Tag Archives: On Fairy-Stories

“Tiny Fairies: J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Errantry” and Martyn Skinner’s Sir Elfadore and Mabyna” by Dale Nelson

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Many will remember Sørina Higgins’ playfully entitled paper, ‘King Arthur was an Elf!’, which she has described as “the seed” of The Inklings and King Arthur. But how have various Arthurian writers down the ages envisaged elves – and other … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Inklings and Arthur | Tagged A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Alms for Oblivion, Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, Inklings, Inklings and Arthur, J.R.R. Tolkien, Martyn Skinner, Morte Darthur, On Fairy-Stories, Shakespeare, Sir Elfadore and Mabyna, Sorina Higgins, The Inklings and King Arthur | 31 Comments

Thesis Theater Monday, Feb 26: Rob Gosselin on Tolkien’s Sub-creative Vision

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

It is my pleasure to announce that my student, Rob Gosselin, has completed his thesis at Signum University. Rob’s topic is both fascinating and personal, where he explores how J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of “subcreation” works when we move outside of … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien, Leaf by Niggle, Malcolm Guite, Mark Wolf, mythopoiea, On Fairy-Stories, research, Signum University, subcreation, The Silmarillion, Tree and Leaf, Verlyn Flieger | 5 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 | 14 Comments

Approaching “The Silmarillion” for the First Time

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

As brilliant as lovers of Middle Earth recognize that it is, there are few books as daunting as The Silmarillion. It is a dense and complex text of genealogies, places, and characters, each woven together with multiple names in multiple languages … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Andrew Lang, Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, David Lindsay, Douglas A. Anderson, E. Nesbit, George MacDonald, H. Rider Haggard, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, Narnia, On Fairy-Stories, The Silmarillion, William Morris | 25 Comments

2016: A Year of Reading

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

This time last year I had a sense of the kind of season that 2016 would be, but I did not know the how deeply the experiences of bereavement, family responsibility, and overwork would impact me. While my work has … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged academic, An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, feminism, George MacDonald, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories, PhD Research, Ransom Trilogy, Reading, The Quest of Bleheris, William Morris | 15 Comments

“New Every Morning” by Jessica Shaver Renshaw, a Review

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am at the point in my PhD on C.S. Lewis where everything is narrowing to a point. I have a number of canonical lists pinned up on a bulletin board next to my desk. These are lists of SF, … Continue reading →