A Song of Ice and Fire
Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in southern California.
15 Jan 20250s
128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16
Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty. This is the chapter where Bilbo finally comes into his own as a Burglar–he’s be...
7 Jan 202540min
Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem
This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened! In 2013, Tolkien scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull ...
25 Dec 20240s
127. Where War of the Rohirrim went Wrong – In Depth Review
We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago–particularly since it was attached to Philippa Boyen, screenwriter of the original trilogy. So, Michael and I went out this...
24 Dec 20241h 9min
126. Why Did Tolkien Change The Hobbit (and what did he change)? : The Hobbit #15
Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change–particularly Bilbo and Gollum’s interaction in chapter 5, “Riddles in the Dark”. But what ...
17 Dec 20240s
125. Bilbo Trembled and Found Pity : The Hobbit #14
The 2nd half of “Riddles in the Dark” is the most rewritten part of The Hobbit in the 1951 rewrite! And it’s where Bilbo takes a giant leap (so to speak) into the future of his adventure. In this epi...
10 Dec 20240s
124. Miserable Riddles in the Dark : The Hobbit #13
“Riddles in the Dark” is not only the most memorable event from all of Middle-earth — it’s also the turning point that ultimately led to The Lord of the Rings. In this episode we look at: Tolkien’s ...
26 Nov 202451min
123. Nightmare in Moria : The Hobbit #12
The goblins of Moria grab the dwarves (and Hobbit) who decided to camp out on their “front porch”, leading to some real terrifying moments! Does Gandalf use gunpowder? How Tolkien subcreates his worl...
19 Nov 202446min
