Mythmakers

Oxford Centre for Fantasy
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Mythmakers is the podcast for fantasy fans and creatives, brought to you by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. In each episode, we embark on an exploration of the world of fantasy—both classic and contemporary. From the stories behind your favourite series to expert tips for aspiring writers, we dive into books, films, TV shows, and the creative process behind them.Brought to you from the heart of Oxford—home to literary greats like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll—we continue the storytelling tradition in the very city where Narnia, Middle-earth, and even Wonderland took shape drawing on the city’s magical blend of ancient buildings, labyrinthine libraries, and gentle river meadows.Ready to step into the Wardrobe with us into your next big adventure? Visit https://oxfordcentreforfantasy.org/ to learn more!

  1. LOTR: An Author's Journey - Wrap Up of The Two Towers, Book 3

    2 DAYS AGO

    LOTR: An Author's Journey - Wrap Up of The Two Towers, Book 3

    We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by.(00:04) Welcome to Mythmakers and the Two Towers wrap-up begins(01:00) Aragorn’s “odd negligence” and a sense of fate driving events(02:49) Boromir’s deathbed scene and the shift into a heroic register(03:53) Aragorn’s stage-like lament and Legolas’ clear-headed plan(05:05) Entering Rohan: potted history, songs over books, and Anglo-Saxon echoes(07:22) The Riders arrive: horses, “manes,” and cinematic choreography(08:47) Back to the hobbits: Pippin moves from “luggage” to leadership(10:16) Orc factions, wartime alliances, and the craft problem of “common speech”(13:00) Gandalf returns: riddles, limits on power, and “the turn of the tide”For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    22 min
  2. He's Much More Dangerous than He Looks - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 4 Ch 1

    26 FEB

    He's Much More Dangerous than He Looks - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 4 Ch 1

    We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by.(00:00) Beginning Book Four and Returning to Frodo and Sam (04:30) A Landscape of Confusion and Pathetic Fallacy (11:40) The Cliff Descent and the Elven Rope (16:30) Storm, Nazgûl, and Threads Connecting the Wider Story (22:45) The Arrival of Gollum (29:50) Pity Versus Precious and the Moral Turning Point (36:30) Frodo’s Authority and Gollum’s Oath (38:20) A Frustrating Chapter That Changes EverythingFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    41 min
  3. A Most Unquenchable Hobbit! - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 11

    19 FEB

    A Most Unquenchable Hobbit! - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 11

    We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by.(01:37) Tolkien the tinkerer: Palantír added mid-writing (04:22) Leaving Isengard (06:20) Merry & Gandalf: humour, recovery, and raising the stakes again (12:15) Warning notes and the danger winding up (18:24) The Palantír confrontation (22:05) Aragorn’s shift, kingship emerging (29:30) Saruman’s fatal step (34:40) Ending Book ThreeFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    39 min
  4. Love Is in the Air: Romance and Fantasy

    12 FEB

    Love Is in the Air: Romance and Fantasy

    Today on Mythmakers, you’re invited to join us on a short visit to the world of fantasy romance. What's all the fuss about romantasy and where did it come from? What's the secret sauce (pun intended) of Fourth Wing? And why was the world so transfixed by Twilight back early 2000s?Be sure to stay to the end to hear Julia’s recommendations of what you might like to read this Valentine's Day from the fantasy genre.(01:00) The Rise of Romantasy and Fourth Wing (02:00) Market Forces and Female Readership (04:40) Twilight and the Power of Restrained Desire (06:50) What Makes a True Fantasy Romance (09:20) Recommended Romantic Fantasy Reads (14:00) Writing Romance in the Finding Sky Series (15:10) Why We Read Romance and the Hope of Finding the Right PersonFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    18 min
  5. Come Back, Saruman! - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 10

    5 FEB

    Come Back, Saruman! - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 10

    We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by.(00:00) The Ruins of Isengard and the Approach to Saruman (04:55) Saruman’s Voice and the Power of Persuasion (08:00) Resistance, Discernment, and the Cracks in Saruman’s Authority (10:29) Théoden’s Judgment and Saruman’s Fall from Power (14:03) Gandalf’s Mercy and the Failure of Pride (18:11) The Breaking of the Staff and the Palantír Revealed (22:04) Aftermath, Creative Discovery, and Seeds for What Comes NextFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    29 min
  6. Chamber of Secrets and the Most Famous Film You've (Probably) Never Heard Of!

