Lord Of The Fantasies: Beyond The Swordfights

In “The Lord of the Rings” films, elf-maiden Arwen almost joined the fight at Helm’s Deep, and King Aragorn almost dueled the dark lord Sauron. But the movie-makers chose otherwise. How come, and how does this show truly rare heroism?
— E. Stephen Burnett in January 2012 —

The “Alien Work” Of God Part VI

Like I said two week ago, I’m not one to back down from a bad idea. And I have a feeling that this might be a bad idea. We’ll see. Of course, that’s only if this post makes it past […]
— John Otte in January 2012 —

Lord Of The Fantasies: Beholding Middle-earth

Because I first read “The Fellowship of the Ring” only days before seeing the film version, I did not have time to form interpretations of characters, or expectations. Thus, the film blew me away, no disappointments. But how might I have been disadvantaged?
— E. Stephen Burnett in January 2012 —

Lord Of The Fantasies: Looking Back on ‘FotR’

Ten years ago, “The Lord of the Rings” still sounded too “classical” to me. I had my Narnia. Why add another fantasy world? Then, before reading the books or seeing the film, I heard Howard Shore’s film score. And I was drawn into Middle-earth.
— E. Stephen Burnett in January 2012 —

The “Alien Work” Of God Part V

So last time, we sat at the foot of the master, C. S. Lewis, and discussed the theological underpinnings of his Space Trilogy. For those of you just joining us now (or who don’t feel like going back and reading […]
— John Otte in January 2012 —

Jack And John In Conversation

In lieu of our planned article, then, I offer you a fascinating dramatization of a dialogue between C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, with thanks to Fred Warren who found it and passed it along to me because of its relevance to the just concluded series on Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy-Stories.” Enjoy!
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2011 —

‘Hobbit’ Hopes and Other Happenings

“The Hobbit” teaser finally arrives, Gandalf’s and Dumbledore’s first-century ancestors seek the newborn King, the dangers of appearance-based book discernment, Christmas un-specials, and: why should Christians hype “The Hobbit”?
— E. Stephen Burnett in December 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 7 – Tolkien And The Gospel

Few people, even those not well-versed in fantasy, will argue against the idea that J. R. R. Tolkien is the master of the fantasy genre. In that he wrote his thoughts about this type of tale in his essay “On […]
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2011 —

The “Alien Work” Of God Part IV

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Not this blog series. At least, I hope none of you think that. But I’ve noticed a pattern. Whenever I sit down to write one of these columns, NASA announces that they’ve found more extra-solar planets.
— John Otte in December 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 6 — Tolkien On Romance

Would J. R. R. Tolkien, if he were alive today, be a fan of prairie romance? The question is appropriate because of what he wrote in his essay “On Fairy-Stories” regarding escapism.
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2011 —

The Restorer—Expanded Edition

About the Book Susan Mitchell thought she was an ordinary homemaker. She was wrong. When she’s pulled through a portal into another world, she finds a nation grappling for its soul and waiting for a promised Restorer to save their […]
— Sharon Hinck in December 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 5 – The Use Of Primary Colors

I wonder what J. R. R. Tolkien would think about Harry Potter. Or Twilight. Or dystopian fantasies like Veronica Roth’s Divergent. Would the author of “On Fairy-Stories” be a fan of the darker forms fantasy has taken in the last decade or so?
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 4

Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for, nor obscure the perception of, scientific verity. On the contrary. The keener and the clearer is the reason, the better fantasy will it make.
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in December 2011 —

Dark Is The Stain: Suspense.

Sunday morning Fred posted a lovely series of Advent readings and Scriptures, and yesterday he posted on Hope ( I swear, we didn’t plan this). Now, I gotta say, just as over the last decade I’ve grown incredibly fond of […]
— Kaci Hill in November 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 2

Fairy stories are for children. Or are they? J. R. R. Tolkien in his essay “On Fairy Stories” built an argument that challenged the usual assumptions. First, he believed that fairy stories had significance beyond entertainment.
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in November 2011 —

Retelling Biblical Stories For A Modern Audience, Part 2

The ancient Jews loved to retell their Bible stories with embellishments. And they did so, not with a disdain for “the facts of history,” but rather with deep respect for the original message as they understood it.
— Brian Godawa in November 2011 —

The Making Of A Myth, Part 1

Tolkien is specific. Fairy stories are certain things and definitely not others. First they are stories about Faerie, “the realm or state in which fairies have their being,” though this realm contains much more than elves or fairies
— Rebecca LuElla Miller in November 2011 —
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Cathy McCrumb handles heavy subjects with a light touch, keeping the novel from grimness. Recorder is a creative and engaging novel that will appeal to a broad audience.

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