Fantasy Literature: Further Thinking
These podcasts allow you to explore further some of the key themes, texts, and writers engaged in fantasy literature. Note there is a separate 'Fantasy Literature: An Introduction' if you want to hear a brief summary of the genre and have short talks around some of the writers, plus separate collections on 'Fantasy at Oxford' (the famous writers and collections that have been in contact with the City and the University), and one dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien.
To begin with read this introductory essay on the topic.
We have also created two teaching packs to support this:
- 'His Dark Materials' Years 9 and up (slideset and teaching guide)
- 'The Lord of the Rings' Years 9 and up (slideset and teaching guide).
- 'The Silmarillion' Years 10 and up (slideset and teaching guide)
If you enjoy these podcasts on 'Fantasy Literature' we would love to hear your feedback. Please complete a short survey at: https://oxford.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/oxford-fantasy-podcasts.
| # | Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Conversation with Katherine Langrish | Dr Caroline Batten chats with author Katherine Langrish about her book 'From Spare Oom to War Drobe… | Caroline Batten, Katherine Langrish |
| 2 | C. S. Lewis and 'The Wind in the Willows' | A discussion of the influence of 'The Wind in the Willows' on fantasy writers - notably C. S. Lewis… | Simon Horobin |
| 3 | Faith in fantasy literature | A short discussion of the role of faith in fantasy literature looking at the novels of James… | Katherine Olley |
| 4 | William Morris and E. R. Eddison Collections at the Bodleian | An interview with Rachael Marsay about the William Morris and E. R. Eddison collections at the… | Rachael Marsay, Stuart Lee |
| 5 | A Walk around C. S. Lewis's Oxford | Using the geographic touch points in Oxford, Professor Simon Horobin of Magdalen College, Oxford… | Simon Horobin |
| 6 | Desiring Dragons: Creative and Critical Responses to the Dragon in 'Beowulf' | Laura Varnam discusses dragons in fantasy literature, exploring the ways in which the dragon of… | Laura Varnam |
| 7 | A Conversation With R. F. Kuang | Carolyne Larrington and Caroline Batten interview Rebecca F. Kuang, award-winning fantasy author of… | Carolyne Larrington, Caroline Batten, R. F. Kuang |
| 8 | An Interview with Elizabeth Knox, author of 'The Absolute Book' | Carolyne Larrington interviews critically-acclaimed fantasy author Elizabeth Knox about The… | Carolyne Larrington, Elizabeth Knox |
| 9 | Oriental Tales and Their Influence | Prof. Warner and Prof. Ballaster begin their conversation with Antoine Galland's translation into… | Ros Ballaster, Marina Warner |
| 10 | Maria Dahvana Headley on 'The Mere Wife' and 'Beowulf' | Author Maria Dahvana Headley reads from her 2018 novel 'The Mere Wife', is interviewed by Prof.… | Carolyne Larrington, Maria Dahvana Headley, David Clark |