Monthly Archives: March 2014

Turtles All the Way Down: Discworld Conversations About The Origins of the Universe

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

To say that I’m a fan of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is an understatement. Among the humorous fantasy writers, Terry Pratchett has pride of place. At his right and left hand are Douglas Adams in sheer satiric glory, and Neil Gaiman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged apologetics, Discworld, Douglas Adams, fantasy, Multiverse, Neil Gaiman, philosophy, Terry Pratchett, The Big Bang Theory, The Colour of Magic, theology, threshold | 33 Comments

Tolkien Post Master List (For Tolkien Reading Day)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

Since it is Tolkien Reading Day (03/25), here is a great list of Tolkien resources.

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reflections | Tagged children's literature, fantasy, imagination, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, myth, The Hobbit | 3 Comments

Watch Out Tom Clancy, Here I Come

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

The voice came from the backseat of the car. “When I grow up I’d like to be a spy for CSIS.” I burst out laughing, struggling to keep the car under control. A spy for CSIS! Right. Now, before anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged 9/11, American President, books, CIA, Clash of Civilizations, CSIS, Edward Snowden, Harrison Ford, Jack Ryan, Russia, spy novels, terrorism, The Sum of All Fears, The West Wing, Tom Clancy | 17 Comments

An Incredible List of Faerie Books (by J. Aleksandr Wootton)

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

It’s Myth and Legend Week here on A Pilgrim in Narnia (see “On Leprechauns” and “CSL and the Music of the Spheres“). J. Aleksandr Wootton is the author of the Fayborn series, a modern, urban threshold fantasy trilogy. I’ve read … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Original Research | Tagged C.S. Lewis, faerie, fairy tales, fantasy, George MacDonald, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, lion the witch and the wardrobe, literature, Middle Earth, myth, Narnia, The Hobbit, The Screwtape Letters, writing | 9 Comments

C.S. Lewis and the Music of the Spheres

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

On Monday I blogged “On Leprechauns,” referencing C.S. Lewis’ “The Discarded Image,” where he embarks on a rather scientific look at faeries. “The Discarded Image” is part of a larger series of Oxford lectures that capture the medieval worldview to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Copernicus, Gallileo, John Milton, Journey Towards Easter, Medieval Cosmology, music, Paradise Lost, Ptolomy, science, The Discarded Image, universe | 3 Comments

On Leprechauns

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

I don’t know about you, but I always put leprechauns in a special category. I knew there was a tinge of danger there–an ambivalence that makes them untrustworthy woodfolk. I am, unfortunately, more affected by Lucky Charms commercials in childhood … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Disney, faerie, fairy tales, folklore, George MacDonald, leprechauns, literature, Lucky Charms, Milton, myth, Oxford, Spenser, St. Patrick, The Discarded Image | 23 Comments

‘On the Supposed Unsuitability of Fairytales for Children” Guest Post by J. Aleksandr Wootton

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

J. Aleksandr Wootton chairs the fictional Folklore Studies department at Lightfoot College, where his research focuses on post-war Faerie. He has authored Her Unwelcome Inheritance, an account of fairy refugees on earth, and has recently published a poetry collection titled Forgetting: Impressions … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Guest Blogs | Tagged Andrew Lang, faerie, fairy tales, fairytales, fantasy, folklore, g k chesterton, Hans Christian Anderson, Her Unwelcome Inheritance, J. Aleksandr Wootton, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature | 15 Comments

Yours, Jack… or C.S. Lewis… or Clive… or Brother Ass: The Many Signature of C.S. Lewis

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

For some time, my son has been carefully working on his signature, as I worked on mine growing up. Through sheer laziness, and lacking any artistry or loveliness, my signature is now a “B” with a line blurring to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged art of letter writing, avatar, Brothe Ass, C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, letter collections, Letters to an America Lady, St. Francis, Walter Hooper, Yours Jack | 15 Comments

The Prosperity Gospel and The American Dream

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

I have a tendency to say things aloud before I really think them through. I was talking with some friends and the topic of the Prosperity Gospel came up. The Prosperity Gospel, for those who don’t know, is a teaching … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reflections | Tagged American Dream, C.S. Lewis, Canada, Justin Bieber, Nigerian Christianity, Politics, Prosperity Gospel, Reinhold Niebuhr, South Korean Christianity, The Irony of American History, theology, Thomas Jefferson, United States | 12 Comments

The Colours of The Hobbit

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

Originally posted on A Tolkienist's Perspective:
Is The Hobbit trilogy’s colour palette akin to The Lord of the Rings? Perhaps one of the most striking “differences” people noticed when seeing An Unexpected Journey for the first time, was the overall…

Posted in Reflections | 3 Comments