Category Archives: Reviews

Why Did Star Wars Stick? #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Brenton Dickieson

As much as we wonder about it, it’s a question that is not perfectly easy to answer. Long before technologically precise blockbuster films, Star Wars had cheesy lines, over-the-top acting, and zippers up the back of the monster’s costume. How … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Brace of Tolkien Posts for his 131st Birthday (#TolkienBirthdayToast)

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Brenton Dickieson

As J.R.R. Tolkien was born about 68,899,680 minutes ago, the Tolkien Society is once again raising a toast to the Professor on his birthday, 3 January 2022 (see here). After Bilbo left the Shire on his eleventy-first birthday in The … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Classic and Contemporary SF vs. Fantasy Hugo Best Novel Award Winners while Failing to Write a Review of a Great Book that was not Nominated

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb Series is a discovery from my stint as a Hugo Award panellist in 2020 and 2021–the years that Gideon the Ninth (book 1) and Harrow the Ninth (book 2) were nominated. As much as I loved these books–and … Continue reading →

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Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo, a Review

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo My rating: 4 of 5 stars C.S. Lewis is famous for his comment on a dust jacket autobiographical note that “There’s no sound … Continue reading →

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A Thing of Forms Unknown: Thoughts on C.S. Lewis and Horror with Chris Calderon

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Within a longer project on C.S. Lewis and the Ransom Cycle, I have outlined a chapter focussing on some instinctive horror elements in Lewis’ science fiction. I have written up the close readings for the piece, but am missing one … Continue reading →

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The Literary Life in Dorothy L. Sayers’ Murder Mystery, Whose Body? (1923)

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Dorothy L. Sayers has fallen into my life–and I into hers–because of my gloriously irresponsible definition of the Inklings. With a lifelong interest in J.R.R. Tolkien, and a growing curiosity about C.S. Lewis, I was thrilled to discover an entire … Continue reading →

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An Author Who Has Changed My Life, Frederick Buechner, Has Died (1926-2022)

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

On Saturday, just as I was waiting to go onto a church platform to officiate a wedding, I heard that Frederick Buechner had passed away. At 96 years old, the news did not come as a surprise. And though he … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Never Nude Elwin Ransom of C.S. Lewis’ Classic ScFi, and A Note on Puzzling, Lazy, Irrelevant, Racist, Sexist, and Infelicitous Book Cover Designs (Friday Feature)

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Ere long and ever ago when this blog was young, I wrote about the “Worst Book Description Ever” from C.S. Lewis’ science fiction classic, Out of the Silent Planet. As is sometimes so in the burdens of experience, I have since … Continue reading →

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A Review of Mystical Perelandra: My Lifelong Reading of C.S. Lewis and His Favorite Book by James Como

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

I have to admit that I was a wee bit skeptical when Winged Lion Press editor Bob Trexler asked me if I would consider writing a “blurb” for Jim Como’s new book, Mystical Perelandra: My Lifelong Reading of C.S. Lewis … Continue reading →

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J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Secret Vice” and My Secret Love: Thoughts on Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins’ Critical Edition of A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Language (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

At A Pilgrim in Narnia, we have an occasional feature called “Throwback Thursday.” By raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s, I find a blog post from the past and throw it back out into the digital world. This … Continue reading →

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