Allison Alexander’s book Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness opened a whole new world to me in books. It’s like when you suddenly see something clearly that was always there but now is in focus! That is how I felt about characters with disability in fiction ever since reading her book.

May 11, 2020—Having battled chronic illness all her life, Alexander wants to see herself in her heroes. Her new book Super Sick chronicles her search for sick characters in pop culture, and the personal impact of that quest.

April 27, 2020—When author, Allison Alexander reached out to me about her new book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Her message mentioned that the book was full of stories (her own and those of others) and that it shared how sick characters should be portrayed in fiction. I didn’t understand what she was going for, but I wanted to. Allison sent me an advance copy of her book to read and as I read, I understood.

April 24, 2020—It’s always fun to stumble across people on the internet who have so many shared interests with you. And, for me, it’s made that much cooler when they live just a couple provinces over (us Canadians got to stick together!)! I’m so exited to have Allison Alexander share some of her geeky story of faith.

April 23, 2020—From IT Crowd to My Hero Academia, Allison draws on our love for pop-culture and her relatable humor to write a gripping story that is equal parts artful and incisive.

April 22, 2020—In her Thor form, Jane doesn’t have cancer; she is only plagued by the illness when she reverts back to her human body. So why doesn’t she stay in the Thor form all the time, you ask?

April 21, 2020—I, too, am ashamed of my illness. I feel like I’m worth less than others, because they can do things that I can’t.

April 20, 2020—Elantrians can’t die, but they also can’t heal. Even the pain of a stubbed toe stays with them forever. As simple cuts and scrapes add up, their pain increases, and eventually they go crazy from it.

April 19, 2020—Depression is something that many of us with chronic illnesses suffer from, and I appreciate that it isn’t something Cloud can just shrug aside.

April 18, 2020—Anyone who lives with chronic pain knows the toll it takes on your mind and body. It’s exhausting. It’s frustrating. And when there’s no end in sight, it’s difficult to find hope or purpose in life.

April 17, 2020—If you’re looking for a character to inspire you with courage, grace, and fortitude, look elsewhere. Doctor House is a sarcastic, crotchety physician who has only two goals in life: solving medical mysteries and getting relief from his own chronic pain.

April 16, 2020—On top of battling for the lives of humanity and the stress of survival, Laura has terminal breast cancer. She has to deal with exhaustion, pain, treatments, side effects, and knowing that she’s fighting for a future that she will not live long enough to see.

April 7, 2020—“If you’re not busy, you’re doing something wrong.” That seems to be the mantra of the day, where if I told someone I spent the week at home doing nothing, I’d get funny looks. (At least, I would have before COVID-19.)

February 24, 2020—Enjoying the Star Wars video game takes both human persistence and a gospel perspective. Fallen Order is one of those games where you need to fail in order to succeed.

The grocery store clerk casually asks me, “How are you?” as he rings up my items — spoils of war, really, because getting dressed, driving to the store, and picking up what I need for next week’s meals requires a Herculean effort.

January 14, 2020—When I saw the trailer for “Morbius,” Sony’s upcoming film about a doctor turned pseudo-vampire, I wasn’t expecting another blow to people with disabilities and illnesses.

May 28, 2019—Despite what you might have heard in church, echoes of the gospel can found in video games, Dungeons & Dragons, anime, comics, and board games.

January 28, 2019—The platforming video game Celeste addresses anxiousness with the honesty and wisdom of the psalmist.

November 6, 2018—The new animated series offers a lesson in meekness — for Star Wars fans and Christians alike.

July 26, 2018—An excerpt from our Pop Culture Primer ebook, highlighting notable games, television shows, albums, movies, and graphic novels that resonate with Christianity in interesting ways.

July 17, 2018—By putting understanding and cooperation at the forefront, A Way Out nudges players into a biblical notion of empathy.

August 22, 2018—Why do so many outsiders feel the need to correct the childlessness they encounter?

July 3, 2018—Every time I leave the safety of my car to walk the city streets, I’m afraid. I felt this fear even before a stranger jumped into my car with me.

April 24, 2018—Playing Fe, we’re reminded to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

April 10, 2018—Lashing out at those who hurt us is our tendency, and in popular media that often means striking against evil and wielding intellectual prowess, harsh words, technology, physical weapons or even fists against threatening foes.

April 6, 2018—Recognizing anxiety for what it is can be valuable in learning how to deal with it.

February 27, 2018—If I’m suffering, I want it to have a purpose; if there’s meaning in the pain, won’t that help me through it? Maybe I’m doing something wrong. Or maybe not.

January 2, 2018—Because I’m a perfectionist, I punish myself when I fail. It would be easier to stubbornly move forward without learning or addressing my shortcomings.

November 27, 2017—It's good to be reminded of the reality of death, so that we can speak to Christ's conquering of it.

October 2, 2017—Regret hangs heavy over this indie game, but forgiveness can also be found.

September 15, 2017—I find the entirety of RiME, even the darkest parts, a cathartic experience.

September 12, 2017—Saul terrorized Christians despite their cries. I think he'd identify with these fictional characters who did great evil, but discovered change is possible.

August 24, 2017—God considers us as part of one “body.” Yet as parts, we’re supposed to be different.

August 14, 2017—The Web series reminds us that every gesture of kindness, respect, and love has weight.

July 25, 2017—iZombie explores the dangers of dehumanization as Liz learns to humanize others by consuming their brains.

July 18, 2017—Maybe you don’t feel equipped to serve God without some huge purpose. Maybe you feel guilty because you’re not doing enough “good.”

July 10, 2017—We want to build a sisterhood like RWBY, one that spreads seeds of its joyful community elsewhere or looks for it in others.

July 6, 2017—Season 2 of Attack on Titan is filled with actions that are incredibly hard to empathize with or understand.

May 30, 2017—In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see the consequences of denying truth.

May 29, 2017—The show refuses to follow the “inspirationally disadvantaged” cliché found in lots of fiction that features disabled characters.

May 23, 2017—The relationship between "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" sisters Gamora and Nebula is a picture of the value of sowing mercy.

May 18, 2017—Samurai Jack reminds us of the power of forgiveness and of relinquishing past sins.

April 18, 2017—Watching a beloved video game franchise crash and burn challenged my gut reaction to disappointment.

March 28, 2017—It is in our nature to tell stories and it is in Christ’s nature to speak to us through them.

January 31, 2017—Knowing you are cared about simply for being you, regardless of whatever failures your body is going through, is powerful.

January 17, 2017—For some reason, there are certain situations where people think it’s especially OK to point out another’s mistake and criticize them for it.

November 22, 2016—It’s easy to accept that good can come out of suffering—unless you’re the one who’s suffering. It’s much harder to praise God when the pain won’t stop.

June 22, 2016—The loneliness derived from my own anger and bitterness only lasts for as long as I want it to.

June 8, 2016—Playing video games develops a sense of skill and community, just like any other sport. It’s time for parents and other adults to recognize this.

February 3, 2016—Life would be easier if I had cheat codes, if I could just type in some secret words and the magical solutions to my problem would appear.

October 5, 2015—The start of fall marks the end of vacation for some, the finale of warm weather for others; and for people who consider themselves geeks, it’s also the end of convention season.

September 14, 2015—For most people, myself included, getting old isn’t something to look forward to.