An Inklings' Bibliography (31)

Volume 13 Number 4 Article 25

6-15-1987

Joe R. Christopher

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Recommended Citation Christopher, Joe R. (1987) "An Inklings' Bibliography (31)," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 13 : No. 4 , Article 25. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss4/25

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Abstract Resuming after a hiatus, a series of bibliographies of primary and secondary works concerning the Inklings.

This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss4/25 Page 58 MYTHLORE 50: Summer 1987

A n Inklings' Bibliography

(3l) Compiled by Joe R. Christopher

Bailey, Kenneth V. "Aliens for the Alienated," 197-210. Doom. Brilliant puppetry, costuming, sound effects, Storm Warnings: Science Fiction Confronts the music, black light and lasers — the goosebumps are Future. Ed. George B. Slusser, Colin Greenland, back, just from the memory. I’d love to see it again." and Eric S. Rabkin. Carbondale: Southern Illinois Univerisity Press (Alternatives series)', 1987. Bryant, Mark. Riddles: Ancient and Modern. New York: [Tolkien allusion, 200] Peter Bedrick Books, 1984. (Originally published An essay discussing Toynbee’s terms archaism in 1983 by Hutchinson Books, London.) [Tolkien, and futurism, as used in A Study of History and as 11, 74, 76, 78, 82, 186-187, 204] taken "to be reacting against or destructive of the Bryant writes a brief history of riddles in world contemporary ethos within which they exist" (199-200). literature (although missing altogether those • by Emily "Contemporary ’return to origins’ movements have Dickinson) and then collects 709 examples, almost all in existed in parallel with, and have often drawn sus verse or translated from verse into prose. In his his taining imaginative impetus from, a proliferation of tory of the form, he mentions the competition between Middle Earth [sic] fantasies, including regression as Bilbo Baggins and Gollum in The Hobbit, Ch. 5, quoting far back as to the Pliocene" (200). When Bailey turns "This thing all things devours" (77-78); in his collec to futurism, in his sense, he also discusses the aliens tion, Bryant quotes the seven verse riddles from The in SF and he does not return, substantially, to Hobbit but not the one in prose (186-187) and gives archaism and its dangers. their answers (204).

Briney, Robert E. From an untitled editorial column. Christopher, Joe R. C.S. Lewis. Boston: Twayne Pub Contact Is Not a Verb, No. 41 (March 1987), 2-3. lishers, A Division of G.K. Hall (Twayne English "The highlight of the Fall was in another league Authors Series, No. 442), 1987. [xvi] + 150 pp. [Inklings generally, ix, xiv, 4, 6, 29, 60, 62, 64, entirely: the stage production of an adaptation of 105, 120; Barfield, xiii, 2, 3, 5, 12, 25, 30, 42, 67, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings by the Canadian Theatre Sans Fil — performed by a combination of live actors 72, 76, 103, 132 n. 8; Bennett, 29; Dyson, xiv, 5, and rod-and-cable puppets. The same group did a 6, 13, 29, 114; Fox, 76; Hardie, 25; Havard, 64; W. stage version of The Hobbit at the Olympic Arts Festi H. Lewis, xiv, 2, 5-6, 16, 25, 39, 66; Tolkien, xiii, val in Los Angeles in 1984. Advance reviews were xiv, 2, 4-6, 13, 23-24, 29-30, 37, 42, 60, 81, 909, somewhat mixed, but intriguing, so I decided to take a 977, 103, 105, 110-119; Williams, xiv, 2, 6, 20, 29, chance. The first few minutes were not promising 38, 41-42, 49, 60, 62, 64, 67, 76, 84, 87-88, 90, —Hobbits are, by their very nature, cutesy, and 100-103, 105, 108, 123-124, 129.] Bilbo’s 111th birthday party threatened to dissolve Christopher offers a study of Lewis’ book-length into Disneyness at any moment. But once the quest prose works, arranged by genre into chapters and was begun, the Fellowship prepared to spend their then chronologically within the chapters. Following the first night in the forest — and almost subliminal Twayne format, he also has a chronology of Lewis’ electronic humming filled the theater, accompanied by life, a biographical introduction (which Christopher ominous snorts and heavy breathing; then the Dark turns mainly into a discussion of Lewis’ sensibilities), Rider appeared — a cloaked figure mounted on a a conclusion on Lewis’ artistic importance, a primary gigantic, sleek black horse with a white skull for a checklist, and an annotated secondary checklist (which head, eyes glowing like red coals, clouds of vapor Christopher limits almost entirely to full-length books coming from its nostrils. I’m sure I wasn’t the only on Lewis). One of the virtues of Christopher’s book is one in the audience to turn to instant goosebumps. that he avoided the required summaries of content From that moment I was captivated, watching Tolkien’s and plots (which, for example, ate up much space in world come to life before my eyes. I was scarcely con Margaret Patterson Hannay’s C.S. Lewis in a similar scious of the black-clad puppeteers scurrying around series), turning them into plot and organization ana in the background. The puppets were real: the elves, lyses. Christopher has emphasized Lewis’ artistry and preternaturally tall and thin and beautiful and non self-revelatory aspects in his books (despite what human; Treebeard the Ent, a marvellous twenty-foot- Lewis’ The Personal Heresy says about the latter) and tall talking tree; the gigantic Shelob the spider; and seems largely unconcerned with Lewis’ Christian mes the Balrog, deserving of all the Lovecraftian adjec sage; an example of the latter is his psychological tives such as ’squamous’ and ’rugose’, entering from reading of Till We Have Faces, with only scant mention the back of the auditorium and oozing its way down of the religious level. Christopher also emphasizes the aisle, snuffling at the audience, and finally climb Dantean allusions, Lewis’ male chauvinism, his sadism, ing over the orchestra pit and onto the stage for its and his references to his friends. Some of these battle to the death with Gandalf the wizard. There was should make the book controversial in a minor way, Saruman and his minion Wormtongue, comic and evil at appropriately enough since Lewis also did controver the same time; the full-scale battle of Minas Tirith, sial things in his scholarly books. Sometimes Christo with rival war machines trundling onto the stage and pher simply seems eccentric, as in his attack on the disgorging what seemed like hordes of warriors; and lack of organization in Letters to Malcolm when he at the climax, slimy Gollum biting off Frodo’s finger could have just as easily praised its epistolary veri with the One Ring, and falling into the fires of Mount similitude; sometimes he misses the obvious, as when MYTHLORE 50: Summer 1987 Page 59

