NEW YORK — Harry vs. Frodo. Lucy vs. Lyra. We don’t normally think of classic fantasy series as being pit against one another, because despite their differences, they have so much in common. Most of them are about little people (be they children or Hobbits) caught up in a war of good versus evil that requires a singular sacrifice to save the world, often with a bit of biblical allegory thrown in for good measure. But even if “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “His Dark Materials” were all put on the same bookshelf, they’re not all friends, as “Materials” author Philip Pullman explained during his Times Talks appearance Tuesday. Continue reading “‘His Dark Materials’ Writer Philip Pullman Takes ‘Narnia,’ ‘Lord Of The Rings’ To Task”
Category: Books Publications
Ian Brodie’s latest book ‘A Journey through New Zealand Film’ landed on my doorstep earlier this week, thanks to author Kristen Thompson. The book is filled with stunning images from all over New Zealand, and gives the reader an insider look into some of the films shot there. From harpercollins.co.nz: ‘For a long time, New Zealand film was off the beaten track — unfamiliar, charting new territory and out there. Now our rich and varied landscape, and the skill of our filmmakers, is celebrated worldwide, in The Piano, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Whale Rider, The Last Samurai, River Queen and The World’s Fastest Indian. Ian Brodie, author of the internationally bestselling Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook and Cameras in Narnia, is the perfect guide to the locations and landscapes which have inspired filmmakers over the past twenty-five years. With stunning photographs, detailed location descriptions, and comments from directors, cast and crew, he has put together a fascinating tour of New Zealand for movie-lovers and visitors alike. Along with a chronology of feature films made in New Zealand and the awards they have won, he paints a superb portrait of location New Zealand.’ Just In: A Journey through New Zealand Film
From Stephen Hubbard at bookreporter.com: Bilbo Baggins just wants to live his quiet, peaceful life in the Shire. And he’s doing a mighty fine job of it until the great wizard, Bladorthin, shows up at his door with a gaggle of dwarves. Their leader, Gandalf, tells of the vicious dragon, Pryftan, who overtook their home. Bilbo joins up with them for a grand adventure. Ultimately he saves the day and along the way happens to discover a magical ring. That is how the story originally took shape. With THE HISTORY OF THE HOBBIT, author John D. Rateliff pieces together fragments of history in order to present THE HOBBIT as it was originally drafted by J.R.R. Tolkien. With access to the documents at Marquette University, the project was originally undertaken by Taum Santoski, who passed away following a battle with cancer at an all-too-young age. The torch was then passed to Rateliff with the full blessing of Christopher Tolkien. ‘The History of The Hobbit’ Review
Author Dirk Vander Ploeg has recently published ‘Quest for Middle-earth,’ a non-fiction look at earth before the time of Man, before the time of the flood, approximately 4000 BCE. The book ponders the question that Middle-earth may have really existed. Learn more about the book at Dirk’s website. [Click Here]
Kristin Thompson, author of ‘The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood’, writes: J. K. Rowling’s outing of Dumbledore is pretty OT for this site. Nevertheless, I’ve got a blog entry that tries to look past the controversy and examine her remarks on fanfiction and what they might mean for people in all fandoms, including Ringers, who write it and create fanart. Nothing definitive, but it seems like a little boost for the fair-use doctrine. The Outing of Dumbledore
Kristin Thompson, author of The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood, writes: On October 5 at 1:30 pm, I’ll be at the Intellectual Property bookstore in Austin for a brief presentation, Q&A, and signing. It’s located on the edge of the University of Texas campus at 24th and Guadalupe (Map).