Georgia State University
George Fox University
Smith College
University of Missouri, St. Louis
Santa Clara University
University of Massachusetts Boston
State University of New York College at Brockport
Briefly Noted: Terry Pratchett By Andy Sawyer,
2026
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Briefly Noted: Terry Pratchett By Andy Sawyer, Janet Croft
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Review of Terry Pratchett by Andy Sawyer, Writers and Their Work Series.
Tolkien’S Glee: A Reading Of The Songs In The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings By John R. Holmes,
2026
Unaffiliated
Tolkien’S Glee: A Reading Of The Songs In The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings By John R. Holmes, Glenn R. Gray
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This is a review of "Tolkien's Glee: A Reading of the Songs in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings" by John R. Holmes.
A Diasporic Mythography: Myth, Legend And Memory In The Literature Of The Indian Diaspora By P.M. Biswas,
2026
Independent Scholar
A Diasporic Mythography: Myth, Legend And Memory In The Literature Of The Indian Diaspora By P.M. Biswas, G. Connor Salter
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Scholarship continues to explore how postcolonial Indian authors use speculative fiction to explore their country's identity, but book-length studies on the diasporic Indian experience are hard to find. Poet, novelist and scholar Pooja Mittal Biswas examines noted fantasy books by four acclaimed Indian authors born during the first two generations of the Republic of India: Salman Rushdie, Shashi Tharoor, Suniti Namjoshi, and Vikram Chandra. Each author offers a different vision of Indianness, drawing on their complicated experiences as Indians living outside their country of origin, shaped by and responding to colonialism's past, offering different views of how diasporic Indians should …
Tolkien And The Mystery Of Literary Creation By Guiseppe Pezzini,
2026
Independent scholar
Tolkien And The Mystery Of Literary Creation By Guiseppe Pezzini, Katherine Sas
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This article reviews Tolkien and the Mystery of Literary Creation by Giuseppe Pezzini, a study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creative process in which Pezzini argues for a remarkably consistent and comprehensive (if quirky) theory of literary creation as embodied in Tolkien’s legendarium.
Science And Religion In The Imagination Of C.S. Lewis: The Quest For The Best Mental Model Of The Universe By Alister E. Mcgrath,
2026
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia
Science And Religion In The Imagination Of C.S. Lewis: The Quest For The Best Mental Model Of The Universe By Alister E. Mcgrath, Martina Juričková
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This is a book review of Science and Religion in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis: The Quest for the Best Mental Model of the Universe by Alister E. McGrath
The Mismeasure Of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment Of Tolkien’S Demonized Creatures By Robert T. Tally Jr.,
2026
Marquette University
The Mismeasure Of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment Of Tolkien’S Demonized Creatures By Robert T. Tally Jr., Gerry Canavan
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This is a book review of Robert Tally's The Mismeasure of Orcs: A Critical Reassessment of Tolkien’s Demonized Creatures.
Between Interpretation And Imagination: C.S. Lewis And The Bible By Leslie Baynes,
2026
Anderson University - South Carolina
Between Interpretation And Imagination: C.S. Lewis And The Bible By Leslie Baynes, Katherine Cooper Wyma
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
No abstract provided.
The Gospel Of Gollum By Ivano Sassanelli,
2026
Northern Illinois University
The Gospel Of Gollum By Ivano Sassanelli, Gabriela Clarke
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This review evaluates Ivano Sassanelli’s exploration of what Gollum represents and whether he is a personification of the biblical claim that where one’s heart is, there also will their treasure be. As current scholarship focuses on secondary The Lord of the Rings characters, from Galadriel to Tom Bombadil, this book provides fascinating insights regarding perhaps the most anomalous figure in the canon.
Sassanelli brings together a unique body of international scholarship, especially works from his native Italy, and discusses several niche topics relating to Gollum, such as the character’s grandmother, film portrayal, and Italian-dubbed voice. Comparative reading between early editions …
From Soldier To Storyteller: Essays On World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children’S Authors, Edited By Kathleen Broome Williams And Hal H. Friedman,
2026
Pima Community College
From Soldier To Storyteller: Essays On World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children’S Authors, Edited By Kathleen Broome Williams And Hal H. Friedman, Kris Swank
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Book review of From Soldier to Storyteller: Essays on World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children’s Authors, edited by Kathleen Broome Williams and Hal M. Friedman. Foreword by Michael S. Neiberg. McFarland, 2024.
J.R.R. Tolkien And G.B. Smith: With Wind In Our Ears, Edited By Guiseppe Pezzini,
2026
University of Glasgow
J.R.R. Tolkien And G.B. Smith: With Wind In Our Ears, Edited By Guiseppe Pezzini, Mercury Natis
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
No abstract provided.
Barrel-Rides And She-Elves: Audience And Anticipation In Peter Jackson’S Hobbit Trilogy,
2026
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Barrel-Rides And She-Elves: Audience And Anticipation In Peter Jackson’S Hobbit Trilogy, Janet Croft
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, to the audience that loved the Lord of the Rings films, is an exciting opportunity to revisit Tolkien’s fantastic world and see favorite characters acting out their earlier adventures. The reader of the books, though, is often likely to find the difference in tone between the children’s book and the vastly expanded films jarring. This essay will explore audience expectations, the difficulties of filming a “prequel” after a “sequel,” and issues of “anticipation” in relation to character development.
