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Signumites Excited about Mythcon
News & Announcements
Fall 2014 Mythgard Institute Classes
The Fall term is just around the corner, and registration is now open. There are three classes being offered in the autumnal trimester, two revived favorites and a new course sure to entice lovers of fantasy.
Roots of the Mountain: Fantasy Before Tolkien— If you read fantasy, you’ve probably read The Lord of the Rings, or something derived from it. But what did fantasy enthusiasts read before Tolkien wrote his masterpiece? Acclaimed fantasy scholar Douglas A. Anderson joins the Signum faculty to offer a survey of works that set the stage for (and helped inspire) the bulk of 20th century fantasy literature.
Science Fiction, Part I — More than simply stories about future and alternate worlds, science fiction is an ongoing conversation of ideas, so argues Dr. Amy H. Sturgis in the return of her examination of the intellectual history and development of science fiction over the centuries. The first half of this two-part class covers the inception of science fiction through the “Golden Age” of the mid-20th century.
Lewis & Tolkien — Colleagues, companions and even (arguably) collaborators, the affinity between C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien is well known. Dr. Corey Olsen is bringing back his class that analyzes the two Inklings’ approach to academics, fiction, religion, literary criticism and other areas where they engaged.
Learn more about the Fall 2014 classes, and be sure to share them with your family, friends, colleagues, loose acquaintances, random passersby and nemeses. Watch for exclusive information in the August issue of the Eagle.
Free Mythgard Academy Class: Dune
The Council of the Wise has spoken, and the word they spake was: Dune.
Starting Wednesday, July 30, the Mythgard Academy will be offering a free course on the classic science-fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. For those who have not read it yet, this sprawling story is about melange and Fremen and the Kwisatz Haderach — and other words you don’t know yet.
The course will run for 12 weeks through October 15, 2014, with live classes scheduled for Wednesday nights beginning at 9:30 p.m. For those who cannot attend the live sessions, the lectures and notes will become available for download after each class session via the Mythgard Academy website, as well as iTunes podcasts and iTunesU. Previous free classes, such as the recently completed class on J. R. R. Tolkien’s Book of Lost Tales, Part I, also are available for download.
This latest offering by the Mythgard Academy comes on the heels of the video release of a new documentary about a psychedelic film version of Dune that was never produced. Jodorowsky’s Dune reveals the story behind filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s attempt to create a cinematic rendition of Dune that would emulate the effects of LSD. The documentary’s synopsis notes that Jodorowsky planned to employ such personages as Salvador Dali, Orson Welles and Mick Jagger — a lineup that makes the Eagle‘s editorial staff slump with chagrin at its nonexistence.
The Dune class promises to be a fun time, whether you’ve read the story before or not. Be sure to check it out!
Shared Stories
The following articles and blog posts have been shared by Signumites on social media. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ to keep the conversation flowing.
- J. K. Rowling posts a new Harry Potter story — A 30-something Harry, from the perspective of a reporter who would never be employed at the Eagle (see Kelly Orazi’s review at the Middle-earth Network)
- Previously Unreleased Tolkien Letters Published — Writing Magazine gets some Tolkien scholars drooling
- Jodorowsky’s Dune Released on Video — A documentary about a psychedelic film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune that was never produced
- Fantasy and the Buffered Self — Premodern, postmodern…modern? An exploration of fantasy concepts now and yesteryear
Dates of Note
- Now – Fall class registration open
- 7/30 – Mythgard Academy Dune classes begin
- 8/25 – Fall classes begin
- 8/31 – Mythmoot III paper proposals due
- 8/31 – Mythmoot III early bird registration ends
- 9/8 – Last day to register for Fall classes
About
Articles appearing in the Signum Eagle are written by students, staff and faculty of Signum University and the Mythgard Institute.
Editor: Curtis A. Weyant