This weekend is Philcon, a science-fiction convention held annually in the Philadelphia area. This year, like recent years, it’s being held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. And this year, like recent years, I’ll be at the convention and participating on panels. For those attending, here’s what my schedule this weekend looks like: Saturday MOFFAT ONContinue reading “My Philcon 2013 Schedule”
Tag Archives: Tolkien
On NPR’s Lord of the Rings Audio Drama
When I was younger, in those days before the Internet made mail order shopping so ridiculously easy, my family used to receive the NPR Shop catalog. And the Barnes & Noble catalog. I don’t know which catalog I saw it in, but I’m sure it was one of those two — the NPR radio dramatizationContinue reading “On NPR’s Lord of the Rings Audio Drama”
On Random Big Lots Musings
I have just learned that today is International Talk Like William Shatner Day. :spock: Maurice LaMarche, for anyone who doesn’t know, is the voice of The Brain, from Pinky & The Brain & Larry. And I actually had no idea, until just now, what Maurice LaMarche looked like. Not what I wanted to write aboutContinue reading “On Random Big Lots Musings”
On New Tolkien
In May, HarperCollins is bringing out a new book by J.R.R. Tolkien. However, it’s not another Middle-Earth book, as there’s probably nothing else on the subject to publish. Instead, it’s something rather different. And for me, rather interesting. In the 1920’s, Professor Tolkien worked on a version of the Volsung Saga, The Legend of SigurdContinue reading “On New Tolkien”
On Guillermo del Toro and the Hobbit Movies
I found myself antsy this week. This is the week that Guillermo del Toro’s deal to direct The Hobbit duology has to be made. He’s said as much in interviews. If it’s not this week, The Hobbit will happen, but not with del Toro. I keep checking TheOneRing.net. Daily. Even hourly. Maybe there’s been movement.Continue reading “On Guillermo del Toro and the Hobbit Movies”
On Tolkien Reading Day
As per the Tolkien Society, March 25th is celebrated as Tolkien Reading Day. Like Bloomsday is devoted to Joyce, Tolkien Reading Day is a day when fans of Tolkien gather informally and read from The Lord of the Rings or other Tolkien writings. Why today? Why March 25th? Per the chronology in The Lord ofContinue reading “On Tolkien Reading Day”
On Visiting an Old Friend
Yesterday was the anniversary of the fall of Barad-Dûr, and in commemoration of that I decided I would watch The Return of the King. I hadn’t watched the film in far too long — nearly two years — and I found that I missed things from the Extended Edition, as it was the theatrical editionContinue reading “On Visiting an Old Friend”
On the Yule Days
In the Shire the year is winding down. Today, December 18th, begins the Yule Days, the six-day celebration of the end of the year. Tolkien writes little of the Yule Days, except to call them one of the chief holidays and a time of great feasting. One imagines that pipeweed was smoked, ale was quaffedContinue reading “On the Yule Days”
On a Pointless Quest
And there was much rejoicing! I found a Windows binary for PernAngband! Okay, okay. Most of you reading this are probably saying to yourself, “Huh? Wha? Who?” PernAngband. There’s a computer game called Angband. It’s a text-based dungeon crawl, a Rogue-like game similar to Hack and NetHack, a descendant of Rogue and Moria. Where HackContinue reading “On a Pointless Quest”
On a Return Address
No, I am not an Arab terrorist. No, envelopes are not addressed in Arabic. It’s really English, but written in Elvish Tengwar. (Maybe it’s a good thing I couldn’t buy the Arabic stamps like I wanted to. Apparently there’s not a large enough Muslim population here.) Though I am expecting to have postal inspectors showContinue reading “On a Return Address”