    29 JAN

    Chamber of Secrets and the Most Famous Film You've (Probably) Never Heard Of!

    In this two-part episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding is joined once more by Andrew Head to review the full-cast Audible production of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Together, their discussion broadens to consider whether this form of audiobook, when not adapted for the actors, works or if it is simply distracting.In the second part of today’s episode, accompany Julia on a deep dive into the recent report on the top ten grossing films of all time – where fantasy titles dominate. And as for the most famous film you've (probably) never heard of? Stay tuned to uncover that cinematic mystery!(00:05) Entering the Wizarding World Through Sound (03:33) Full-Cast Audio and the Promise of Immersion (06:45) Casting Familiar Voices in New Roles (10:45) Music, Foley, and Building an Audio World (15:14) Comparing Full-Cast Drama to Classic Narration (19:22) When Dramatization Works — and When It Distracts (22:25) Revisiting Harry Potter as a Listening Experience (26:01) Fantasy, Spectacle, and the Global Box Office (30:21) Why Fantasy Continues to Dominate Film CultureFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    34 min
  7. One Who Cannot Cast Away a Treasure at Need Is in Fetters - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 9

    22 JAN

    One Who Cannot Cast Away a Treasure at Need Is in Fetters - LOTR: An Author's Journey, Bk 3 Ch 9

    We are going on an adventure! Love The Lord of the Rings? Why not read along with us as we consider the books from the writer's point of view! Taking it chapter by chapter, novelist Julia Golding will reveal new details that you might not have noticed and techniques that will only go to increase your pleasure in future re-readings of our favourite novel. Julia also brings her expert knowledge of life in Oxford and English culture to explain some points that might have passed you by.(00:05) Setting the Scene (02:19) Maritime Imagery, Storm Metaphors, and Tolkien’s Symbolism (05:01) Hobbits, Food, and the Translation of Time (07:15) Growth, Ent-Draught, and Storytelling Perspective (09:37) Casting Away Treasure (13:51) The Ents’ Assault on Isengard (19:44) Gandalf’s Return, Soundscapes, and Narrative Tempo (27:06) Wormtongue, Aftermath, and Foreshadowing the ShireFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    33 min
  8. Classical Stories and Fantasy: The Birder and Other Tales

    15 JAN

    Classical Stories and Fantasy: The Birder and Other Tales

    What do the classical stories of myths and legends mean to us today? In this episode of Mythmakers, Dr. Lorna Robinson—founder of the Iris Project and director of the Rumble Museum at Cheney School in Oxford—joins Julia Golding to discuss her quest to bring these timeless tales to young people.The conversation explores Lorna’s reinterpretation of Ovid's Metamorphoses in The Birder, a magical realism novel built around the idea that, as in the myths, people don’t die—they transform into other creatures or things.The Birder is available now at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birder-Dr-Lorna-Robinson/dp/B0DNC7V79X, alternatively you can ask your local bookshop to order a copy for you.(00:05) Introducing Mythmakers and Dr Lorna Robinson (05:40) Widening Access to Myths Through Education (09:30) Young Readers, Modern Media, and Classical Stories (13:40) Cultural Literacy and Why Myths Still Matter (16:10) Writing The Birder and Imagining Metamorphosis (20:10) Ovid, Magical Realism, and Belief in Ancient Stories (23:20) Environmental Themes and Future Writing Projects (25:00) Reading Ovid Today and Modern RetellingsFor more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

    30 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Mythmakers is the podcast for fantasy fans and creatives, brought to you by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. In each episode, we embark on an exploration of the world of fantasy—both classic and contemporary. From the stories behind your favourite series to expert tips for aspiring writers, we dive into books, films, TV shows, and the creative process behind them.Brought to you from the heart of Oxford—home to literary greats like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll—we continue the storytelling tradition in the very city where Narnia, Middle-earth, and even Wonderland took shape drawing on the city’s magical blend of ancient buildings, labyrinthine libraries, and gentle river meadows.Ready to step into the Wardrobe with us into your next big adventure? Visit https://oxfordcentreforfantasy.org/ to learn more!

Information

  • Creator
    Oxford Centre for Fantasy
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    206
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Mythmakers

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