Monthly Archives: March 2015

Non-Traditional Travel

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Nathan

The Long Mars, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter – The third book in the Long Earth series, and perhaps the last unless Baxter gets another co-author. It’s kind of melancholy reading this after Pratchett’s death. The earlier books established … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Magic, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Science and Secrets of Red Magic and Art

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Nathan

If you’ve read Ruth Plumly Thompson’s Oz books, or for that matter just followed my blog for a while, then I’m sure you know about Jinnicky, the Red Jinn of Ev. I thought I could say a little about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Magic, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Changing the Baby

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Nathan

Changelings were once a fairly common part of European folklore, and are still pretty widely known, even if not that many people actually believe in them anymore.  Basically, a changeling was a child that a fairy or troll would leave … Continue reading →

Posted in British, Celtic, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Mythology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Ghost in the Machine

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Nathan

It’s a well-known fact that, back in the earlier days of Nintendo, they censored a lot of religious references in the English translations of games. It’s stated here that their policy was to exclude “symbols that are related to any … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Magic, Mythology, Religion, Video Games, Zelda, Zoroastrianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Double Your Fun

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Nathan

One idea that’s shown up several times in Oz and related books is that of a place where everything is double. I believe the first appearance of the theme is in The Enchanted Island of Yew, in which Prince Marvel … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Troll in Chicago

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Nathan

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, by Catherynne M. Valente – This is the fourth book in the Fairyland series, and the first to focus on a new protagonist, although the old one does appear. The story involves the concept of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

I Smell a Frat

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Nathan

Having read this article from last year, I am even more against fraternities than I already was, which is saying something. The Greek system has always seemed full of contradictions to me. They’re a source of embarrassment for the associated … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Education, Gender, Politics, Prejudice | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Off the Walrus

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Nathan

Snarked!, by Roger Langridge – When looking for information on the Popeye comics Langridge wrote, I saw some mentions of an earlier comic he both wrote and drew that I’d heard of before, which was sort of a re-imagining of … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Comics, Humor, Lewis Carroll | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

To Chop the Unchoppable Tree

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Nathan

I was already familiar with some of the Chinese myths retold in Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, but there were others I’d either never or rarely come across. One of these is the story of Wu Gang, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese, Greek Mythology, Mythology | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More Moon Men

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Nathan

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin – I remember being drawn to this book on a library shelf, but not checking it out because I already had several books checked out. More recently, Amy mentioned it in … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Chinese, Fairy Tales, Mythology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments