Tolkien Gleanings #154.

* The Brazilian open-access journal Revista Primeira Escrita has a new issue themed as Fantastico tradicional x fantastico moderno (‘The traditional fantastic vs. the modern fantastic’). This has one Tolkien essay, in Portuguese, whose title translates as ‘J.R.R. Tolkien’s Theory Against the Classic Fairy Tale’.

* The Brazilian open-access journal Histiria em Curso also has a new issue on fantasy, themed as Nada mais inverossimil do que a realidade: dialogos entre Historia e Literatura Fantastica no alvorecer do seculo XX (‘Nothing more unlikely than reality: dialogues between history and fantasy literature at the dawn of the 20th century’). There are three articles on Tolkien, whose titles translate as: ‘A Possible World: Tolkien’s dialogues with historiography in fantasy’; “Between the Ashes of Isengard and the Green of Fangorn: an eco-critical analysis of The Lord of the Rings”; and “Death in Middle-earth: Tolkienian views on evil”.

* Freely available, a short summary-review in a French educational journal of the 520-page multi-author book Tolkien et les sciences (‘Tolkien and the Sciences’). After summarising the book in broad outline, the reviewer concludes by briefly chafing at its popular tone and an apparently unwelcome use of humour…

“Reading the volume does not remain pleasant, because the work presents a popular bias (both when it comes to Tolkien’s work and scientific content) and a certain humor.”

* A new Masters dissertation, “The Shadow King of Fantasy: Robert E. Howard” (Texas A&M, 2023), with a PDF preview freely available. The author argues that “Howard brought barbarism back to fantasy” and thus was able to appeal to young pulp magazine audiences and working class readers. “Howard’s inclusion into fantasy scholarship” is overdue, and would expand the possibilities of discussing “themes of the working class” in fantasy and fantasy readerships. Part of one chapter surveys “Tolkien on Low Fantasy”, though this is not part of the free PDF.

* A new simple list of the ‘Father to Son’ letters sent by Tolkien.

* In Italian on YouTube, the video proceedings of a recent Italian conference on “Cosmology and Tolkien”. Six lectures appear to be freely available.

* And finally, The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy has been shown for what is said to be the first time in cinemas in Cambodia, during November-December 2023. I assume it’s a dubbed version (since Cambodia’s school teaching of English is still poor), and the press release doesn’t say if the screenings are of the original or the extended “director’s cut” version. But it does state…

“All three films will be available in selected cinemas nationwide in 2D and IMAX. This special release event will span the course of four weeks, culminating in a marathon showing of the entire trilogy at select locations.”