Recorded May 13th.  Fantasy, faith, magic, & myth.  J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, The Great War, and Wonder Woman.  Middle Earth, Narnia, creating compelling fantasy, approaches to criticism, and overcoming disillusionment.

60 Year Old Spoiler Warning: Ending of The Lord of the Rings and portions of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

[Note: Not really a Wonder Woman episode, a companion to the last episode.  Next few episodes are more DC, less literary history.]

Answers, insights, and commentary on:

* I. J.R.R. Tolkien (Life)

* Orphan, Catholic, genius

* Popular, rugby captain, acting

* Languages, artist, marriage

* World War I, Battle of the Somme

* Philology

* Beowulf scholarship

* "On Fairy Stories"

* II. Secondary World (Depth)

* References condense information

* Recall a dragon or a Robin, no citation

* References are inherent and ubiquitous

* Broken references organic and immersive

* Irony, Immersion, or Identification

* Tolkien reverse engineering patina of myth

* Tolkien's perfectionism

* Superman as myth

* DC Films epic depth in world-building

* III. Outcasts Bond Over Obscure Interests (Friends)

* Tolkien meets Lewis

* Siegel meets Shuster

* Lewis encourages Tolkien's writings

* Lewis's life, atheism, studies, service

* Connection, fellowship, encouragement

* The Inklings

* IV. Approach to Criticism (Reaction)

* Critical response to The Lord of the Rings

* Stigma of fantasy and superheroes

* Creating stories with conscious purpose

* Wonder Woman as psychological propaganda

* Academic intellectual dishonesty

* "An Experiment on Criticism"

* Surrender, reading well, repeat readings

* V. Disillusionment (Lies)

* Tolkien & Lewis are counter-cultural and subversive

* Unrealistic optimism at start of the war

* H.G. Wells: "The War That Will End War"

* Ways Wonder Woman could be disillusioned

* Disillusionment after World War I

* Fantasy as recapturing immaterial wonder

* Good, evil, and corruption in fantasy

* Eucatastrophe, Frodo fails, divine grace

* Corruption in these DC films

* Reality and realism as cure

* Fantasy to represent magic of the familiar

* Tolkien & Lewis believe in heroism

* VI. Resonance (Truth)

* Tolkien & Lewis differences didn't divide

* Tolkien & Lewis didn't discriminate against works

* Openness to Wonder Woman, picking at differences

* Looking for truth and resonance over heresy and imperfection

* Seeing unappreciated value, Planet Narnia

* Imagination and emotions before intellect and allegory

* Watchful Dragons

* Applied to the Wonder Woman mythos

* Secrets, Truth, Beauty, Subversion, War, Myth, Wonder

To learn more:

Myths and Legends Podcast | Jason Weiser

What is Myth? | Crash Course Mythology

Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics | J.R.R. Tolkien

On Fairy-Stories | J.R.R. Tolkien

Battle of the Somme | Wikipedia