Book Talk: A Conversation with Guy Gavriel Kay
Set in a parallel Renaissance world, two major religions, the Jaddites who worship the sun, and the Asharites who worship the stars, struggle amidst the backdrop of court politics, murder, espionage, faith and family.
BOOK REVIEW: Children of Earth and Sky – Guy Gavriel Kay
BOOK REVIEW: Children of Earth and Sky – Guy Gavriel Kay
The World’s Worst Fantasy Film: In the Name of the King
What do you get when you mix Burt Reynolds, Jason Statham, Ray Liotta and Ron Perlman in a movie together? You get a horrible movie. Those worlds are never meant to collide, and never in a fantasy movie.
Sir Gawain Gets an 80s Reboot: The Sword of the Valiant Movie Review
This week, we have the retelling of the epic Arthurian romance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in this 1984 fantasy reboot.
A Forgettable Fantasy Film: The Four Warriors
Another weekend, another medieval movie! This week, I review “The Four Warriors”.
Lacklustre “Last Knights” – Movie Review
My review of this disappointing venture featuring Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman.
So Bad, it’s Good: Movie Review – The Magic Sword
So bad, it’s good. If you’re looking for a medieval movie to watch and a laugh, The Magic Sword might be for you!
Genre Medievalisms: Geek Goes Chic!
Is Cersei a collection of bad medieval stereotypes? Have nerds gone mainstream? Were American cowboys a modern retelling of the medieval knight? Put down that comic, put away your bag of dice, and indulge your inner nerd.
MOVIE REVIEW – Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God
Your Saturday night Medieval Movie – this time, I review Dungeons & Dragons: The Wrath of the Dragon God.
The American Dark Ages and the Terrorist Witch in Season of the Witch
In this article we argue that medieval films are not to be analyzed according to their faithfulness to the known historical sources, but that they can only be fully analyzed by understanding medievalist codes, traditions and (filmic) intertextuality.
Staging Medievalisms: Touching the Middle Ages through Contemporary Performance
Examining the Middle Ages through modern eyes: movies, TV, stage, tourism and books. How do we perform the Middle Ages?
Medievalism as fun and games
Medievalism hides in many guises in contemporary culture, of which four will be examined here.
Fantasy Books for Christmas!
For those of you who want something a little more magical under the tree this Christmas – here are a few new 2013 fantasy releases!
Great Medieval Fiction 2013!
For those of you who enjoy some fantasy or a historical novel – this list is for you!
Androgynes, Crossdressers, and Rebel Queens: Modern Representations of Medieval Women Warriors from Tolkien to Martin
This was another stellar paper given at the Tales after Tolkien session. It was an intriguing look at the women of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and how each author portrays the mother and warrior characters of Galadriel/Cersi/Daenerys and Eowyn/Arya/Brienne. The paper examined the differences and problems posed by the portrayal of women in theses fantasy novels.
The Meaning of the Middle Ages: Fans, Authors, and Industry
This was a very enjoyable paper given on the topic of medievalism and the predominance of a European perspective in almost all fantasy literature. Young examined three authors who were moving away from the traditional telling of fantasy by subverting the typical pseudo-medieval narrative or by moving away from European cultures towards embracing Eastern, Aztec and other non-European worlds.
George R. R. Martin’s Quest for Realism in A Song of Ice and Fire
This was my last session of KZOO this year and it was the perfect way to end a great conference. This series was dedicated to examining medievalism in fantasy literature with the dominant topic being George R. R. Martin and Tolkien.
Game of Thrones – Review of Season 3, Episode 1: Valar Dohaeris
After what seemed like an eternity, we’re back with an exciting third season of Game of Thrones. Another season of plotting, scheming, sex, violence and dragons!
“What do we do? Hop on a bus to medieval times?”:Medievalisms of Robin of Sherwood and Charmed
Three different medievalist narrative styles have been identified for the purposes of this volume, Medieval in Motion: modernist medievalism, post-modernist medievalism and neo-medievalism.
INTERVIEW: Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths
An interview with author Nancy Brown on her latest medieval offering: “Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths”.
Language and Legend in the Fantasy Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien
There was something so real in the languages that he created, and critics wanted to find the inspirations behind Tolkien‘s worlds. Elves, dwarves, men, hobbits, and various other creatures occupied the pages of his books, but the languages he created were complex and had real elements in them. Examples of his invented languages were those spoken by the Elves, Sindarin and Quenya.
Horses of Agency, Element, and Godliness in Tolkien and the Germanic Sagas
What is the contract between man and equine that allows a beast ten times our size and one hundred times our strength to willingly serve in our ambitions? What magnetism (and who placed it) is it that draws humanity and horses together?
“Far-off gleams of evangelium” : a study of how J. R. R. Tolkien’s The lord of the rings reflects the biblical “Kingdom of Heaven”
The findings of this thesis confirm that the values of LOTR and the Kingdom are notably similar, and that the reader of LOTR does indeed derive from it an experience of what the Kingdom ideally is. But all this is “under the surface”, and Tolkien did not impose his Christianity.
Hot Holiday Reads!
Put down those turkey left-overs and check out some of these hot holiday reads!
Sometimes a Codpiece Is Just a Codpiece: The Meanings of Medieval Clothes
I am going to take you on a small tour of clothing production and of the many roles that clothing played in medieval life.