Tag Archives: speculative fiction

“Just Enough Light: Some Thoughts on Fantasy and Literature,” the 2021 Tolkien Lecture by Guy Gavriel Kay

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

I was pleased last week to watch the 8th annual J.R.R Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature, an annual lecture on fantasy literature held at Pembroke College, Oxford, this year broadcast online. The Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature was established in … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian literature, Fictional Worlds, News & Links, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The Pretty Cool Imaginative World-building in Margaret Cavendish’s Pretty Terrible “Blazing World”

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Margaret Cavendish’s The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World is just terrible. For me, anyway. It is an important book in feminist history and natural philosophy and, I would argue, the development of science fiction. Except for experts … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Texmoot 2021 Call for Papers and Conversations (Feb 13th, 2021)

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

One advantage of our online environment is that we now have some options for attending conferences that we would otherwise miss. On Feb 6th, for example, is the free Urbana Theological Seminary online Tolkien conference, with guest speakers Carlie W. … Continue reading →

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A Canticle for Leibowitz: A 10 Minute Book Talk with Brenton Dickieson

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Walter Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a philosophically rich and intricately gorgeous book. What makes this philosophical SciFi novel so compelling is an endearing slate of characters. I wish I could read a whole other book about Brother Francis, … Continue reading →

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Can Cod-liver Oil Cure Us of Poetry? A Thought on the Uselessness of Poets in Today’s Economy from L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valley

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

It was probably unfair that I had this much fun in a government meeting, but it is even more unfair that the fun came at another’s expense. It is no secret that North American state, provincial, and federal governments view … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments