On Fairy Stories: How Tolkien Redefined Fantasy & Why It Still Matters Today
A manifesto for fantasy authors? But first we need to clear the air: fairy tales, mythology, escapism, high fantasy... what is he talking about?
This week on Legends Live, A group of friends break down Tolkien’s take on the difference between telling stories and 'sub-creating'—that next-level craft where writers pull something real from beyond themselves to build whole worlds.
From mythology and fairy lore to the wild, dangerous beauty of imagination, they unpack why Tolkien saw fantasy as a noble calling. If you’ve ever wondered if your fiction could/should mean something, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to step up your game.
This conversation is 'Legends Live', where a band of legends from the LegendFiction community hunker down to talk about interesting and important things. Most of the time we agree, sometimes we prod each other for clarity.
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I finally got around to watching your conversation on Tolkien’s Essay on Fairy Stories and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for talking about this great topic. I look up to Tolkien as a writer and this has helped a lot. I am looking forward to watching pt. 2. God bless!