By-The-Bywater: A Podcast about All Things J.R.R. Tolkien

48. It’s Important to Get Really into Jewelry.


Listen Later

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Jared’s choice of topic: worldbuilding.

Tolkien is so heavily identified with the concept of worldbuilding that a map
of Middle-earth represents the topic on Wikipedia, and his impact in both
fantasy and beyond regarding how a world that is not this actual globe we live
on is perceived and presented has continuing afterechoes that don’t look to
disappear anytime soon. At the same time, what exactly worldbuilding IS is a
hardly an agreed upon formal standard anywhere, and the amount of work that’s
been put into developing a story setting in any number of media, not just that
of fantasy novels much less novels in general, is vast, varied and takes many
particular forms. Meanwhile, Tolkien’s own approach as to what worldbuilding
is comes out of his own particular personal and philosophical conclusions, and
doesn't always take the form of what a more stereotypical approach to the
subject might be in the current day. What makes the idea of Middle-earth so
compelling to readers entranced by his works, and what drives them to learn
more about it or to elaborate on it in their own right? What other creators,
in fiction and beyond it, successfully approach similar levels of immersion,
and are there particular points of commonality to be found there? Are there
particular points in Tolkien’s stylistic approach that signal notable
strengths in creating the sense of Middle-earth as an actual place, and how
much of that might lie in a difference between received perception and the
reality of the work? And how much does Jared’s own forthcoming fantasy novel
drive this discussion? (A lot – and we’re going to be talking about that novel
a lot over time, don’t you worry – but also listen for initial news about our
live episode in Portland in April!)

Show Notes.

Jared’s

doodle –
makes you wonder what else is going on in this world shown here…

More about the HarperCollins Union

contract. Well done,
we say again.

The Lord of the Rings musical is coming

back! We’re still scratching our
heads a bit. (Listen in to our 2020
episode about it.)

The Watermill. It does

seem like a nice theatre…

Variety’s report on the Embracer/Warner Bros. Discovery deal

and the prospect of more movies.

A little more about Mike de Luca from

2011.

Still confused about the overall rights issues when it comes to Tolkien in the

first place? A handy Gizmodo explainer.

The announcement of Jared’s novel! Due for release next year,

and we’ll get you a preorder link when there is one.

More on that whole Doug Liman/Bourne Identity

thing. Ah, Hollywood power politics…

Worldbuilding! Yup, Middle-earth, right there.

Terry Pratchett, rest in peace. One of

the greats.

Sub-creation, how Tolkien

thought of his own creative impulse ultimately deriving from his own belief in
God as the ultimate creator.

Our episode on “A Secret Vice,”

Tolkien’s lecture about creating languages.

NaNoWriMo! It’s a thing, believe us.

Our death episode! (Very early

days for the podcast and the format’s a bit different but we were still
figuring it out!)

The Chekhov’s gun principle.

Oriana’s Star Wars comments specifically refer to

Solo.

Ioreth! There should have been more

of her but we’re glad we have her.

The ‘whispering to

date’ Twitter meme
origin. (Forgot what Chappie
is? So did everyone else.)

Ted Bundy – and yes we hope he’s

not part of your narrative either.

Our Rings of Power Season 1

episode. That did feel good to do.

N. K. Jemisin and the Broken

Earth trilogy – check it out. As well as: Frank
Herbert and
Dune! Ursula K Le
Guin and
Earthsea! Lloyd
Alexander and
Prydain! Steven
Erikson and Malazan Book of
the Fallen!

The Dark Crystal, still

awesome.

As you know, Bob…

The cats of Queen

Berúthiel and
Carn Dûm.

Our food in Middle-earth episode.

Enjoy talk about Roman sewers. And Amsterdam’s

canals.

M. R. James, so awesome.

Support By-The-Bywater on Patreon, and thank

you if you do!

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

By-The-Bywater: A Podcast about All Things J.R.R. TolkienBy Jared Pechaček, Oriana Scwindt, and Ned Raggett

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

29 ratings


More shows like By-The-Bywater: A Podcast about All Things J.R.R. Tolkien

View all
Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

10,926 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,147 Listeners

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps by Peter Adamson

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

1,574 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,643 Listeners

The Prancing Pony Podcast by The Prancing Pony Podcast

The Prancing Pony Podcast

1,957 Listeners

Literature and History by Doug Metzger

Literature and History

1,360 Listeners

It’s Just A Show by Chris Piuma and Charlotte Wells (and Adam Clarke and Beth Martin)

It’s Just A Show

48 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,016 Listeners

This Is Your Mixtape by Michael Collins

This Is Your Mixtape

10 Listeners

You’re Not Funny by Adam Clarke and Chris Piuma

You’re Not Funny

1 Listeners

And Thereby Hangs A Tale by Adam Clarke

And Thereby Hangs A Tale

1 Listeners

The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

9,532 Listeners

The Opposite Of Lonely by Nadia Halim

The Opposite Of Lonely

0 Listeners

The Scene of the Scene by Megaphonic

The Scene of the Scene

0 Listeners

Athrabeth by Jude Vais & Stef Midlock

Athrabeth

28 Listeners

A Part Of Our Scare-itage by Adam Clarke and Sarah Chamberlain

A Part Of Our Scare-itage

7 Listeners

Dear Reader by Michael Collins and Emily Gushue Whalen

Dear Reader

1 Listeners

The Spouter-Inn by Suzanne Conklin Akbari and Chris Piuma

The Spouter-Inn

30 Listeners

Mythgard's Exploring The Lord of the Rings by Mythgard Institute

Mythgard's Exploring The Lord of the Rings

276 Listeners

HubrisWeen! by S Frost and Tim Lehnerer

HubrisWeen!

0 Listeners

We're Not So Different by WNSD Pod

We're Not So Different

205 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,708 Listeners

The Tolkien Lore Podcast by Joshua Scott

The Tolkien Lore Podcast

29 Listeners

Game Show 1939! by Chris Piuma and Michael Collins

Game Show 1939!

2 Listeners

Exploring Tolkien by TheOneRing.com

Exploring Tolkien

34 Listeners

Today's Tolkien Times by The Prancing Pony Podcast

Today's Tolkien Times

95 Listeners