Absolutism vs. Ambiguity in Fantasy

This article is by Matthew R. Bishop. In a recent article featured on Mythic Scribes, Christian Madera explored the strengths and limitations of “black and white” fantasy, while defending the rise of “grey” fantasy as something that can overcome the drawbacks of black and white. Let me clarify that I am an author of grey … Read more

5 Ways to Build Stronger Characters

Frodo and Sam

This article is by Anne Marie Gazzolo. It’s possible to build characters who achieve a secondary reality, and become people who live in their own right in our hearts and minds. It jars me every time someone says Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee are ‘characters.’ I want to shout, “They are not characters! They are … Read more

Fantasy and How the World Ought To Be

This article is by Christian Madera. Early Fantasy literature, with its black-and-white morality, was very comfortable making statements about ethics. I’m using ‘ethics’ in a broad sense here: I don’t just mean questions about what a person should do in a difficult situation (though such questions are definitely a mainstay of Fantasy literature and merit … Read more

In Defense of Peter Jackson

Since the announcement that The Hobbit will be a trilogy, the Internet has been abuzz.  The Tolkien fan base has been divided into two camps: those who are elated at the news, and those who believe that it’s a terrible idea. Those who are apprehensive of the films becoming a trilogy have raised some valid … Read more