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Podcast: Exploring Tolkien
Episode: Is Star Wars a Fairy Story? - On Fairy Stories, Part 1
Description: This week, Michael, Dan, and I discuss the first part of Tolkien’s seminal essay “On Fairy Stories”, where Tolkien defines what a fairy (aka fantasy) story is.
Why is this important? Well, the “fairy tale” in Tolkien’s era was relegated to simple children’s fiction, something adults grew out of along with their innocence and naiveté. But to Tolkien, these stories that take place in the land of Faërie contain more beauty and truths than any tale set in modern day environs.
In this essay Tolkien defines these stories by what they have, and what t...