Mythmakers

We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and Return of the King
01:13 Second Thoughts: Tolkien's Structural Changes
03:58 Merry Left Behind: The Relatable Point of View
06:04 The Arrival of the Grey Company
12:58 Merry's Oath to Théoden: A Father for a Little While
15:45 Aragorn Looks into the Palantir: A Battle of Wills
23:56 The Words of Malbeth the Seer: Prophecy and the Paths of the Dead
26:29 Éowyn's Desperate Plea: Eyes on Fire
33:34 Entering the Haunted Mountain: A Ghost Story Begins
36:24 Gimli's Terror: The Paths of the Dead
41:01 The Wild Hunt: Riding with the Dead Behind
42:25 The Stone of Erech: Aragorn's Oath and Command
43:53 Lost to Mortal Sight: A Cliffhanger Ending

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Andrew Head, our resident audiobook expert, joins Julia Golding today on Mythmakers to discuss the complete Harry Potter full-cast audio series. Did the switch to different actors for the older Harry, Ron, and Hermione work, or was it disorientating? What does the full-cast experience offer that a traditional audiobook or film adaptation doesn’t? And how might it connect with the forthcoming HBO series?

Stay tuned as Andrew and Julia share their final verdict—and the all-important rating out of five stars.

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and Harry Potter Full Cast Audio
01:00 The Voice Shift: New Actors for Books Four Through Seven
03:55 The Goblet of Fire: A Standout Performance
05:30 Why Goblet of Fire Is Andrew's Favorite Book
08:08 The Half-Blood Prince: Forward Momentum vs Pensieve Flashbacks
11:34 Sound Design and the Pensieve Moments
13:09 The Headphone Experience: Immersion Through Audio Quality
16:24 Performance Highlights: Avada Kedavra and Creative Choices
17:18 Knowing the Ending: Creating with the Full Story Arc
19:36 Comparing Audio Formats: Full Cast vs Single Narrator
21:32 Looking Ahead: HBO's Harry Potter Series and Future Adaptations
21:43 Final Verdict: Five Out of Five Stars
24:13 Growing Up with Harry Potter: Andrew's Personal Journey

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Julia Golding is joined today by Jacob Rennaker to look back at the summer for fantasy in the movie theatres and look forward to the major fantasy TV series coming up over the next few months.

What tone will the first season of Harry Potter strike—more child-friendly like the first film, or darker to appeal to adult audiences? What’s happening with Season 3 of The Rings of Power? Which characters will we be rooting for? And what about a talking Balrog played by Simon Pegg?

Julia and Jacob then turn to news about their own fantasy books and discuss what it’s like to be part of a publicity drive, before wrapping up with Brandon Sanderson’s latest updates on the Mistborn screenplay.

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and Fantasy News Catch-Up
00:59 Christopher Nolan's Odyssey: The Big Summer Fantasy Film
06:30 The Gods Question: Divine or Psychological?
10:48 Sirens and Disappointments: What Didn't Work
11:29 The Greek Myth Renaissance: What's Next for Fantasy?
13:53 Hadestown: Greek Tragedy Meets American Folk
20:02 Backrooms and Horror: Liminal Spaces on Screen
22:23 HBO's Harry Potter Series: First Impressions and Expectations
28:13 Rings of Power Season 3: Fixing the Story Problem
29:32 Tolkien's Letter 131: The Second Age Masterclass
37:10 A Talking Balrog: Simon Pegg and the Cockney Question
42:21 The Storytelling Challenge: Where Are the Hobbits?
44:53 Book News: Jacob's Quest of Wonders
51:01 Julia's New Book: History of Trees and Castle
54:34 The Art of Book Promotion: Readings, Videos, and Finding Your Hook
58:10 Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Screenplay: Author Transparency
1:01:14 Looking Ahead: Narnia, Andy Serkis, and More Fantasy Films

