As Ben Carson began repeating the urban legends and folklore of his religious community, I was hearing "stuff that I long ago forgot isn't general public knowledge." I remember that stuff, and I remember what it was like to be surrounded almost entirely by others for whom it seemed like "general public knowledge." And so I assumed that poor Ben Carson was just innocently misinformed. Read more
I've forgotten who it was who created this wonderful bit of Left Behind fan art and I'd very much like to get in touch with that artist because: A) years later, this picture still makes me laugh; and B) I'd like to see if it's possible to use this for the cover art for Volume 2 of "The Anti-Christ Handbook." Read more
Here, at last, is a complete one-stop portal to everything in our Left Behind series covering the first two books and movies. The previous versions of this index all have broken links and missing entries. This one doesn't (I don't think). Thanks again to everyone who helped find and restore those missing pieces. Read more
"I thought all white people had a Cherokee great-grandmother," the old AIM guy told me, sublimely deadpan. The barb in that joke is a deadly serious complaint having to do with wannabes and the misappropriation of culture. "I thought all white people had a Cherokee great-grandmother," the old AIM guy told me, sublimely deadpan. The barb in that joke is a deadly serious complaint having to do with wannabes and the misappropriation of culture. Tim LaHaye loves Israel the way wealthy hippies love turquoise jewelry and dream catchers. He appropriates Judaism for his own ends, disrespecting it by usurping for himself the respect it is due, twisting it into what he wants it to be rather than what it is. Read more
It should be automatic. The instructions from the Acme Romantic Comedy factory are clearly written and all Jenkins needed to do was remove the prefabricated plot device from its packaging and insert it into his novel. But Jerry Jenkins botches this classic can't-miss plot twist -- he botches the set-up, puts the thing in backwards, then drags it out for way, way too long. Read more
Left Behind isn't interested in exploring the character of Jesus. The authors are not at all concerned with how their portrayal of Jesus' opposite, the Anti-Christ, might be a means to explore the meaning of Jesus' own character, actions, words, ministry or mission. They're not terribly concerned with Jesus at all. Read more
Other stories in other books persuade readers to go along through the willing suspension of disbelief. Tribulation Force insists on the willing suspension of the reader's humanity. It requires the reader not just to accept but to participate in the monstrous absence of empathy displayed by the characters and authors alike. Read more
It's difficult to be impressed by what was billed as a supernatural display of power when the only actual power on display turns out to be that of Man With Gun in Room Full of Unarmed People. The Antichrist eventually uses his supernatural mojo here, but only to wipe the memory of what just happened from the minds of everyone who just witnessed it. He displays his power by concealing that display. Or something. Read more
There's a slim chance that somewhere out there, someone may have some kind of copy of one of the five missing posts in our Left Behind series. Maybe an old .pdf or something. So on that chance, this is me begging for any help anyone might be able to provide in tracking down these missing entries. Read more
Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins would not be able to do a better job telling this story even if they were better writers. If they were better writers, they would have to tell a different story. Read more
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