Lee Speth's Mythlore Column "Cavalier Treatment",
2026
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Lee Speth's Mythlore Column "Cavalier Treatment", Janet Croft
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Discusses and quotes from Lee Speth's long-running column in Mythlore.
In Memoriam: Gracia Fay Ellwood,
2026
University of Northern Iowa (emerita)
In Memoriam: Gracia Fay Ellwood, Janet Brennan Croft
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Brief in memoriam note for Gracia Fay Ellwood, who among other roles, was the Editor of Mythlore for several years.
"Making The Familiar Strange": The Ecocentric Power Of Climate Fantasy,
2026
The University of Melbourne
"Making The Familiar Strange": The Ecocentric Power Of Climate Fantasy, John Cook
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Contributing to the failure to address climate change is a lack of public imagination, both in perceiving the threat of climate change and conceptualizing solutions. Climate fiction engages readers on an emotional level and speculative fiction in particular can invent alternative worlds illustrating different ways of thinking and living. Fantasy fiction is uniquely suited as a form of climate fiction, with its immersive, subversive qualities, prioritization of the nonhuman, and a tendency towards sprawling, multiple-volume epic series. This paper explores two categories of climate fantasy themes. One category is recovery—regaining a clear view of the natural world. The other is …
Conservative Demons And Countercultural Creators: Hellish Societies In The Dark Or Modern Age Of Comics,
2026
Gogebic Community College
Conservative Demons And Countercultural Creators: Hellish Societies In The Dark Or Modern Age Of Comics, Andrew Burt
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
In the Hellblazer and Sandman comic books, depictions of hell rely on the writer’s perspective and the decade they are writing because they account for contemporary folklore, political situations, and cultural conventions. This paper examines how hell appears as a parodic version of the regular world in these texts, accounting for the dark age of comics from the 1980s, where grim and gritty topics prevailed. While borrowing from Judeo-Christian conceptions of hell, demonology, and fears of everlasting torment and damnation like many other representations throughout the centuries, these comics also took elements from the creator’s personal lives and hopes for …
The Political Vitalities Of Ursula K. Le Guin’S Earthsea,
2026
University of Sussex
The Political Vitalities Of Ursula K. Le Guin’S Earthsea, Joseph Charles Ironside
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
This article analyses the role of vitality within Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series (1968-2001), exploring the political implications of its presentation. Vitalist philosophy rejects positivist materialism, seeking instead to understand life in terms of immanent human experience. Vitalism is particularly relevant to fantasy literature: conceptions of life and our relationship with the material naturally play a role in fantasy worldbuilding; however, life conceptions carry political implications, and vitalism finds pertinence across the political spectrum, from anarchism to fascism. Earthsea makes for a valuable subject of analysis on this point, as Le Guin openly endorses anarchism. By comparing the presentation …
The Engine Of Innocence: Discovery And Invention Of Eden In John Crowley's Engine Summer,
2026
Wake Technical Community College
The Engine Of Innocence: Discovery And Invention Of Eden In John Crowley's Engine Summer, Ian Berger
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
The article explores John Crowley's Engine Summer (1979) as a retelling of Genesis from the perspective of Adam and, in its depiction of Eden as the emblematic likeness of innocence throughout American history and Western Civilization—small, false, and ultimately unsustainable in light of modern experience—confronts the reader to "move beyond nostalgia" and challenge the myth of innocence.
“Salvation Must Be Communicated”: An Ecumenical Reading Of The Place Of The Lion,
2026
Clemson University
“Salvation Must Be Communicated”: An Ecumenical Reading Of The Place Of The Lion, Avery-Claire Galloway
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
While previous scholarship has cautioned against a reductive tendency in the analysis of Charles Williams’s work, this paper offers an analysis that explores the importantly multiplicable nature of meaning used in one of Williams’s most bizarre novels, The Place of the Lion. A close reading of a remark from the novel’s heroine that “salvation must be communicated” provides a lens by which the entire novel can be read, revealing how Williams presents a specific, culture-centered version of Christianity where communication leads to a salvation that is more cultural than doctrinal, more than the erasure of sins, but an experience …
The Path Of Wisdom: Reassessing Tolkien’S Paremiology In The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings,
2026
Universidad de Extremadura
The Path Of Wisdom: Reassessing Tolkien’S Paremiology In The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings, Luis J. Tosina Fernández
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Using previous scholarship on the use of proverbs in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the present study reevaluates Tolkien’s use of proverbs in the series, with special attention to the use of pseudoproverbs and trying to provide sources that may have served as inspiration for the creation of Middle-earth proverbs. After close inspection of The Hobbit and the three parts of The Lord of the Rings, the findings point towards a less frequent use of proverbs than anticipated or presumed by previous authors. Moreover, despite including a far from negligible number of pseudoproverbs, for many of which …
Oxford At War: “Leaf By Niggle” As A Wartime Work, Part 1,
2026
Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana
Oxford At War: “Leaf By Niggle” As A Wartime Work, Part 1, Josh B. Long
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
J. R. R. Tolkien suggested that "Leaf by Niggle" was written around 1938-1939; however, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull argue that it was actually composed in 1942. This corrected date changes how one reads the story: often viewed as an autobiographical allegory of art and faith, “Leaf by Niggle” falls into place as a wartime work, informed and transformed by the World War II pressures of Tolkien’s Oxford—the city and the University. This article situates the story within WWII and analyzes how that context influenced the imagery, characterization, symbols, and motifs of "Leaf."