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
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We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and Return of the King
01:26 Synopsis and Setting the Stakes: The Final Darkness
03:07 Pippin Takes Center Stage: A New Point of View
05:31 The Journey to Minas Tirith: Gandalf's Ride and the Beacons
09:14 The Beacons of Gondor: History and Film Comparison
11:59 Comedy and Stakes: Pippin Falls Asleep During the Lecture
14:16 The Pelennor Wall and Meeting Ingold: Pippin's Honesty
16:41 First Sight of Minas Tirith: Piercing Beauty and Seven Walls
22:29 The Court of the Fountain: The Dead White Tree
23:24 Confrontation with Denethor: A Clash of Leaders
28:43 Pippin's Pledge of Service: Pride and Purpose
31:03 The Joust Between Gandalf and Denethor: Smoldering Fire
34:03 Two Stewards: Gandalf's Greater Purpose Revealed
35:55 Gandalf's Laughter: The Fountain of Mirth
37:39 The Chessboard is Set: Strategy and Pieces Moving
38:05 Meeting Beregond: Breakfast and the Old Campaigner
40:18 The Deep Breath Before the Plunge: Waiting for Battle
41:34 Pippin the Hero: My Heart Will Not Yet Despair
42:38 The Prince of Halflings: Walking Through the City
43:21 Meeting Bergil: Boy Challenges and Teasing Friendship
44:35 The Arrival of Leaders: A Roll Call and Sombre Sunset
45:26 Blackout and No Dawn: Gandalf's Dark Prophecy

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
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In this bonus episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding looks at the latest trailers and interviews for the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series, reading the tea leaves to consider what approach the creators may be taking. She then expands the discussion to other major fantasy and sci-fi reboots, from Star Trek to Star Wars.

When is it too soon to return to a beloved story? And could a Lord of the Rings series be made within the next decade?

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and HBO's Harry Potter Series
02:11 First Impressions: Tonal Shifts and Natural Landscapes
03:12 The New Young Cast: A More Natural Performance
05:39 Knowing the Ending: A Different Creative Challenge
09:08 Expanding the Wizarding World: IP, Theme Parks, and Video Games
10:14 Why Remake Harry Potter? The Question of Necessity
11:59 The Creative Team: Television Writers Take the Helm
15:23 Lessons from Other Reboots: Star Trek's Success
18:59 When Reboots Fail: Star Wars and Retreading Old Ground
20:55 Looking Ahead: Could Lord of the Rings Be Next?

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Julia Golding returns home for the ninth season of Mythmakers by looking at literature’s first famous homecoming king: Odysseus. Beginning with a brief survey of Homer’s original Odyssey, Julia explores what makes this ancient epic feel like one of the original fantasy stories, as well as the many books and retellings it has inspired through the ages.

She then turns to the new Nolan film, noting some key differences from the original poem and considering how the story has been reshaped for the screen. There is much to praise, but Julia also has one major difference with the filmmaker—one that, for her, makes this a good film rather than a great one.

Listen in to hear Julia’s verdict, and let us know whether you agree.

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and The Odyssey
00:39 Who Was Homer? The Mystery Behind the Epic
01:17 Reading The Odyssey: Structure and Dactylic Hexameter
02:23 The Plot and Themes: Homecoming, Hospitality, and War's Aftermath
04:01 The Gods and Nolan's Internalization: A Key Difference
05:00 The Odyssey's Legacy: From Virgil to the Renaissance
06:01 Modern Retellings: Tennyson, Joyce, and Contemporary Authors
09:50 Women Reclaim the Narrative: Atwood, Miller, and Barker
12:28 Circe's Island: Magic, Transformation, and Unexplained Elements
15:22 Calypso and Lost Levity: The Missing Joy of the Original
19:43 The Violence Problem: What the Film Avoids
22:57 Sexual Violence Reversed: Clytemnestra and Agamemnon
24:48 What Worked: Imagery, Performances, and Fantasy Elements
26:44 Final Verdict: A Good Film, Not a Great One
27:09 Closing Thoughts: Join the Conversation

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
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Let's celebrate the contribution to fantasy of our favourite illustrators. Today we start with the grandaddy of Oxford Fantasy Illustration, Sir John Tenniel, the illustrator behind the Alice in Wonderland images. Find out about the unfortunate accident in his youth that he hid from his father, his extraordinary memory and his artistic influences. Guess who was at his retirement dinner? It is quite a fantasy dinner party moment!

