Tag: fantasy

Replacing the u-word with the z-word

YA fantasy author Justine Larbalestier does not like unicorns. Just today she posted: What is it with you people? I tell you what an abomination in the sight of the Lord unicorns are and how much I love love love zombies and what do you do? You send me an endless stream of unicorn-related stuff. …

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The Chronicles of Narnia vs. His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman explictly says his fantasy trilogy (I seem to remember reading somewhere that he doesn’t like it to be called “fantasy,” but fantasy it is, however he feels about it) is an atheistic answer to Lewis’s allegorical and Christian Narnia series. I enjoyed His Dark Materials for the most part, but I think Catherine …

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What’s real, and what’s pretend?

My five-year-old daughter just received her first visit from the Tooth Fairy. Soon, of course, she’ll be visited by Santa Claus. Being the scientifically minded parent that I am, I’m always providing my daughter with information about things like why it’s dark now when she gets up in the morning when it used to be …

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What J.R.R. Tolkien means to me

I went to see The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings last week. That’s hardly news; it’s been the number-one movie for three weeks now, so lots of people have been going to see it. But I did want to set down my impressions of the film–and some thoughts on what J.R.R. …

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