Tolkien’s Legacy: The Hero’s Journey and Literary Nods to Middle-earth
Galaxies and Goddesses: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy BookcastShow Notes
In this episode of Galaxies and Goddesses, we explore the lasting influence of J. R. R. Tolkien on modern fantasy and beyond. From shaping iconic tropes in The Lord of the Rings to inspiring authors like R. F. Kuang and Christopher Paolini, Tolkien’s impact spans generations. We also discuss the Hero's Journey as a timeless storytelling framework and how it plays into the Lord of the Rings. At the end of the episode we announce our next trilogy pick, swinging back into the realm of science fiction with Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.
03:43 Spotting Tolkien References 05:56 Influence vs Infringement 08:57 What Is The Hero’s Journey 12:16 Why Tropes Still Work 13:56 Travel Inspired by Books 14:40 Back to The Hero's Journey 16:50 The Circle as a Symbol 20:48 Tolkien-esque Names 25:51 Tolkien Language Intent 28:52 Eragon And Dragon Nostalgia 32:05 Next Read Foundation Trilogy 33:56 Episode Wrap And Teaser
Books Mentioned The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Katabasis by R. F. Kuang The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Outlander by Diana Gabaldon The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown Brimstone by Callie Hart When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker Eragon by Christopher Paolini Foundation by Isaac Asimov Love chatting about books? Follow Galaxies and Goddesses and leave a review to support the show.
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