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Tag: the rings of power

Death and the Rings: On Invisibility & Immortality

To attempt by device or ‘magic’ to recover longevity is thus a supreme folly and wickedness of ‘mortals’. Longevity or counterfeit ‘immortality’ (true immortality is beyond Ea) is the chief bait of Sauron – it leads the small to a Gollum, and the great to a Ringwraith. JRR Tolkien, Letter 212 In my previous essay on Death and the Half-Elven, I quoted from this letter in order to illustrate Tolkien’s shifting view on mortality and its root in his own fictional world. In this context, the final sentences merely illustrate that this counterfeit immortality was, to Tolkien, a great evil…

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Falling out of love with fandom: On modern media culture

There has never been a better time to be a fan.  Games, shows, films, books, covering every conceivable property and continuing the story of every beloved character imaginable inundate us daily.  And to ensure that your fandom is never bereft of content, podcasts and YouTube videos and listicles cover every facet of every fandom constantly.  Extraordinarily comprehensive wikis exist for every imaginable topic – you wanna get the deep dive on Batman?  I’ve got you covered. Oh, I’m sorry, you meant Batman specifically?  No problem. Wait, you meant Batman specifically as in Batman portrayed by Christian Bale in Nolan’s trilogy? …

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