Tag Archives: Phantastes

Help Me Find the Accusation of Misogyny in the TIME Article on C.S. Lewis, Don v. Devil

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Two recent references have created a bit of a puzzle for me which I hope you can perhaps make clear for me. Both in Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen’s A Sword Between the Sexes: C.S. Lewis and the Gender Debates and the edited volume … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Original Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Leatherhead and Literary Coincidence, with C.S. Lewis and H.G. Wells

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I encountered the town of Leatherhead first in H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1897). It is one of a dozen or so English place names that meant nothing to me as a young reader. As an adult, armed with an … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Original Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Losing the Safety of the Real in That Hideous Strength

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Though at times hauntingly realistic, scattered throughout C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy are moments where reality slides away from us. In the midst of the mundane—a walk at night, a conversation in a parlor, a sleepy, sunny afternoon on a hillside, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Original Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Why is Merlin in That Hideous Strength?

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

            I am writing a paper on C.S. Lewis and the Arthurian tradition for Sørina Higgins’ collection, The Inklings and King Arthur. As I trawl through the materials one common theme keeps coming back: How do we explain the sudden … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

The Meadow Mouse Story: A Postmodern Fairy Tale

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

I have a peculiar obsession with the story within a story. Part of it comes with the discovery of “The Grand Inquisitor,” my favourite nested story and an integral part of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1880). I’ve blogged … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Be Careful What You Read… C.S. Lewis’ Literary Encounter with George MacDonald

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

Perhaps one of C.S. Lewis’ more famous—or infamous—quotations is this: “A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading” (Surprised by Joy, 182). Hidden in this 20th century tweet is the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 79 Comments

Cosmo’s Story Within a Story by George MacDonald

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Brenton Dickieson

I am not certain why—perhaps because of my years watching Itchy and Scratchy on The Simpsons—but I have always been attracted to the Story Within a Story technique. I’ve never been a fan of flashbacks, but film has recently taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

The Glimpse of Joy: C.S. Lewis Discovers George MacDonald

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Brenton Dickieson

This is a letter C.S. Lewis wrote as an 18 year old while at school before going to war. He is writing to his great, childhood friend, Arthur Greeves. Gastons 7 March 1916 Tuesday My dear Galahad, I was very … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments