Tag Archives: The Hobbit

Let’s Talk About Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien’s Greatest Characters on the Plunge Podcast with Derek Holser

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Brenton Dickieson

Ah, Sam, what a character. When Derek Holser reached out to me about his Tolkien’s Greatest Characters series on the Plunge, Samwise Gamgee came first to mind. The most hobbitish of heroes, the gardening guardian, most faithful companion of the fellowship, … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Derek Holser, film adaptation, friendship, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Plunge Podcast, writing | 1 Comment

Exploring the 2025 Mythopoeic Award Inklings Scholarship Finalists

Posted on July 31, 2025 by

It is award season! The Mythopoeic Society released its 2025 Awards shortlists earlier this year. While I had good intentions to read a lot more, there is only one category I was able to work through all of the finalists: … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, Reviews | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, Gender Theory, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Mythopoeic Award, Space Race, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings | 8 Comments

Do the Inhabitants of Arda Know How Their Own Story Ends? A Thesis Theatre on Middle-earth Eschatology by Jeffrey Wade (Wed, Jun 4, 5:00pm ET)

Posted on June 2, 2025 by

Once again, I have had the distinct pleasure to work with a Signum University MA student through their thesis process. Jeffrey Wade has completed his thesis on “Unveiling Hope: Do the Inhabitants of Arda Know How Their Own Story Ends?” … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, C.S. Lewis, fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Signum University, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Ursula K. Le Guin | 8 Comments

Voyaging with Voyant in Tolkien’s Expanded Letters (Part 1: Background and Themes)

Posted on February 19, 2025 by

In this post, Dr. Brenton Dickieson discusses Tolkien’s newly expanded letter collection, exploring its publication history and significance, and playing with some Voyant text analytical tools to understand trends in Tolkien’s correspondence and his creative practice. Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research | Tagged Christopher Tolkien, Data Visualization, Digital Humanities, Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Voyant | 11 Comments

A Brace of Tolkien Posts for his 132nd Birthday (#TolkienBirthdayToast)

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Brenton Dickieson

As J.R.R. Tolkien was born 69,425,820 minutes ago, give or take. The Tolkien Society is again raising a toast to the Professor on his birthday, 3 January 2023 (see here). After Bilbo left the Shire on his eleventy-first birthday in … Continue reading →