he fails to mention D.E. Myers’ brilliant reading of the After a chapter on Lewis’ literary theory, Daigle Narnian Chronicles in their order of publication, "The surveys Dantean literary devices and plot imitations in Compleat Anglican: Spiritual Style in the Chronicles of The Pilgrim’s Regress, "The Space Trilogy," The Narnia"; and sometimes he is simply wrong, as when Screwtaoe Letters, The Great Divorce, and "The Nar he complains about the lack of organization in The nian Chronicles." Daigle misses the Dantean imagery at Great Divorce — Marsha Ann Daigle in her disserta the end of Til We Have Faces, but otherwise she pro tion, "Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Fiction of C.S. vides the fullest and best treatment of Lewis’ Dantean Lewis,” has shown it is based on Dante’s Purgatorio, borrowings in his fiction which is available. The dis with George MacDonald’s discussion of free will coming cussions of both The Pilgrim’s Regress and the Ran between two groups of five Ghosts each, just as Vir som Trilogy involve extended comparisons of the jour gil’s discussion of free will occurs on the Fourth neys of Dante-the-character and John in the former Cornice of Mount Purgatory, the middle one of the and Ransom in the latter, among other matters. Paral seven. Whatever his book’s flaws and despite his bio lels are drawn between Screwtape’s Hell and the graphical emphases, Christopher’s basic concern with Inferno. The discussion of The Great Divorce is ela aesthetics and his attempted appeal to a general borate, as might be expected. In addition to the more audience are obviously intended to prove valuable in obvious parallels, daigle discusses the structure of a long-range defense of Lewis as a writer. Lewis’ book, finding the same 5 + 5 structure of meet ings (including one non-meeting) that Evan K. Gibson Christopher, Joe R. "The Natural Law Tradition of found in C.S. Lewis: Spinner of Tales: but Daigle C.S. Lewis.” The Ring Bearer, 4:1 (Fall/March correctly identifies the content relationship: "the first 1986), 11-16. five are illustrations of sinful attitudes, while the next The first of Christopher’s essay covers much of five episodes are illustrations of disordered love" the same ideas as his discussion of "Right and Wrong (164). She also points to Lewis’ last two episodes (the as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe" and The young man with the lizard and Sarah Smith) as being Abolition of Man in his book, C.S. Lewis, published parallel to Dante’s reaching the level of purgation of about a year later; but the latter part of the essay is lust on Mount Purgatory and then entering the Gar of interest, for there Christopher goes on to consider den of Eden. The chapter on the Chronicles of Narnia the relationship to Lewis’ belief in Natural Law to his has been separately published as "Dante’s Divine belief in Christianity. Christopher shows that earlier Comedy and Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles." Christian writers tended to say that God created Natural Law — these come from Lewis’ citations of Dale, Alzina Stone. The Art of G.K. Chesterton. them in English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1985. xviii + and Studies in Words — but Lewis said Natural Law 118 pp. [Lewis, 33, 61] simply was God, seen from a particular perspective Dale’s book is a pleasant but curious work. It ("is not the Tao the Word Himself[?]" Lewis writes to was written, she says (xi), out of a decision to pub Clyde S. Kilby). Probably Christopher’s sense of lish some chalk drawings by Chesterton — presumably audience explains the difference in the two writings: the color sketches on pp. ii, 11, 77, 117. (The color C.S. Lewis was written for a general audience; "The drawing on the dust jacket is not in the book, and it Natural Law Tradition of C.S. Lewis," as is indicated may be one of this group.) There are also thirty-three by a note (16), was originally read at a divisional black-and-white sketches and one holograph ms. meeting of the Conference on Christianity and Litera reproduced. What is odd is that there is no index to tu re. the art in the book and no causal explanations of most of the sketches (perhaps no explanations are avail Daigle, Marsha Ann. "Dante’s Divine Comedy and C.S. able). Dale writes a short biography of Chesterton, Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles." Christianity and "The Man Who was Chesterton," in eight chapters, and Literature, 34:4 (Summer 1985), 41-58. a general survey of his art, "The Artist and the This article is essentially the chapter on the Lunatics," in one. Dale repeats, although enlarging, Chronicles of Narnia from Daigle’s dissertation, her controversial thesis from The Outline of Sanity "Dante’s Divine Comedy and The Fiction of C.S. Lewis," (1982) that Chesterton became a Roman Catholic as a although the first section has been shortened and matter of discipline when taking on the editorialship some minor revisions made later. Daigle’s second sec of his dead brother’s The New Witness (58; also, tion argues that Dante’s Commedia and Lewis’ Chro 59-61). But in general her biography is not likely to nicles are both Biblically based works in the sense of cause as much controversy as her earlier one, and the using the typological approach, in which the Biblical book seems aimed at a general (perhaps largely salvation history is reshaped in a new literal level. In library) audience. the third section, she traces allusions to the Inferno Lewis is used as an authority once in this book. in The Silver Chair and to the Purgatorio and Para- Dale paraphrases his statement that there is, in her diso in The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader." The second words, "a Kafkaesque quality" to The Man Who was section is complementary to Charles A. Huttar’s "C.S. Thursday (33). The source, not given, seems to be the Lewis’ Narnia and the ’Grand Design," which argued penultimate paragraph of Lewis’ essay "Period Criti the Biblical parallels as a generic, not a typological, cism" (1946). The second reference to Lewis is in a approach; the third section is excellent in showing list of later writers who were influenced, to a greater Lewis’ indebtedness to Dante’s poem, both in specific or lesser degree, by Chesterton: Dorothy L. Sayers, allusions and in structure (the cave journey in The Lewis, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Evelyn Waugh, and Gra Silver Chair, the journey to Utter East [Heaven, more ham Greene (61). or less] in The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"). Daigle’s notes cite the two earlier studies of Dantean Fraser, Eric (illus.). The Hobbit; or, There and Back imagery in the Chronicles, both at the time of her Again. By J.R.R. Tolkien. London: The Folio publication unpublished. Society, 1979. Daigle, Marsha Ann. "Dante’-s Divine Comedy and the This boxed edition is of interest as the least Fiction of C.S. Lewis." Doctoral dissertation: available of the English-language editions of The University of Michigan, 1984. 234 pp. Listed in Hobbit which have been illustrated by someone other Dissertation Abstracts International 45:2 (August than Tolkien himself. It was preceded by the edition 1984), 513A. Microfilm order no. DA8412124. illustrated with the stills from the animated cartoon Page 60 MYTHLORE 50: Summer 1987

version of The Hobbit by Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Lacy, Norris J. (ed.). The Arthurian Encyclopedia. Jules Bass (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1977; New New York: Garland Publishing, 1986. xxxviii + 650. York: Ballantine Books, 1978) and followed by the edi $60. [Bennett, 357; Lewis, 159, 336-337, 349, 379, tion with Michael Hague’s illustrations (Boston: 450-451, 630, 633; Tolkien, 511, 633; Williams, 159, Houghton Mifflin, 1984). Fraser uses black-and-white 170, 260, 349, 380, 540, 630-633] drawings, heavily stylized (particularly with concen V[alerie] M. L[agorio], in her two-paragraph note tric patterns on stones). He has two full-page draw on Lewis (336-337), gives a brief, very simplified ings (of the eagle-rescue of ch. 6 as the frontispiece; Arthurian summary of That Hideous Strength. of the gathering for war before the Lonely Mountain "Although Lewis’ That Hideous Strength is of ch. 17 on p. 9, just before the beginning of ch. 1). unabashedly reactionary with regard to scientific Additionally, Fraser has a drawing covering approxi progress, empiricism, and atheism, his investing of mately the top one-third of each page that begins a human worth and hope in the Pendragon and Logres chapter. Most of the drawings are original with is in the mainstream of Arthurian moral realism." In Fraser, but his headpiece to ch. 3 is a night-time one sentence at the end of the note, she mentions version of Tolkien’s "Rivendell," with the foreground Arthurian Torso. Lagorio shows no knowledge of tree removed and no clouds around the far mountains; Lewis’ unfinished poem "Launcelot" (Narrative Poems). his headpiece to ch. 19 is based on Tolkien’s "The Presumably minor allusions (e.g., those motifs in Chap Hill: Hobbiton-across-the-Water," with different clouds ters XIII and XIV of The Voyage of the "Dawn in the sky, slight differences in the buildings, and Treader") and certainly Lewis’ Arthurian criticism the addition of the small figures of Gandalf and Bilbo other than that on Williams — mainly on Mallory and just across the foreground bridge. Tolkien’s "Thror’s Spenser — are not insignificant enough for this vol Map" and Christopher Tolkien’s "Wilderland" .are ume. Oddly, in Lagorio’s four-item bibliography after reproduced in this edition as they are in at least the her note, she lists Paul Holmer’s poor book on Lewis third edition from George Allen and Unwin, as the instead of, for example, a biography, and she lists front and back endpapers. Charles Moorman’s The Precincts of Felicity instead of his more appropriate Arthurian Triptych. (The Latter, Hay, George. "O’Brien’s Interim Report," 114-123. for whatever reason, is likewise not listed after the Storm Warnings: Science Fiction Confronts the notes on T.S. Eliot and Charles William.) Future. Ed. George E. Slusser, Colin Greenland, The other references to Lewis are uneven. and Eric S. Rabkin. Carbondale: Southern Illinois R[aymond] H. T[hompson], in the fiction section of University Press (Alternatives Series), 1987. "English and American Arthurian Literature (Modern)," [Tolkien, 118] does an elaborate division of fantasy into low and An amusing essay written from the point of view high, and the latter term into didactic, mythopoeic, of O’Brien, a character in 1984, but discussing the heroic, and ironic. "In mythopoeic fantasy, the actual 1984 world. "Bear in mind that we still face struggle between Good and Evil is waged directly danger as long as it is possible to reach the general between supernatural powers, and it usually takes public with any clear and accurate exposition of either place in a contemporary setting. Thus, Charles Williams real science