Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction

This week, we continue our discussion of The Silmarillion with the logistics of crossing the Great Sea, our introduction to Fëanor and the family of Finwë, and the subtlety of Melkor. What’s the most desirable property in Eldamar? Is Fëanor a hero, a villain, or both? What qualifies Manwë to judge Melkor?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we continue our journey with chapters seven and eight of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, February 20th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• LOTRProject.com

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

In this bonus episode, we discuss the location of the Far Heaven, the nature of the Ainur, the absence of dwarves and a vision of medieval utopia. 

We’ll continue our journey with chapters six and seven of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, February 13th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• The Tolkien Professor
• Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (Corey Olsen)
• The Lord of the Rings Lorecast
• The Prancing Pony Podcast
• J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century (Tom Shippey)

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we continue our discussion of The Silmarillion with the secret origins of dwarves and ents, the battle against Melkor and the Sundering of the Elves across Middle-Earth. What distinguishes good creativity from bad? Who (and what) has a soul? How many names can we possibly remember?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we continue our journey with chapters five and six of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, February 13th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• Eldamo.org
• Beauty And The Playboy Prince (Justine Lewis)

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we continue our unit on The Silmarillion and discuss the Days Before Days, time and space (and calendars and maps), and the paradox of free will. How do we understand the geography of Middle-Earth? How are elves and men different, according to the elves? What instruments do each of the Valar play, and what do their mansions looks like?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we begin the main events with chapters three, four and five of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, February 6th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• The Consolation Of Philosophy
• Beauty And The Playboy Prince (Justine Lewis)

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

In this special bonus episode, test your knowledge of the Valar and the Maiar, the relationships between them, and a few other things besides! It’s all for fun and the points don’t matter, but let me know how you did. 

To see the video version of this episode, click here!

I’ll be back on Thursday with chapters one and two of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 30th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• Stars And Swords on Bluesky
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we continue our unit on The Silmarillion and discuss the Valaquenta, spheres of authority, intertexting already and The Diagram. What do the Valar tell us about what Tolkien thought important? How is this pantheon connected to the those of the classical world, and how is it unique? What do sibling and spousal relationships mean for the Valar?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we begin the main events with chapters one and two of the Quenta Silmarillion, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 30th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• The Unpronounceable Name Of Taniquetil, Oiolossë
• Beauty And The Playboy Prince (Justine Lewis)

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we continue our unit on The Silmarillion and discuss the Ainulindalë, aesthetics and philosophy, the subcreative process and the Secret Origins of Melkor. How do we understand the different perspectives enfolded in this creation myth? Does Tolkien convincingly resolve the paradox of free will? Why don’t the Valar talk about their battles?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we continue with the second part of The Silmarillion, the Valaquenta, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 23rd at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• There And Back Again: Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-Earth
• Tengwar Artano font
• Don’t You Know Me By Now?
• The Last Star In Hollywood

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we begin our unit on J.R.R. Tolkien’s posthumous work of mythology and history, and discuss reading strategies, layers of narrative and the creative impulse. Is the Professor the best letter writer in history? Did Christopher Tolkien really intend this book to be definitive? How is Middle-Earth different from Star Trek?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we dive into the text with the first part of The Silmarillion, the Ainulindalë, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 16th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• The Silmarillion
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• The Silmarillion Unit Production Schedule
• The Voyage Of Earendel The Evening Star
• The Shores Of Faery
• The Tolkien Professor
• Tolkien’s World from A to Z: The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth (Robert Foster)
• The Lord Of The Rings: A Reader’s Companion (Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull)
• There And Back Again: Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-Earth

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we overcome treachery to win the war in chapters ten to fifteen of C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian and discuss the Narnian timeline, fear as an alienating force, and the worst of Susan. Why is Aslan larger now? Could Nikabrik and his allies resurrect the White Witch? Is evil always self-defeating? 

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we begin our discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion with an introductory lecture, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 9th at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis)
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis (Michael Ward)
• Companion To Narnia (Paul F. Ford)
• The Renaissance of Wonder In Children’s Literature (Marion Lochhead)
• Beaglepuss
• Bagpuss

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.

This week, we assemble our forces and call for help in chapters five to ten of C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian and discuss the medieval perspective on past and future, the oracular power of centaurs, and the difference between beasts. What is represented by each of Caspian’s companions? Who raised Aslan’s How? How did Edmund learn so much 21st century slang?

To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here; to see the slides, click here!

Next week, we conclude our unit on Prince Caspian with chapters ten through fifteen, live on YouTube on Thursday, January 2nd at 8PM Central.

Footnotes:

• Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis)
• Stars And Swords on YouTube
• Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis (Michael Ward)
• Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (IMDb)
• Prince Caspian Remastered (YouTube)
• Of Other Worlds (C.S. Lewis)

To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord and pledge your support!

Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction is a Next Word production, written and produced by Alastair Stephens. 

Copyright © 2024 Stars and Swords. All Rights Reserved.