Tag Archives: J.K. Rowling

2018: A Year of Reading: The Nerd Bit

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

“With such wishes for the New Year as still seem possible” ~ C.S. Lewis to his father from the trenches in France during WWI “Is there any point in wishing each other a happy New Year? Well, yes, I suppose … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, fantasy, Goodreads, H.P. Lovecraft, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Narnia, Octavia E. Butler, Reading, Science Fiction, Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, William Gibson | 24 Comments

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Roundtable Video (Feature Friday)

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I loved my experience with the Mythgard Movie Club panel last Thursday night. A couple of years ago we hosted a “One Fantastic Rogue Beast” panel to let two popular films clash in conversation: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Jude Law, Mythgard Academy, Signum University, The Crimes of Grindelwald | 3 Comments

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Roundtable Thursday

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I’m pleased to announce that I am part of a Mythgard Movie Club panel on Thursday night. A couple of years ago we hosted a “One Fantastic Rogue Beast” panel to let two popular films clash in conversation: Fantastic Beasts and … Continue reading →

Is Saint Denys in the Headless Hunt? Martyr Legends and Nearly Headless Nick’s Fate

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

In the great Cathedrals, art is hidden everywhere in plain sight. At the Chester Cathedral yesterday morning, I was able find tiny busts and secret gargoyles and subtle shades of art in every alcove. Even below my feet in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged cephalophores, Chester, Chester Cathedral, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Headless Hunt, J.K. Rowling, John Cleese, martyrdom, martyrology, Nearly Headless Nick, Saint Denis | 42 Comments

Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven: A Brilliant Apocalypse with an Almost Fatal Flaw (Part 1)

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

From Mary Shelley to Margaret Atwood, I have a deep interest in women’s sf and speculative fiction. It is not just a question of perspective and hearing other voices. Rather, it simply that some of my favourite writers are in … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian literature, On Writing, Reviews | Tagged Canadian literature, Emily St. John Mandel, epistolary fiction, J.K. Rowling, Madeleine L'Engle, Margaret Atwood, Nalo Hopkinson, Octavia Butler, Science Fiction, speculative fiction, Station Eleven, Ursula K. Le Guin | 5 Comments

The Land Where Oz is North of Middle-earth: Reflections of a Speculative Cosmographer (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Over the next year, I am introducing an occasional feature I call “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own vault or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds | Tagged C.S. Lewis, children's literature, fantasy, Fictional Universes, Harry Potter, Holly Black, imagination, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, madeleine l engle, Madeleine L'Engle, maps, Middle Earth, Narnia, The Hobbit, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Winnie the Pooh | 17 Comments

A Weekend of Reading to Change Your Literary Life

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

If you are like me, you have spent much of your adult life as a reader catching up on a severe lack of education. It is common that I am out with friends and when the topic of books comes … Continue reading →