or real religion.... Yet we cannot overly relates a powerful story of spiritual conflict in a suppress reference to science or religion in SF. What, disbelieving world as competing parties search for the then, Comrades, is our solution? It is to head off Holy Grail in War in Heaven (1930); -and C.S. Lewis those authors who have any real grasp of these areas, condemns the dehumanizing aspects of scientific prog and to encourage those who do not, but think that ress in That Hideous Strength (1945). The protagonists they have. [New paragraph.] We can safely claim to of these novels develop a deep understanding of life, have made real headway on this latter task. Any SF but only at the cost of personal loss and suffering" bookshop today is packed with novels out of Tolkien (159). M[uriel] A. W[hitaker] in her discussion of via Ursula Le Guin, novels which duplicate the length Arthur Machen says that "Machen uses the theory of of the former’s work without its style, and the trap perichoresis to explain the reappearance of the Grail pings of the latter’s work without its understanding. in modern times, an idea adopted by Charles Williams The fact that this mishmash of ancient magics, eldritch and C.S. Lewis" (349). Her reference is to Machen’s wizards, towering heros, and liberated heroines is novels The Great Return and The Secret Glory: per passed off as science fiction is already a triumph for ichoresis is close to Williams’ emphasis on co- us; the inculcation in the young that religion is some inherence, but the similarity of Machen’s books to thing on a part with Royal Queen jelly is an added Williams’ War in Heaven needs development. Lewis, of bonus” (118). course, did not write a modern Grail story (unless one takes the glass of wine Mr. Fisher-King drinks in Ch. Huntington, Kohn. "Orwell and the Uses of the 7, Sec. 2, of That Hideous Strength as a parallel). Future"," 135-145. Storm Warnings: Science Fic L[eslie] J. W[orkman], in "Medievalism,” quotes Lewis tion Confronts the Future. Ed. George E. Slusser, on humanism vs. The Faerie Queen (379); the source, Colin Greenland, and Eric S. Rabkin. Carbondale: not given, is English Literature in the Sixteenth Southern Illinois University Press (Alternatives Century, "New Learning and New Ignorance" (19). series), 1987. [Lewis, 145] Workman also lists Williams as one of the four poets in "Orwell uses the anticipation [the fictional whose twentieth-century works the Arthurian matter excerpt from Emanuel Goldstein’s Theory and Practice achieved "large-scale treatments" (380). B[everly] of Oligarchic Collectivism, read by Winston Smith in T[aylor], in "Return, Legends of* Arthur’s," comments 1984] to deny political possibility. Politically, his about That Hideous Strength, "Arthur himself never position now resembles that of a conservative, like returns; however, various Arthurian figures appear C.S. Lewis, w.ho, in The Abolition of Man (1947), was throughout the work, and finally both Merlin and Mr. arguing that the scientific-technological renaissance is Fisher-King... like Arthur go to another sphere" (451). only a way of granting further power to those already The text of the romance suggests that Merlin died in holding too much power and a way of depriving the Edgestow (Ch. 17, Sec. 2). In his discussion of Charles future of its full range of options” (145). The compar William (see below), K[arin] R. G[urttler] mentions ison, even in the context of Huntington’s reading of Lewis’ editing of Arthurian Torso (630; in the bibliog the Goldstein excerpt, seems strained. raphy, 633); Gurttler also has a general comparison of the Inklings, "In many respects, [Williams’ tenor of MYTHLORE 50: Summer 1987 Page 61

