Tag Archives: Harry Potter

Five Words We Should Banish from our Vocabulary, Or Preventing Verbicide with C.S. Lewis

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

As a voracious reader and great lover of language, C.S. Lewis was concerned about “verbicide,” what he called the “murder of words.” As Lewis describes in Studies in Words (7-8), verbicide happens in a number of ways: Inflation of a Word’s Value: “Inflation is … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged allegory, C.S. Lewis, George Orwell, Harry Potter, Madeleine L'Engle, Margaret Atwood, neologism, post-truth, Studies in Words, The Allegory of Love, The Handmaid's Tale, truthers, Ursula K. Le Guin, verbicide | 38 Comments

“In and Out of the Moon” by Jeff McInnis

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Anyone who has spent any amount of time haunting coffee shops or pubs with academics knows that many scholars have a novel or two in their desk drawer. This is especially true of scholars who study imaginative writers or speculative fiction, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, fantasy, George MacDonald, Harry Potter, Light, literature, Lord of the Rings, Madeleine L'Engle, Meditation in a Toolshed, Mythopoeia, Theology of the Small, writing | 6 Comments

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Put Them

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

In a recent SignumU panel on the films Rogue One and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (see below), I admitted I was disappointed with the original Fantastic Beasts book. I love J.K. Rowling’s fantastic writing, and find myself hungry for more … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged bestiary, cryptozoology, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Holly Black, J.K. Rowling, Quidditch Through the Ages, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Tales of Beedle the Bard | 22 Comments

The Other President: Donald Trump’s First Briefing by the Magical Congress

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

The President sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at the portrait of George Washington above the mantle. He thrived on crowds and cheers and chaos, so had never believed that he would be relieved for the silence. … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds | Tagged Donald Trump, fan fiction, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Grindelwald, Harry Potter, Inauguration, MACUSA, Magical Congress of the United States of America, Politics, speculative fiction, Trump | 25 Comments

“One Fantastic Rogue Beast” Live Discussion

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Last Friday night I had the privilege to be part of a unique panel discussion. Signum University hosted an impromptu Signum Symposium called “One Fantastic Rogue Beast.” The discussion featured a team of fantasy bloggers and podcasters who spend their time … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Feature Friday, film, film adaptation, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, pop culture, Rogue One, Signum University, Sorina Higgins, Star Wars, Theology of Culture | 6 Comments

“One Fantastic Rogue Beast” Live Discussion Tonight!

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Originally posted on ravingsanity:
This Friday, starting 7pm Eastern Time, I’ll be joining several friends to discuss the latest installments of the Harry Potter and Star Wars film franchises: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Rogue One. The…

Travels in Time: An Update from the UK

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

As I write this the English countryside is passing quickly by. I am on a train, which is a rare experience for a non-urban Canadian. Taking the train through England is like moving briskly in and out of time. Clay-roofed … Continue reading →