Tolkien

Brandon Sanderson’s 0th Law

I’m late to the party. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series has been around for a while but I just cracked open the first book. Why did I wait so long? The truth is I’ve always been late to the party, it’s like a personal preference or inbuilt mandate in my system. I just don’t do new…

Read More

Brandon Sanderson’s 0th Law

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
Brandon Sanderson's 0th Law
/

25 – Magic: An Overview

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
25 - Magic: An Overview
/

Fantasy science or deus ex machina? What is magic? Is it a set of physical laws that govern elements of your setting? Is it the unknowable will of the gods? Can it be learned, mastered even? Is it opaque and mysterious? Magic is ever present in fantasy (some would argue it’s the essence of the…

Read More

25 – Magic: An Overview

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
25 - Magic: An Overview
/

23 – Worlds That Endure

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
23 - Worlds That Endure
/

Adventure Time and Lord of the Rings obviously have a lot in common, but how much? There is a strong temptation to write worlds that entirely consistent ships in a bottle, where all the details are ironed out. That world, as long as it stays bottled, is perfect. When you put characters in it, though,…

Read More

23 – Worlds That Endure

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
23 - Worlds That Endure
/

How Many Balrogs Does it Take to Kill a Wizard?

One. Sort of. He might come back though. Tolkien was a master of worldcrafting. A person that Seth and I hold in high esteem and, I think, for good reason. His work, however, does not necessarily hold up to our naturalistic scrutiny. Maiar are these angelic beings in Tolkien’s mythology, Balrogs are Maiar, Gandalf is…

Read More

How Many Balrogs Does it Take to Kill a Wizard?

WorldCraft Club
WorldCraft Club
How Many Balrogs Does it Take to Kill a Wizard?
/