thought]’ is related to views shared by his old [sic] history. That public house [from which they vanished] Oxford companions, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, par evidently functions in a manner somewhat akin to a ticularly in a tendency toward elements of fantasy and wardrobe or a rabbit hole. We may perhaps consider the supernatural" (633). ourselves fortunate to have encountered Sir Torchyld Gurttler gives a good survey of Williams’ main [the giant] instead of a well-dressed rabbit or a talk contributions to Arthurian matters in a three-and-a- ing lion" (23). Later allusions to children’s literature quarter-page note, although he makes no mention of appear, but none to Narnia. Williams’ Arthurian poems preceding the two books, Taliessin through Logres and The Region of the Sum Post, Jonathan V. "Gantry Errantry: For the 25th mer Stars. These early poems are listed and discussed Birthday of NASA/(With Apologies to ’Errantry’ in Charles Moorman’s 1981 essay "The Structures of by J.R.R. Tolkien)." Star/Sword Poetry Chapbook. Charles Williams’ Arthurian Poetry," a study which No. 1 (1984), 4-5. (The chapbook series is, or might well have been included in Gurttler’s bibliogra was, edited by Scott E. Green.) phy. Gurttler’s understanding of the two books, as The imitation of Tolkien’s poem is clear in this separate cycles, is much like that advanced in Glen first stanza: Cavaliero’s Charles Williams: Poet of Theology (in Gurttler’s bibliography), but his brief reading of some A spacecraft has a passanger poems in the sequence(s) seems more indebted to or else unmanned, like Mariner, Lewis’ "Williams and the Arthuriad" than to Cavaliero. is interplanet messenger, Gurttler concludes this part of his discussion, "Wil a Pioneer, a Voyager[.] liams has widened the dimensions of the Arthurian The poem consists of ten stances, varying in story, reminding us of Milton and his representation number of lines, all lines centered by computer (as of the Pall. Heaven and earth are united in a new here), often with fairly rough metrics; but there are mystical empire, which is not the less real because it no specific references to Tolkien within the poem never existed.... His Arthuriad is not a stylized por it s e lf . trait of a utopian phantastikon but a universally valid representation of the modern human situation" (633). A Pringle, David. Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels: short paragraph, next to the last in the note, general An English-Language Selection. 1949-1984. Fore izes about War in Heaven. word by Michael Moorcock. New York: Carrol and The short references to William are less bother Graf, 1985. 224 pp. Index. [Lewis, 22, 37; Tolkien, some than those on Lewis. R[aymond] H. T[hompson], 11, 220] in "English and American Arthurian Literature (Mod Pringle selects the best SF novels of the post- ern)," in addition to the mention of War in Heaven World War II years —1984 until one of 1984. No one in cited above, comments about Williams’ poems: "the com the field would agree with all of his selections; but positions of T.S. Eliot, Edwin Arlington Robinson, and his concern is with artistry and other values, not Charles Williams represent the greatest achievements with time-passing entertainment, so his choices are of in Arthurian literature during the first half of the interest; he briefly explains each selection in a two- twentieth century.... Charles Williams’ unfinished page note on each work. Arthurian cycle... explores the mystical significance of Obviously, Pringle’s period does not include that the Grail story. The downfall of Arthur’s kingdom of the Ransom Trilogy, but Lewis is mentioned twice. results from spiritual failure; an egotistical self-love The first time is in the discussion of George Orwell’s that breeds disorder" (170). R[ichard] F. 0’G[orman], 1984 as part of "a whole tradition of ’post-Wellsian’ in "Grail (Graal)," in his last paragraph, mentions fiction," which includes a number of minor authors Williams, along with four other nineteenth and twen and "more enduring writers like Olaf Stapledon, tieth century authors, as a modern example of a Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis" (22). The second time is writer thematically concerned with the Grail (260). in a discussion of Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End R[aymond] H. T[hompson], in a brief note on Taliesin, — "it gained praise from C.S. Lewis ... foe its deft comments, "Taliesin was ignored outside of Welsh tra blend of hard science and religious mysticism" (37). dition until discovered by modern writers, most nota bly Charles Williams" (540). This probably refers to the letter which Lewis wrote to Clarke after reading the book and which was later J.A.W. Bennett and Tolkien are listed in bibliog used in some publicity (with Lewis’ permission). raphies for books they edited, Essays on Malory (357) and, with E.G.V. Gordon, Sir Gawain and the Green The two references to Tolkien are of less signifi Knight (511), respectively. cance. The first appears in the "Author’s Introduc tion"; as part of a definition of SF, Pringle excludes "the Supernatural Horror Story and the Heroic Fan MacLeod, Charlotte. The Curse of the Giant Hogweed. tasy.... By heroic fantasy I mean such works as J.R.R. New York: Avon, 1986. (Originally published by Doubleday, 1985.) [Lewis, 23] Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings..." (11). In the discussion of William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Pringle One of MacLeod’s humorous Professor Peter complains, "All too many of the contemporary sf writ Shandy mysteries, but this one involving a fan- ers deal in the sub-creation of never-never worlds, tasy/dream sequence in Wales for most of the book. lands akin to L. Frank Baum’s Oz of Tolkien’s Middle- Three American agricultural professors end up in a Earth [sic] which it would be pleasant to escape to" fairy-tale, with a giant (an enchanted warrior) (220). This distorts Tolkien’s over-all creation, but it appearing in the second chapter. An allusion to Lewis reflects a common reaction to his rural imagery. appears in the third chapter, when one of the profes sors explains what he thinks has happened: "When my children were small, we maintained the homely old Wenzel, David. Middle-earth: The World of Tolkien custom of reading aloud.... [The penchant of his sis Illustrated. Text by Lin Carter. New York: Cen ter, who supplied them with books,] was for British taur Books, 1977. 64 pp. authors who wrote about children falling down rabbit This small art book was published on the fortieth holes or stepping into wardrobes and finding them anniversary of the first publication of The Hobbit, as selves henceforth involved with adventures of a Lin Carter’s introduction, "There and Back Again," nature which... seemed to be fantastical.... Now I about children’s books, mentions twice (10, 13). The realize they must have been mere vignettes of local format is a series of reproductions of Wenzel’s draw- Page 62 MYTHLORE 50: Summer 1987

