Tag Archives: racism

Never Nude Elwin Ransom of C.S. Lewis’ Classic ScFi, and A Note on Puzzling, Lazy, Irrelevant, Racist, Sexist, and Infelicitous Book Cover Designs (Friday Feature)

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Ere long and ever ago when this blog was young, I wrote about the “Worst Book Description Ever” from C.S. Lewis’ science fiction classic, Out of the Silent Planet. As is sometimes so in the burdens of experience, I have since … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Reflections, Reviews | Tagged Arrested Development, Book Cover Art, books, C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, racism, Science Fiction, sexism, The Dark Tower, The Ransom Cycle, The Screwtape Letters | 3 Comments

Tolkien Prof Corey Olsen on the Rings of Power Trailer and How to Talk About the Worlds We Love

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

In my post on the title announcement to the new Middle-earth Prime series, The Rings of Power, I admitted to having a split mind and cautious hopefulness about the film serial. I wrote that: “my confidence is not high that … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Amazon Prime, antisemitism, bigotry, C.S. Lewis, Corey Olsen, diversity, Dune, film adaptation, J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, racism, Signum University, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power | 21 Comments

N.K. Jemisin’s Super Strange Urban Apocalypse in The City We Became: Part 2: The City I Can’t Become (Blogging the Hugos 2021)

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

N.K. Jemisin is clearly one of the science fiction greats of the generation. Time will tell if she will stand with the all-time greats, like H.G. Wells, Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Ursula … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging the Hugos, Fictional Worlds, News & Links, Reviews | Tagged allegory, apocalyptic literature, Frank Herbert, H.G. Wells, Hugo Awards, Isaac Asimov, N.K. Jemisin, New York City, Octavia E. Butler, Philip K. Dick, Postcolonial literature, racism, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, speculative fiction, The City We Became, urban fantasy, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson | 14 Comments

N.K. Jemisin’s Super Strange Urban Apocalypse in The City We Became: Part 1: The Allegory That is Born (Blogging the Hugos 2021)

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

I first encountered N.K. Jemisin’s “Great City” series in her bracing, breakneck-speed short story, “The City Born Great,” which (in an edited form) is the prologue to The City We Became. Jemisin is one of this generation’s great speculative fiction … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging the Hugos, Fictional Worlds, News & Links, Reviews | Tagged allegory, apocalypse, apocalyptic literature, Hugo Awards, N.K. Jemisin, New York City, Postcolonial literature, racism, Science Fiction, speculative fiction, The City Born Great, The City We Became, urban fantasy | 8 Comments

“There Are No Cruel Narnians: What The Horse and His Boy Can Tell Us About Racism, Cultural Superiority, Beauty Standards, and Inclusiveness” by Daniel Whyte IV

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

There Are No Cruel Narnians: What The Horse and His Boy Can Tell Us About Racism, Cultural Superiority, Beauty Standards, and Inclusiveness by Daniel Whyte IV The Chronicles of Narnia has legions of fans around the world. According to journalist … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Lev Grossman, Narnia, Netflix, orientalism, Philip Pullman, racism, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy | 39 Comments

Blackface, Shameface, and Prime Minister Trudeau

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is putting on his best shame-faced demeanour today. Trudeau has positioned himself as a bastion of inclusivity, multiculturalism, and fights against racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. When photos surfaced in the last few … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Blackface, Brownface, Canada, Canadian Politics, Cheryl Thompson, Edwin W. Brown, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, racism, sexism | 11 Comments

On The Importance of Having a Permit, Or Truth-Telling and Our Response to Charlottesville

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I am a university teacher, and my classroom is a space for many views. It is not quite a “safe space” for any idea. As a participant in the discussion, you would be responsible for slander or plagiarism. You could … Continue reading →