Tag Archives: SF

“Gardeners of the Galaxies” Discussion with Sørina Higgins and Brenton Dickieson on Inkling Folk Fellowship (Fri, Apr 29, 2022, 4pm Eastern)

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

“Gardeners of the Galaxies? How Imaginary Worlds Teach Us to Care for This One”: A discussion with Sørina Higgins and Brenton Dickieson on Inkling Folk Fellowship (Fri, Apr 29, 2022, 4pm Eastern) In many parts of the northern hemisphere, all … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged creation care, ecocriticism, fantasy, Gardeners of the Galaxies, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mythopoeia, Science Fiction, SF, Sorina Higgins, speculative fiction, The Inklings, theology and literature | 3 Comments

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Manifesto Against Genre Snobbery

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

One of our greatest speculative fiction writers, Ursula K. Le Guin, has never been one to turn down a fight. A genius in two of my favourite genres, science fiction and fantasy–especially planetary SciFi and magic-world fantasy–Le Guin has also … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Memorable Quotes, On Writing, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged fantasy, Frankenstein, genre, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, Madeleine L'Engle, Margaret Atwood, Science Fiction, SF, speculative fiction, The Birthday of the World, The Hainish Cycle, The Lord of the Rings, Ursula K. Le Guin | 17 Comments

The Top New Posts of 2020 on A Pilgrim in Narnia

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

2020 was the busiest year ever on A Pilgrim in Narnia! And by a pretty big margin. In 2020, we topped 1,000 posts, blew past our 1,000,000th page view, and passed 200,000 hits in a single year for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Reviews, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged Anne’s House of Dreams, C.S. Lewis, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Keats, L.M. Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Narnia, Rainbow Valley, Ransom Cycle, SF, The Inklings, The MaudCast, The Problem of Susan, The Screwtape Letters, Tolkien, Walter Hooper | Leave a comment

Enslaved to the Pressure of the Ordinary: What Screwtape Taught Me About my COVID Experience

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

It really has been an extraordinary year. For those future readers who haunt these literary halls, 2020 began easily enough. The British were brexiting, the Americans were engulfed in a couple of primaries to see which old white man would … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged apocalyptic literature, COVID-19, online teaching, pandemic, post-apocalyptic, SF, Teaching, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters | 13 Comments

Thesis Theater: Jens Hieber, “Negotiated Symbiosis: Power, Identity, and Community in the Works of Octavia E. Butler” (Oct 2nd, 7pm Eastern)

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I am pleased to announce that Signum University MA student Jens Hieber will present his thesis “Negotiated Symbiosis: Power, Identity, and Community in the Works of Octavia E. Butler,” and respond to questions from the audience in an interactive Thesis … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Black Women Authors, Fledgling, Octavia Butler, Octavia E. Butler, On Writing, Science Fiction, SF, Signum University | 5 Comments

C.S. Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet: A 10 Minute Book Talk with Brenton Dickieson

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Before I ever returned to Narnia as an adult, I read C.S. Lewis‘ Out of the Silent Planet. I have always loved Science Fiction, and I enjoy stumbling upon a classic SF piece that is worth my time. As part … Continue reading →

Posted in 10 Minute Book Talk, Reflections, Reviews | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, First Men in the Moon, H.G. Wells, Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, Reading, Science Fiction, SciFi, SF, The War of the Worlds | 12 Comments

Mythgard Movie Club: The Fifth Element (Full Video)

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

The Fifth Element A couple of weeks ago, I was very pleased to be part of a panel discussion on The Fifth Element. This cult-classic science fiction film was written and directed by Luc Besson and based on story ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker, film, film criticism, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Luc Besson, Luke Perry, Milla Jovovich, Mythgard Academy, Science Fiction, SF, Signum University, The Fifth Element | 3 Comments

Madeleine L’Engle’s Remarkable Accomplishment in The Wrinkle in Time

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

By all accounts, the young Madeleine L’Engle did everything wrong. First, she was a woman writing in a man’s genre in the 1950s and 1960s—and writing soft SF under a feminine name without the ambiguity of initials to hide behind. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reflections, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged A Wrinkle in Time, fantasy, film, film adaptation, Madeleine L'Engle, Oprah Winfrey, Science Fiction, SF | 32 Comments

Octavia Butler’s and Robert Heinlein’s Rules of Writing

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

My most significant alien encounter this year has been in the science fiction of Octavia E. Butler. I have only dipped into her work, enjoying her Xenogenesis Trilogy (1987-89) and a collection of short pieces, Bloodchild and Other Stories (2nd ed., … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, On Writing | Tagged Afrofuturism, Black Panther, Octavia Butler, On Writing, Robert Heinlein, Science Fiction, SF, speculative fiction, Stephen King, Stranger in a Strange Land, writing, Xenogenesis Trilogy | 26 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 →