Mythmakers

Mythmakers

Welcome to Season 4 of Mythmakers!

Mythmakers is the podcast for fantasy fans and creatives brought to you by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. We will be exploring fantasy old and new, look at what went into writing your favourite series, learn tips from the experts, and discuss new books, TV shows and films.

Mythmakers is brought to you from the city of Oxford - home to many of the world's greatest fantasy writers, from J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth, to C.S. Lewis, creator of Narnia, and the grandfather of them all, Lewis Carroll with his Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Oxford story continues with outstanding contemporary writers finding inspiration among the ancient buildings, labyrinthine libraries, and gentle river meadows.

Ready to jump down the rabbit hole with us to find your next mythmaker? Visit https://oxfordcentreforfantasy.org/

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Mythmakers
Fantasy Writing - Why Go Small?

Join Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker as they discuss the issue of scale when writing fantasy. Starting small by thinking of smaller than average people at the heart of a story, follow us as we travel from Aristophanes “The Frogs” all the way to Barbie, with an in-depth discussion of the inner lives of hobbits. Does being small equate to being simple in Middle-earth? Does being big make you less intelligent in fantasy literature? What are the challenges, and potential, if you play with scale in your writing? Learn from the best examples in this discussion of the long history of short people!

00:51:38
Oct 12, 2023 10:10 AM
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Mythmakers
Why it is dangerous to study Tolkien?

It is a dangerous business going out of your front door, according to Bilbo - but so is studying Tolkien! On today’s episode, Julia Golding reports on current scholarship on Tolkien, thanks to the Tolkien's Words and Worlds conference at Corpus Christi College on the 2nd and 3rd of September of this year. What is the big mystery behind Tolkien's name? What is so special about the Fields of Cormallen? And who did C.S. Lewis dislike so much he spent a decade writing rude poems about him? Take a listen to fine out!

For more information on Tolkien’s life and his literature, check out the works of authors John Garth, Holly Ordway and Michael Ward.

00:33:24
Sep 28, 2023 10:10 AM
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Mythmakers
An Evening with the Inklings - JRR Tolkien

Today’s episode of Mythmakers is the third part of our series looking into four of the main Inklings members. In the second part of our Inklings Evening, where our esteemed guests recreated the type of literary discussion that the original group would have engaged in, Colin Duriez takes us through Tolkien's participation in the group and how he, a veteran writer on books about Tolkien and Lewis, came to be an enthusiast. Join us as Colin reads from the Notion Club papers, leading to a discussion of how the Inklings interacted.

00:12:28
Sep 21, 2023 9:50 AM
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Mythmakers
An Evening with the Inklings - Owen Barfield

Have you ever wished that you could be a fly on the wall at a meeting of the original Inklings? We certainly have! Last year we invited four experts to represent four of the main Inklings at a special evening at Merton College Oxford to recreate the kind of discussion the original group might have had. Today’s episode focuses on our first guest: Owen Barfield, standing in for his grandfather, the first and last Inkling also by the name Owen Barfield. Join us to hear about the first fantasy story that came out of the Inklings' group - The Silver Trumpet.

00:17:52
Sep 14, 2023 10:5 AM
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Mythmakers
An Evening with the Inklings - Meet the Inklings Experts

Today’s episode of Mythmakers is part one of a four-part special deep dive into four of the legendary Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, represented by Colin Duriez, CS Lewis by Professor Simon Horobin, Owen Barfield by his grandson of the same name, and Charles Williams by Alicia Smith. These discussions took place at our Inklings evening at Merton College in Oxford, during our in-person course.

This first part is our introduction to these four significant Inklings as we speak to our esteemed guests who represent each of them.

For more information on our guests, visit their websites listed below:

Colin Duriez: colinduriez.webmate.me

Owen Barfield: owenbarfield.org

00:29:22
Aug 31, 2023 10:30 AM
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Mythmakers
Tolkien's Faith - a Spiritual Biography

Professor Holly Ordway returns to Mythmakers on today’s episode to discuss her new book on Tolkien's Faith. Having been first an agnostic, then an atheist, and now a Catholic, Professor Ordway uses her insider/outsider perspective to elucidate this fascinating topic. Join in as Professor Ordway discusses with Julia Golding the many flavours of Catholicism and the particular, and unusual, one that Tolkien followed as part of the English Oratory movement. Take a listen to what this offers to everyone, Catholics and non-Catholics, and how it relates to his writing within Middle-earth.

To find out more about Professor Ordway’s book and to purchase a copy visit hollyordway.com .

00:33:30
Aug 25, 2023 10:0 AM
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Mythmakers
Andy Serkis Reads The Silmarillion - The Verdict (Season 4 Premiere!)

Welcome to Mythmakers Season 4!!

Since April of 2022 Andy Serkis has been working his way through Tolkien's books, producing audio versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit- he has now turned his attention to The Silmarillion. Our expert on audiobooks, Andrew Head, who as a blind consumer often turns to audio versions to access stories, talks with Julia Golding about this latest version of The Silmarillion and the Martin Shaw reading that came before it. Which would you buy now? How does Andy cope with a book that has far less opportunities for a dramatic reading than the other Tolkien books? What more do you get from this version? Tune in to hear our verdict!

00:29:54
Aug 17, 2023 10:6 AM
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Mythmakers
Mythmakers Season 3 Finale: The Tolkien Top 5

As Season 3 of the Mythmakers podcast draws to a close, we are commemorating this milestone by highlighting our top 5 Tolkien themed podcasts that we have produced over the seasons. From little known facts about professor J.R.R. Tolkien, and how we celebrate his memory 50 years on since his passing, to recent adaptations of his works and Andy Serkis’s now iconic audiobook reading of the Lord of the Rings- we have been highly anticipating his reading of The Silmarillion! Join us as we celebrate 3 wonderful seasons of Mythmakers, enjoy our discussions of Tolkien’s works and appreciate the fantasy genre that is so cherished by all of us.

00:47:34
Jun 22, 2023 9:45 AM
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Mythmakers
Best and Worst Fathers in The Lord of the Rings

As we look forward to celebrating Father's Day, on today’s episode of Mythmakers we’ll take a look at the best and worst fathers in The Lord of the Rings. Do you agree with our picks for the three worst fathers? One is very controversial! The top four fathers jostle for their place, but one stands out as being a particularly great role model. Any idea who that is? Hint: it isn't Denethor.

00:14:56
Jun 15, 2023 9:30 AM
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Mythmakers
Celebrating Fantasy Illustrators - John Tenniel

Let's celebrate the contribution to fantasy by our favourite illustrators! Today we start by taking a look at the grandfather of Oxford Fantasy Illustration: Sir John Tenniel, the illustrator behind the iconic Alice in Wonderland images. Listen in to find out about the unfortunate accident in his youth that he hid from his father, his extraordinary memory, and his artistic influences. Guess who was at his retirement dinner- it was quite the fantasy dinner party moment!

00:17:10
Jun 9, 2023 9:35 AM
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