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers and Celebrating Illustrators
01:07 John Tenniel: The Man Behind Alice's Wonderland
02:22 A Victorian Life: Family, Tragedy, and the Fencing Accident
05:49 Artistic Influences: From Theatre to the Nazarene Movement
08:37 Breaking Through: The Houses of Parliament Competition
09:24 The Craft of Victorian Illustration: From Drawing to Woodblock
10:26 Meeting Lewis Carroll: The Perfect Collaboration
11:23 Words and Images United: The Alice Books as Visual Experience
12:22 A Knighted Legacy: Sir John Tenniel's Retirement and Recognition
13:28 Enduring Impact: Tenniel's Legacy in Fantasy Illustration

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
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There are many experts on the Inklings but there are still lots you might not know about how they lived in their home of Oxford. Julia Golding challenges some myths and makes some new ones about Tolkien and Lewis, and their experiences here. Was the Eagle and Child Pub where Narnia and The Lord of the Rings was first read aloud - or was that somewhere else? What's the mental geography of Oxford for someone who lives here long-term? Find out about Oxford as a place for military training for both writers and the surprising role of Wytham Woods. We jump from local ferries to sport to favorite trees - there's bound to be something in this that you didn't know and might find enriches your reading of their work. We go on to pick our favourite fantasy forest. Can you guess where it is?

00:00 Introduction: Welcome to Mythmakers from Oxford
01:23 The Inklings' Meetings: Eagle and Child Myths Debunked
04:41 Oxford as Backdrop: The Real Geography of Middle-earth and Narnia
05:30 The Kilns and Shotover: C.S. Lewis's Countryside Retreat
06:58 Tolkien's North Oxford: Rivers, Willows, and the Charwell
08:51 Port Meadow and River Walks: Shire-like Landscapes
09:59 The Road Goes Ever On: Personal Reflections on Epping Forest
11:14 Military Training Grounds: Wytham Woods and the Trenches
13:42 Bivouacking Under the Stars: Lewis's Letters from Training
15:38 University Parks and Drill Practice: Tolkien's Training Ground
17:09 The Bucklebury Ferry: Oxford's Lost River Crossings
19:23 Tolkien the Sportsman: Rugby, Squash, and Tennis
21:56 The Active Outdoor Life: Walking, Rowing, and Family Adventures
23:59 Tolkien and Trees: Specimen Parks and Ancient Forests
27:43 Best Fantasy Forest: From Lothlorien to the Woods Between Worlds
31:23 Conclusion: Next Time on Mythmakers and How to Connect

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Since April of 2022 Andy Serkis has been working his way through Tolkien's books, producing audio versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit- he has now turned his attention to The Silmarillion. Our expert on audiobooks, Andrew Head, who as a blind consumer often turns to audio versions to access stories, talks with Julia Golding about this latest version of The Silmarillion and the Martin Shaw reading that came before it. Which would you buy now? How does Andy cope with a book that has far less opportunities for a dramatic reading than the other Tolkien books? What more do you get from this version? Tune in to hear our verdict!

00:00 Introduction: Welcome and Andy Serkis' Silmarillion
01:51 What is The Silmarillion? A Listener's Guide
03:50 The Style and Structure: History Book vs Novel
06:26 Top Three Takeaways: Voices, Tone, and Accessibility
09:22 Pronunciation and Dramatic Moments: Serkis Shines
11:18 Comparing Narrators: Andy Serkis vs Martin Shaw
15:17 Favorite Parts: Beren and Luthien, and the Music of Creation
18:13 The Standalone Novels: Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and Fall of Gondolin
21:51 Dream Projects: Stories That Deserve Full Novels
26:47 Best Places for Storytelling: From Rivendell to Cair Paravel

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
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We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by. 

00:00 Introduction: Two Towers Book Four Summer Wrap-Up
00:56 Gollum States the Stakes: The Dark Lord Will Eat Us All
02:13 Writing Into the Dark: Tolkien's Creative Process
06:05 The Rule of Three: Frodo's Third Act of Trust
07:33 Faramir's Poetic Vision: A Lament for Boromir
12:10 The Imprint of Art: Grief, Pity, and the Power of Stories
13:50 Frodo's Moral Dilemma: The Forbidden Pool
19:01 Locked Doors and Dark Rooms: Faramir Sees Through Gollum
20:48 The Thorny Hall: A Hollow Haven on the Edge of Mordor
22:26 The Journey's Persistence: Each Weary Step with Frodo and Sam
25:46 Gollum as Narrative Whip: Childlike Malignity Keeps Urgency
26:55 Don't the Great Tales Never End: Sam's Famous Speech
30:36 Laughter in Dark Places: Meta-Narrative and Story Within Story
33:10 Conclusion: Looking Ahead to Return of the King

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit:
Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website
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Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook
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