Pilgrim’s Progress: Audio Drama

Reimagining John Bunyan’s allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, Spirit Blade Productions explores this classic tale in a fantasy setting filled with magic, danger, dragons and swords.
Pilgrim’s Progress: Similitude of a Dream faithfully follows Bunyan’s work, but makes the story more accessible to modern listeners. Far from a mere audiobook, Similitude boasts a complete cast, with a fully composed score and stunning special effects that brings the story into vivid reality.

Without compromising the message of the story, Spirit Blade Productions has transformed the difficult-to-read allegory, into a symbolic story that resounds with readers today. As an added bonus, the audio drama comes bundled with the an audiobook of the parallel text from Bunyan’s actual work! (And this audiobook has its own unique soundtrack and sound effects for enhanced listening.) The end result of all this is a super-accessible Pilgrim’s Progress.

Go listen to the trailer here.

Or go purchase the first chapter of the drama ($5!) here (over 90 minutes of content).

I can’t recommend this enough!

Valencia Hills: Using Jesus as Bait

I posted an article (and a link to a song) over at my church blog.

"Using Jesus as Bait"

I'm drowning . . .

I know this blog is new . . . and for the most part just an update page for NathanJamesNorman.com, but I'm drowning right now.

Kristin and I are buying a home (which will then need a boatload of work)! Seminary work continues to be rather demanding (especially Hebrew class). I'm trying to steer the youth ministry in a new direction (developing teen-leaders, and adult leaders along the way). I just started up the college group. And a few other things are going on now that will have to be revealed at another time.

I'm drowning!

So . . . I'm sorry The Shade hasn't been updated. I really do have some awesome things down the road . . . and I'm certainly not abandoning it. Until I can return, you can always catch yourself up on my rantings over at my church blog.

Adios for now!

Of the Night: Audio Drama

Many of you know that, Lord willing, a script of mine will be produced by the Spirit Blade Underground Alliance. Well the first production from the group has been posted and it's great!


Mourning the death of his fiancée, former policeman James Elysian must uncover the truth about his deceased love. Has she been transformed into a blood-thirsty vampire, or was he rightfully committed to an asylum?

Roughly a fifteen minute drama, Of the Night: Kiss the Night is the first episode of a series. Set in a modern world, the drama effectively sets the stage for James Elysian's future confrontation with evil. The storytelling is cohesive and compels the listener to want more. The audio effectively creates a believable world within the listener's imagination, utilizing the full force of music, sound effects and dialogue to create a visual scene in an auditory medium.

There's only two minor flaws in the work. First, the audio levels of the screaming-scenes is a bit too high (and actually took me out of the story for a moment). Second, in a scene where Elysian and his partner banter back and forth the dialogue seems a bit forced and jilted.

None of that is enough for me to withhold my recommendation for this drama, though. Fans of horror and mystery will be well rewarded with Of the Night's first episode Kiss the Night.  I hope we see the next episode in a month!

Download it here for free!
WARNING: Due to the graphic violence portrayed, this audio series is recommended for ages 16 and older.

Episode 15: Remade Again

The next episode in season two:

     When the violet light consumed the night sky I ran for it, fearing the worst for my students. As the buzzing of the night-devourers ended abruptly, I knew my fears had come to pass. I arrived upon Sar embracing Merce just behind commander Troce. Thetic stood nearby, holding his staff in silence.


     Grabbing Sar, I pulled him away from Merce. She opened her eyes. What had once been the visage of a pale, subtle light, now burned a horribly deep violet. Where I could once look into her visage intently, it now burned to glance into her eyes.

Read "Remade Again" here.

Word Choice: Episode 14

My wonderful wife edits individual episodes of The Shade for me every week (although I have final veto power). Every week there's a word I use which she thinks is just too "bookish" to be included in the story. Sometimes I win. Sometimes she wins.

But I want to open it to all of you.

So vote below and let me know what you think of the word: "Cacophony"

The soldier screamed for a moment as I hacked at a nearby swarm. In a matter of moments, his screams became silent, but were replaced by a cacophony of shrieks in the night.

Season Two: The Night Devourers

Season Two of the Shade has begun:
“Your flesh grows more noble each day, Sar.”

I looked into the dark orbs of Craven’s eyes. I never knew how to respond to his pre-dawn greetings. “I’m not dying anytime soon.”

The dark figure shook his feathery head, “No, no, no Sar.” His voice crackled and clicked. “I will not devour your flesh for many, many years. You have not yet accomplished all the noble deeds which I require of you.”

Read "The Night Devourers" here.