Tag Archives: Fictional Universes

A History of Magic with J. K. Rowling (A New BBC Documentary)

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Just in time for Hallowe’en, and in concert with the British Library’s “Harry Potter: A History of Magic” exhibit, BBC has produced an hour-long Potterlicious documentary. I saw this film on Twitter yesterday, and thought it was worth sharing–and not … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Fictional Worlds, News & Links | Tagged books, British Library, fantasy, Fictional Universes, folklore, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, magic, writing | 8 Comments

The Fantastic Imagination: An Essay on Fantasy Theory by George MacDonald

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

This essay is a great find, originally an introduction to the collection of The Light Princess and Other Fairy Tales. With George MacDonald’s characteristic wit, it forms a nice partnership with C.S. Lewis’ “On Stories” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy-stories“–and indeed … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds, On Writing, Original Research | Tagged allegory, books, C.S. Lewis, faerie, fantasy, Fictional Universes, George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Donne, literature, On Fairy-Stories, On Stories, Reader Response Theory, The Light Princess | 37 Comments

Is Narnia an Allegory? (A Friday Feature from the Vault)

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

No. It’s not. While tempted to leave it at that and produce the shortest blog of history, I think it is important to let the Narnian himself address the question. C.S. Lewis was, after all, a literary scholar who … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Fictional Worlds, On Writing | Tagged allegory, books, C.S. Lewis, children's literature, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, fantasy, Fictional Universes, J.R.R. Tolkien, Narnia, Ransom Trilogy, Reading, Science Fiction, The Fellowship of the Ring, writing | 21 Comments

Of Beren and Lúthien, Of Myth and the Worlds We Love

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I don’t think I have ever read anything better than the tale of Beren and Lúthien. It is a bold statement, so allow me to give some context. One of the things that readers love about The Lord of the Rings … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, News & Links, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Beowulf, Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, Fictional Universes, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, The Children of Húrin, The Fall of Arthur, The Hobbit, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, The Legend of Sigurn and Gudrún, The Silmarillion, The Story of Kullervo, writing | 36 Comments

Spiritual Dynamics in The OA

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

One of the hottest new shows on Netflix is The OA. A genre-bending serial of 8 rough-hewn episodes, it has the transdimensional framework and Scoobie gang dynamics of Stranger Things, but a much more adult narrative. While Stranger Things uses … Continue reading →