HELLCORP™

A MODERN TAKE ON ‘THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS’

DAVID O. HARRISON

David Harrison

HellCorp™

A Modern Take on

‘The Screwtape Letters’

© David O. Harrison, 2025

ISBN 979-8297314320

Published by Thrive! Books

thrivebooks.shop

CONTENTS

About the Author

Introduction - Screwtape 2025

Cast of Characters

Re: Memorandum 1 – Keep Him Comfortable and Call It Faith

Re: Memorandum 2 – Turn His Phone Into His Pastor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in England, David Harrison immigrated to Canada in 1973 at the age of 21. Life took a decisive turn when, at 35, he became a follower of Jesus Christ—a shift that would shape everything to come.

For 25 years, David was active at a Brethren Bible Chapel in Scarborough, serving ten of those years as an elder. At the same time, he ran a thriving audiovisual integration business in Toronto, equipping universities, law firms, and financial institutions with cutting-edge communication technology.

In 2006, David launched Bus Stop Bible Studies, a national outreach that placed Scripture-based messages on public transit systems across Canada—it’s estimated that those messages were seen more than 1.25 billion times, each offering the hope of God’s Word. He also served as Board Chair for Daystar Native Christian Outreach on Manitoulin Island for a decade.

“Retired” in name only, David and his wife Wendy host guests at their award-winning Airbnb in Muskoka, Ontario—recognized as Ontario’s Most Hospitable Hosts in both 2021 and 2023. They attend Muskoka Community Church in Port Sydney.

The man who once failed English in school has since discovered a calling he never expected: writing. To date, David has authored six original titles and published six group study guides. He is also passionately working on a lifelong project to “translate” the entire library of C.S. Lewis into everyday English—seven volumes completed and counting, three of which became Amazon bestsellers. Yet among all his work, he considers FRESH START, CHURCH - GOD’S WAY, to be his most important book to date: a heartfelt call for the Church to recapture the simplicity, clarity, and vitality of the early believers.

Contact: david@thrivebooks.ca

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INTRODUCTION - SCREWTAPE 2025

I have long been a fan of C.S. Lewis and his writings. A few years ago, I pulled a well-worn copy of Mere Christianity from one of our bookshelves—one of those books you feel you should have read by now. Though born and raised in England, I found myself struggling with some of Lewis’s older language and the idioms common to his time. His Saxon eloquence is beautiful, but it’s not always accessible—especially for today’s average North American reader.

That realization led me to produce Mere Christianity in Everyday English, which, to my surprise and gratitude, quickly became a #1 Best Seller on the Amazon charts. I followed it with a modern rendering of The Screwtape Letters, which also found its audience. Since then, it’s become something of a personal mission: translating Lewis’s works into everyday English—a time-consuming, but uplifting task. What else is one supposed to do in retirement?

Of all the books I’ve adapted, The Screwtape Letters in Everyday English has been the most popular. And over the past while, a question kept bubbling up in my spirit: What would it look like if Lewis were writing today? Not rewording his original work, but starting fresh—sitting down in the chaos of 2025, opening his notebook, and imagining how evil might operate now.

The idea began as satire—spiritual performance reviews by a senior demon of a junior tempter, filled with strategy, sarcasm, and a disturbingly accurate view of human nature. But somewhere along the way, the tone deepened. Every “memo” convicted me. Even after walking with God for over four decades, I found few temptations unfamiliar. The enemy’s tactics remain subtle and personal—and painfully recognizable. Oh, how I love grace.

The voice of Victor Slade, a sleek and seasoned demonic strategist, emerged almost fully formed. His world is not of shadows and sulphur, but of bureaucracy and branding—what I imagine evil might look like if it wore a suit and held a quarterly performance review. His protégé, Zane Blackwell, is every overeager intern who thinks he knows better than he does. Their target, Ethan, is a man not unlike many of us: distracted, sincere, a little weary, and stuck somewhere between the faith he confesses and the life he lives.

If the front cover looks familiar, you’re probably right. Same goes for Victor Slade’s signature. I love satire. But I also love clarity. The names and format are modern; the message, I hope, is timeless.