ings illustrating The Hobbit, some in color, some not, single-page black-and-white drawings (19, 23, 27, 31, usually on recto pages; Carter gives a brief summary, 39, 46, 51, 55, 57, 59), three double-page color draw on the opposing verso pages, of the action of the ings, the third being the same as the wrap-around story. Sometimes, no doubt due to the difficulty of cover of the book (36-37, 44-45, 60-61), and several placing the color printing, the story gets disjointed. smaller black-and-white drawings, one repeated (1 and For example, the double-page color print, "Thorin 15; 3; 34; 42; 62 [the latter a self-portrait]). A Finds a Lock for his Key," depicting the finding of biographical sketch by Charles M. Collins of Centaur the entrance on Lonely Mountain (44-45, with Carter’s Books mentions that Wenzel had been a comic book text on 43), is placed between "Spiders and Swords in artist, as well as a children’s book illustrator and Mirkwood” (41; text 40) and "Strange Cargo for River advertising lay-out person (63); the drawings suggest Running" (47; text, 46). Carter’s text is often simplis a sophisticated comic-book artist, with an extremely tic; for "Moon Mysteries at Rivendell,” a picture with good colorer. Gollum (27) is drawn in a pure comic Elrond holding up the map to the window, Carter only book style; but the other drawings are not so obvious mentions that Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves had "a in their tradition and Wenzel’s declared influences, friendly host to describe the way to the Lonely Moun including Arthur Rackham (63), have an influence. One tain where the treasure lay concealed" (21; text, 20). complaint is that Wenzel is not consistent about the But the interest of the book is in the drawings: Wen size of Bilbo’s head in comparison to his body; in zel has a two-page map of the action (6-7), eight sin some of the drawings., Bilbo looks like a human dwarf. gle-page color prints (17,21, 24, 29, 33, 41, 48, 52), ten

