Recorded May 13th. Fantasy, faith, magic, & myth. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, The Great War, and Wonder Woman. Middle Earth, Narnia, creating compelling fantasy, approaches to criticism, and overcoming disillusionment.

60 Year Old Spoiler Warning: Ending of The Lord of the Rings and portions of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

[Note: Not really a Wonder Woman episode, a companion to the last episode. Next few episodes are more DC, less literary history.]

Answers, insights, and commentary on:

I. J.R.R. Tolkien (Life) Orphan, Catholic, genius Popular, rugby captain, acting Languages, artist, marriage World War I, Battle of the Somme Philology Beowulf scholarship “On Fairy Stories”



II. Secondary World (Depth) References condense information Recall a dragon or a Robin, no citation References are inherent and ubiquitous Broken references organic and immersive Irony, Immersion, or Identification Tolkien reverse engineering patina of myth Tolkien’s perfectionism Superman as myth DC Films epic depth in world-building



III. Outcasts Bond Over Obscure Interests (Friends) Tolkien meets Lewis Siegel meets Shuster Lewis encourages Tolkien’s writings Lewis’s life, atheism, studies, service Connection, fellowship, encouragement The Inklings



IV. Approach to Criticism (Reaction) Critical response to The Lord of the Rings Stigma of fantasy and superheroes Creating stories with conscious purpose Wonder Woman as psychological propaganda Academic intellectual dishonesty “An Experiment on Criticism” Surrender, reading well, repeat readings



V. Disillusionment (Lies) Tolkien & Lewis are counter-cultural and subversive Unrealistic optimism at start of the war H.G. Wells: “The War That Will End War” Ways Wonder Woman could be disillusioned Disillusionment after World War I Fantasy as recapturing immaterial wonder Good, evil, and corruption in fantasy Eucatastrophe, Frodo fails, divine grace Corruption in these DC films Reality and realism as cure Fantasy to represent magic of the familiar Tolkien & Lewis believe in heroism



VI. Resonance (Truth) Tolkien & Lewis differences didn’t divide Tolkien & Lewis didn’t discriminate against works Openness to Wonder Woman, picking at differences Looking for truth and resonance over heresy and imperfection Seeing unappreciated value, Planet Narnia Imagination and emotions before intellect and allegory Watchful Dragons Applied to the Wonder Woman mythos Secrets, Truth, Beauty, Subversion, War, Myth, Wonder



To learn more:

Myths and Legends Podcast | Jason Weiser

What is Myth? | Crash Course Mythology

Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics | J.R.R. Tolkien

On Fairy-Stories | J.R.R. Tolkien

Battle of the Somme | Wikipedia

David S. Goyer Talks Man of Steel | Collider

A Film Portrait of JJR Tolkien (1996) | Landseer

Tolkien and the Great War | John Garth

An Experiment in Criticism | C.S. Lewis

A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War | Joseph Loconte

The Secret History of Wonder Woman | Jill Lepore

Walter Hooper: Life of C.S. Lewis | Socrates Society

Planet Narnia | Michael Ward

The Narnia Code | BBC

The Narnia Code | Michael Ward

Ursala K. Le Guin on Tolkien | Talk of the Nation

Superheroes Decoded | History

End notes recorded May 16th

The Bridge of Khazad Dum | Howard Shore

Wonder Woman | The Bombsters



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