Some may wonder: Do you actually believe in devils? Let me say this much—I believe in a spiritual battle that is not metaphorical. I believe in grace that is greater than deception. And I believe that one of the enemy’s most effective tools is to convince us that he’s either not real, or not relevant.

This book was written to counter that lie—not with fear, but with truth… and maybe a few uncomfortable laughs.

If you begin to recognize yourself in these pages, don’t panic. That means you’re paying attention. And if you come away encouraged, humbled, or a little more alert, then perhaps this peculiar little project will have done what I hoped it might.

—David O. Harrison, Spring 2025

CAST OF CHARACTERS

HellCorp™ Employees:

Victor Shade – Senior Vice President, Soul Acquisition Division. A cold, calculating senior demon acts as a corporate executive consultant in Hell’s bureaucracy.

Zane Blackwell – Field Agent. Overeager junior tempter, insecure yet ambitious, bungling modern soul-corruption with misplaced confidence.

Damien Ashburn – Director of Hermeneutic Corruption and Doctrinal Fog. A smooth-talking cultural strategist, expert at twisting truth into trending lies, fueling pride and self-importance.

Maelik Voorhees – Scriptural Integrity Breach Team. Cold, methodical manipulator, specializing in sowing doubt, fear, and quiet resignation in weary souls.

Mariah Blightheart –Director of Disciplinary Reassignments. Subtle relational saboteur, thriving on jealousy, bitterness, and whispered offences that fracture trust and unity.

The Patient and target – Ethan Cole – A modern everyman navigating spiritual conflict in a digital age. Young, thoughtful, and searching for meaning.

The Light – The Enemy (God) A code name used by demons to describe God. Offering purity, truth, and relentless love.

The Carpenter – Jesus The compassionate, unwavering redeemer, embodying truth and grace, rescuing souls from deception’s grip through sacrificial love.

The following are background characters not mentioned by name in the story:

The Patient’s Mother

Carolyn Cole  – A traditional, often critical woman. Religious, but focused more on habits than heart.

Ava Grace Jordan – The Patient’s Girlfriend (and future wife). Kind, grounded, and spiritually mature. A deeply faithful woman who baffles the forces of Hell.

The Jordans – Ava Jordan’s Family A warm and joy-filled Christian family who live out their faith with authenticity and love.

Michael – The Guardian Angel An unseen spiritual protector. Sometimes sensed, occasionally glimpsed, but always present in the background.

“They weave the spider’s web.”

Isaiah 59:6

RE: MEMORANDUM 1 – KEEP HIM COMFORTABLE AND CALL IT FAITH

QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW

From: Victor Slade, Senior VP – Soul Acquisition Division, HellCorp™

To: Zane Blackwell, Apprentice Tempter, The West Field Office

Subject: Case File 113-E – Ethan Carter

Priority: Moderate Risk, High Opportunity

Task: Keep Him Comfortable and Call It Faith

Zane,

Let me begin by acknowledging that I’ve reviewed your opening surveillance memo. It was, at best, competent—though heavy on enthusiasm and light on strategy. Classic probationary tempter energy. You’ve got a few too many fire emojis in your internal reports for my taste. Try not to tweet your next mission update.

Now, on to the human: Ethan Carter, age 23, university graduate with a business degree, a growing addiction to productivity hacks, and a leftover spiritual conscience he hasn’t figured out how to silence. Classic product of Western religious culture—just enough Jesus to feel “grounded,” not enough to be transformed. In other words, ripe.

Your goal isn’t to make him a monster. It’s to keep him a MODERATE.

Make no mistake: Ethan believes in the Enemy. He even respects that peasant Carpenter He sent—the one who messed up everything with that ridiculous talk about grace and dying and turning the other cheek. But Ethan hasn’t met Him yet. Not really. He’s met the brand. The hashtag. The edited clips. The worship conference speaker with the trendy haircut. Use all of that.

Let Ethan consume Christianity like a subscription box: curated, aesthetic, shallow. And above all—safe.

Now pay attention, Zane because this is where junior agents like you always stumble. You want to rush him into scandal. Adultery. Heresy. Deconstruction. Please. Why burn a house down when you can let it quietly rot from the inside?

Start small. Help him schedule God out of his life. Let his faith become a tab in his browser—always open, never read. If he prays, keep it vague. If he reads Scripture, let him skim. If he attends church, let him sit with arms folded, critiquing the lighting design.

Flood his spiritual life with activity. Podcasts. Devotionals. Daily plans. Make him feel like he’s growing because he’s absorbing content, not because he’s walking in obedience. The goal is saturation without submission.

He’s already enrolled in a megachurch’s online discipleship course. Excellent. Encourage it—as long as he stays anonymous. Let him listen to preachers talk about “purpose,” “calling,” and “identity,” but never “repentance,” “lordship,” or (my personal favourite) “the cross.”

And Zane, a word of caution: the Enemy isn’t passive. His Spirit is always lurking. He’ll try to ignite hunger. To awaken Ethan through suffering or stillness or some inconvenient act of grace. If that happens, you must act fast. Distract. Offend. Entertain. Do anything but let the boy sit still long enough to feel convicted.

Above all, teach him this lie: comfort is confirmation. If he feels good, he must be doing well. If he’s unbothered, he must be blessed.

You don’t need him to curse the Enemy’s name.

You just need him to forget it.

Now get back to work, and please—for the love of Head Office—drop the emojis.

Victor Slade

Senior Vice President, Soul Acquisition Division

HellCorp™ | “Because Every Soul Has a Price”

RE: MEMORANDUM 2 – TURN HIS PHONE INTO HIS PASTOR

QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW

From: Victor Slade, Senior VP – Soul Acquisition Division, HellCorp™

To: Zane Blackwell, Apprentice Tempter, Pew-Polisher Extraordinaire

Subject: Case File 113-E – Target: Ethan Carter – Digital Manipulation Protocol

Clearance Level: 3A – Low Resistance, High Exposure

Zane,

You’ve reported that Ethan’s phone screen time is hovering around seven hours a day. Well done—though you’re not to take credit. Silicon Valley built the cage. We just decorate the inside.

Understand this: we used to rely on pride, fear, lust. Now we add push notifications. Your job is no longer to shout in his ear but to tap gently on the glass every few seconds. If the Enemy is whispering truth, interrupt it with a buzz. If Ethan starts praying, remind him there’s a text. If he opens a Bible app, let an ad for protein powder slide across the screen. No need to assault the man—just keep him busy.

The goal is not obvious sin. It’s spiritual erosion.

Ethan has begun a daily Scripture plan—fine. Let him skim it during bathroom breaks. Let him highlight verses and forget them by lunchtime. Let him tweet inspirational quotes and feel as if he’s obeyed something. There’s no need to stop the input if you can block the impact.

Now let’s talk dopamine loops. Social media is your playground. He’s already comparing his spiritual walk to others’ curated performances. Reinforce that. Let him scroll past one-minute theology clips, each one contradicting the last. Create confusion masked as enlightenment. Give him gurus with perfect teeth and shallow answers. Flood his feed with Christian-sounding nonsense. He’ll choke on it before he ever chews it.

Oh, and don’t neglect his sense of identity. Let his phone become his confessional, his mirror, his pulpit. If he feels low, have him curate a better version of himself online. If he feels empty, suggest he’s “just tired.” If the Enemy convicts him, drown it in memes.

Above all, keep his inner world noisy. Stillness is the Enemy’s terrain. Silence is radioactive. If he ever sits with his thoughts, unfiltered and alone, we’re in trouble. So distract. Divide. Delay.

Let his fingers swipe while his soul sleeps.

Let him call it self-care. Let him call it connection.

But never let him see it for what it is: surrender of attention.

He thinks he owns the phone.

He doesn’t.

Victor Slade

Senior Vice President, Soul Acquisition Division

HellCorp™ | Department of Distraction & Numbness