Quenti Lambardillion, continued from page 43 runes. Those with "(Nor.)" are Northern Runes. The seeming scribal errors might be attributed to "(O.Nor)" means that the rune is from Old Norse. the haste with which Tolkien dashed off the post card "(Gold.Horn)" and "(Gold.Brac.)" refer to famous arti or it, might simply reflect his overall attitude toward facts found in Norse burial mounds which were the runic system, inside and outside of Middle-Earth. engraved with runes. "(Go.)" refers to Gothic runes. It did not "appear" elegant, nor was it in its use. Even though there seems to have been an exces The last question which ought to be asked in a sive amount of borrowing from these runic alphabets, study like this is "How much does Tolkien borrow to criticize Tolkien without considering what he has from the runic systems of the Germanic languages?" done with them would be unfair. Tolkien has recreated Table 3 answers that question. the runic system so that it seems to many to be more believable than the original; his world has given them T able 3 new life . Tolkien’s Use and Invention of Runes NOTES [1] F. Ballhorn, Grammatography (London: Trubner and Co., 1861), 75-6. [2] Ruth Noel, Languages of Middle Earth (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1980), p. 42.

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Mythlore actively seeks submissions of articles, art, letters of comment, poetry, reviews and other relevant material. See page 2 for the addresses of the appropriate editor when making submissions. All written submissions, including articles, columns, letters, poetry and reviews must be in one of tw o form s: (1) Type-written submissions must be double- spaced. Two copies should be submitted, including the original. (2) IBM compatible formatted 5 1/4" floppy disk. The files should be straight ASCII files unless the material has been written using "Word Perfect" (4.0, or more recent, preferred) or "Volks writer 3" (2.0 preferred). Most material produced on a Commodore 64 (using a 1541 disk-drive) is also acceptable. In addi tion, we have the capacity to receive articles electron ically by modem. Please contact Paul Nolan Hyde (see page 2 for address) for further information regarding this possibility. These forms of submission saves Mythlore time and money and in effect represents a much- appreciated contribution to the Society, and is strongly encouraged whenever possible. The preferred style of articles is the MLA Hand All of those runes which have "Tol." after them book! except that short citations such as ibid., op. are either completely or partially invented characters. cit., and author and page number, can be incorporated "Rev." means that a legitimate runic symbol has been in parentheses in the text. Any additional questions reversed by Tolkien to take on a different value. concerning submissions should be addressed to the Those runes with "(A.S.)" after them are Anglo-Saxon E ditor.