Tag Archives: fantasy

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Magic

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Nathan

The word “magic,” with or without the K at the end that Aleister Crowley preferred, derives from “magus,” a term for a Zoroastrian priest. I’ve seen indications that it might have referred to a specific tribe or caste. When the … Continue reading →

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Orc My World

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Nathan

This past weekend, Orcs were trending on Twitter, based on a tweet about how a description of them in Dungeons & Dragons was pretty racist. (Full disclosure: I haven’t played D&D, although I’ve come across it quite a bit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Authors, Biology, Christianity, Ethnicity, Fairy Tales, Focus on the Foes, Games, History, J.R.R. Tolkien, Language, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Norse, Prejudice, Religion, Science, Star Trek | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Saving the World While We’re Young

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Nathan

I’ve seen the topic come up of how everyone tends to be young in Japanese role-playing video games, to the extent that people in their thirties are considered old. I noticed this in Final Fantasy VII, where everyone seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Comics, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Gender, J.R.R. Tolkien, Magic, Prejudice, Relationships, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Magical Arts and Sciences

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Nathan

I’ve been thinking a bit recently about magic and science in fiction. I’m not saying anything at all new when I point out that a lot of what’s considered science fiction contains very little science. Sometimes it just seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Chronicles of Narnia, Comics, Discworld, Fundamentalism, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, madeleine l'engle, Magic, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Star Trek, Technology, Terry Pratchett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dragon Tales

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Nathan

The Book of Dragons, by Edith Nesbit – What creature represents fantasy in general better than the dragon? While the general portrayal of dragons makes them nasty, ravenous thieves, it’s certainly not unheard of for them to be noble and … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Fairy Tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Stereotype of the Stubborn Skeptic

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Nathan

I mentioned while talking about Once Upon a Time that the protagonist, Emma Swan, was yet another skeptic who wouldn’t believe what was in front of her face until something major happened. This is a pretty common trope, with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Once Upon a Time, Philosophy, Religion, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Gnomic Utterances of Ka’a Orto’o

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Nathan

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones – Presented as a guide and encyclopedia to a generic fantasy world, this book parodies the clichés used in mass-produced fantasy. Topics covered include how to know which characters are good … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Brentford Trilogy, Diana Wynne Jones, Robert Rankin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paranormal Romantic Fool

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Nathan

With the new Twilight movie having come out today, MSNBC provides a possible reason for why some people just don’t like the series, which is that some people don’t enjoy fantasy. This is true as far as it goes, and … Continue reading →

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The Fantasy of the Christ

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Nathan

I’ve recently come across several comments on a recent essay that tries to define fantasy as a distinctly Christian genre. Both J.L. Bell and Vorjack at Unreasonable Faith have brought it up, and my immediate reaction was to dismiss the … Continue reading →

Posted in C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Chronicles of Narnia, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, Judaism, Mythology, Oz, Philosophy, Religion, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments