Monthly Archives: April 2017

Ragnarök’n’roll! The Poetic Edda and Tolkien’s Sigurd and Gudrún

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

My son and I have been talking about Ragnarök. Besides the super cool sound of this Norse word and the deep world behind it, we are being fueled by Neil Gaiman’s new book, Norse Mythology. I listened to the author read it … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Reviews | Tagged Edda, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jeramy Dodds, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Ragnarök, Signum University, Sigurd and Gudrún, The Poetic Edda | 8 Comments

Sad Peninsula by Mark Sampson

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

My mother was a voracious reader. I remember watching her as she read on the couch or a deck chair, slowly turning the leaves as if she was counting the pages rather than gobbling up hundreds of words at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Canadian literature, Japan, Korea, Mark Sampson, On Writing, Sad Peninsula, Stephen King, writing, WWII | 21 Comments

“Between the Altar and the Stars: Science Fiction and Catholic Storytelling” by Stephen Kotowych

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

One of my favourite events to attend–and the talk I have perhaps most enjoyed giving–is our local Theology on Tap. Hosted in the taproom above an Irish pub in Charlottetown, we get a diverse perspective of Christian theology, sponsored by … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, fantasy, literature, Roman Catholicism, Science Fiction, Stephen Kotowych, theology, theology and literature, Theology of Culture, writing | 4 Comments

Stephen King on the Supernatural

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

On Tuesday I spent time thinking about my Stickin’ Huge Awesome Novel Winter Awesome Read (SHANWAR) read for 2017, Stephen King’s The Stand. As the snows of winter pen me in, I want a big, long, great book that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged 'Salem's Lot, Anne Rice, Bible, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Carpe Jugulum, Charlene Harris, Charles Williams, Dead Until Dark, fantasy, Science Fiction, Stephen King, Supernatural Fiction, Terry Pratchett, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, Theology of Culture, True Blood, vampires, writing | 28 Comments

Stephen King and the Genre of Genius

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

This year for my Stickin’ Huge Awesome Novel Winter Awesome Read (SHANWAR), I chose Stephen King’s The Stand (1978) I have never read it before and I don’t think I have ever had a conversation with someone about it. Still, … Continue reading →