Fantasy epic

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 There are also reviews which accuse fantasy literature of being “formulaic”, “out of touch” and even “outdated”.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.

FROM PAGES TO PIXELS / Anyone can be a hero: Why I love ‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians’

From mental health struggles to characters with different racial and LGBTQ+ backgrounds, the series shines a light on people—and heroes—of diverse identities.

FROM PAGES TO PIXELS / ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’—One series to fail them all?

What point is Lord of the Rings making in 2022? That people are racist and wage wars? The original trilogy, from two decades ago, was making that same point.

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Ira Mukhoty's ‘Song of Draupadi’: An inside story of the Mahābhārata heroines

Their voices were muffled; everything the women said became ventriloquism. Mukhoty lets us hear those voices.

OPINION / Brandon Sanderson announces five new novels “accidentally” written

Sanderson has written five “accidental” books between 2020 and 2022, four of which will be published as full-fledged novels in 2023. 

OPINION / Why you should give your books a break

A week or two ago, I came across an article by Hassan Munhamanna on Daily Star Books in which he talked about his struggles with reading books in their entirety.

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 There are also reviews which accuse fantasy literature of being “formulaic”, “out of touch” and even “outdated”.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.

September 11, 2022
September 11, 2022

Anyone can be a hero: Why I love ‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians’

From mental health struggles to characters with different racial and LGBTQ+ backgrounds, the series shines a light on people—and heroes—of diverse identities.

September 4, 2022
September 4, 2022

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’—One series to fail them all?

What point is Lord of the Rings making in 2022? That people are racist and wage wars? The original trilogy, from two decades ago, was making that same point.

May 26, 2022
May 26, 2022

Ira Mukhoty's ‘Song of Draupadi’: An inside story of the Mahābhārata heroines

Their voices were muffled; everything the women said became ventriloquism. Mukhoty lets us hear those voices.

March 2, 2022
March 2, 2022

Brandon Sanderson announces five new novels “accidentally” written

Sanderson has written five “accidental” books between 2020 and 2022, four of which will be published as full-fledged novels in 2023. 

January 20, 2022
January 20, 2022

Why you should give your books a break

A week or two ago, I came across an article by Hassan Munhamanna on Daily Star Books in which he talked about his struggles with reading books in their entirety.