The Lord of the Rings

Everybody hates fantasy. Let’s talk about it.

Based on anecdotal evidence, complaints about the genre being “pure escapism”, “childish” and “uninteresting” are common. There are also reviews which accuse fantasy literature of being “formulaic”, “out of touch” and even “outdated”.

Discovered Tolkien letters reveal new sides of his work

The correspondence was part of an exchange between Tolkien and the British Council about funding for his research collaboration with his former Oxford student, Simonne d’Ardenne.

New Bond 'Spectre' plays like a swan song, and a long one

Agent 007's latest love interest, played by French actress Lea Seydoux in the new James Bond movie "Spectre," is called Madeleine Swann, because the film seems like a swan song for some of the participants.

Sir Christopher Lee: Screen legend dies aged 93

Sir Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world's biggest film franchises, dies aged 93.

June 2, 2023
June 2, 2023

Everybody hates fantasy. Let’s talk about it.

Based on anecdotal evidence, complaints about the genre being “pure escapism”, “childish” and “uninteresting” are common. There are also reviews which accuse fantasy literature of being “formulaic”, “out of touch” and even “outdated”.

April 1, 2023
April 1, 2023

Discovered Tolkien letters reveal new sides of his work

The correspondence was part of an exchange between Tolkien and the British Council about funding for his research collaboration with his former Oxford student, Simonne d’Ardenne.

October 22, 2015
October 22, 2015

New Bond 'Spectre' plays like a swan song, and a long one

Agent 007's latest love interest, played by French actress Lea Seydoux in the new James Bond movie "Spectre," is called Madeleine Swann, because the film seems like a swan song for some of the participants.

June 11, 2015
June 11, 2015

Sir Christopher Lee: Screen legend dies aged 93

Sir Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world's biggest film franchises, dies aged 93.

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