Monthly Archives: January 2014

The Wizzrobe of Oz

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Nathan

The fact that The Wizard of Oz is often cited as an archetypal fairy tale is a mixed blessing for someone like me. On the one hand, it’s cool that one of my favorite books has become such a widely … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartoons, Characters, Fairy Tales, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Maps, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cats and Dogs Living Together

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Nathan

Toto and the Cats of Oz, by Robin Hess – I remember meeting Robin at an Oz Convention in the late nineties and hearing about this story, so it’s obviously been around for quite a while already, but wasn’t published … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Who, What, When, Where, Wyvern

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Nathan

While the wyvern is now fairly standard in fantasy fiction, its exact origins are difficult to trace. It seems to have first appeared in medieval bestiaries, and to have been used heavily in heraldry. While often used to represent war … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Dragon Quest, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Games, Greek Mythology, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Final Fantasy Junior

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Nathan

Picture by SlyShinie Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest has long been criticized for its simplistic nature, but that doesn’t mean some of us don’t have a soft spot for it. Recently, I came across this post defending the game, and it … Continue reading →

Posted in Final Fantasy, Monsters, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Demon-stration

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Nathan

The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale is not one of L. Frank Baum’s better known fantasies, and really there’s a reason for this, as it’s not one of his better works. That said, people do tend to like one … Continue reading →

Posted in Arabian, Characters, Christianity, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, Islam, Judaism, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Philosophy, Religion, Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Drink, Drink, Everyone Drink

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Nathan

I can’t say I’ve ever been much of a drinker. While I’m sure most of my peers were getting drunk well below the legal drinking age, I never did, and I rarely drink even now that I’m of age. Mind … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Drugs, Food, History, Islam, Middle Ages, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cosmic Canines

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Nathan

Blonde Bombshell, by Tom Holt – While Falling Sideways was about a planet of super-intelligent frogs and how they interacted with mankind, this book does the same with a planet of super-intelligent dogs. They also keep humans as pets, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Tom Holt | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Questing Game

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Nathan

Today we turn to Arthurian lore to look at a strange creature known as the Questing Beast, or Beste Glatisant (“barking beast”) in French. This animal is usually described as having the head of a snake, the body of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arthurian Legend, Characters, Christianity, John R. Neill, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Magic Genes

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Nathan

I mentioned in my last post how the manifestation of the Force through midichlorians in Jedi blood, thereby giving a biological component to magical and spiritual power, was sort of elitist. That got me thinking about the connection between magic … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Characters, Discworld, Families, Genetics, Harry Potter, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Science, Star Wars, Terry Pratchett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fandom Is the Path to the Dark Side

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Nathan

The People vs. George Lucas – This 2010 documentary presents different sides in the debate over whether Lucas ruined his legacy, and whether he had the right to do so. Not surprisingly, most of the focus is on the edits … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, J.R.R. Tolkien, Star Wars, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments