There is a moment in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that nobody remembers, because it has nothing to do with Severus Snape. A baby is left on a doorstep. A scar is described. A nosey cat goes uncommented on by passing Muggles. But J.K. Rowling has said that by the … Continue reading The Evolution of Severus Snape: From Antagonist to Tragic Hero
Read Anything Good Lately
Could Back to the Future’s Time Travel Actually Work?
Everyone knows the rules by now, even people who haven't watched the trilogy in years. You need a flux capacitor. You need 1.21 gigawatts of power. And you need to hit exactly 88 miles per hour at the moment it all comes together. Say those numbers out loud to almost anyone and they'll nod, maybe … Continue reading Could Back to the Future’s Time Travel Actually Work?
The Question I Couldn’t Stop Asking (And the Book It Became)
I was five years old the first time I saw Back to the Future, sitting in the back of my family's car at a drive-in theater. I didn't understand half of what was happening on screen. I definitely didn't understand the science, or the lack of it, behind a souped-up DeLorean hitting 88 miles per … Continue reading The Question I Couldn’t Stop Asking (And the Book It Became)
Hogwarts Houses: Stereotypes, Unity, and Personal Growth
There is a question that has followed Harry Potter fans around for nearly thirty years now, surviving playground arguments, Pottermore quizzes, and at least a dozen personality tests designed to help you figure out whether you belong with the brave ones, the loyal ones, the clever ones, or the ambitious ones. The question is deceptively … Continue reading Hogwarts Houses: Stereotypes, Unity, and Personal Growth
Life Finds a Way… But Should It?
There's a moment near the beginning of Jurassic Park — the novel, specifically — where chaos theorist Ian Malcolm sits across from the park's creator, John Hammond, and delivers what amounts to the entire thesis of the book in a single paragraph. He explains, with the patient condescension of a man who has done the … Continue reading Life Finds a Way… But Should It?
The Last Battle: C.S. Lewis’s Vision of the Apocalypse and Heaven
There's a version of The Last Battle that reads like a nightmare. A beloved world is crumbling. A con artist ape has convinced an entire civilization that God has been replaced by a corporate entity. The heroes are outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and increasingly out of options. Most of the characters you've grown to love over six … Continue reading The Last Battle: C.S. Lewis’s Vision of the Apocalypse and Heaven
Following the Yellow Brick Road: An Oz Series Retrospective
There is something almost unreasonably magical about the Land of Oz. I don't mean that in a throwaway, greeting-card kind of way. I mean it specifically and literally: the world that L. Frank Baum built across fourteen novels is so richly imagined, so internally consistent, and so overflowing with invention that it genuinely defies easy … Continue reading Following the Yellow Brick Road: An Oz Series Retrospective
The Portrayal of Different Races in Middle-earth: Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, and Men
A man, an elf, a dwarf, and a hobbit walk into Mordor... Stop me if you've heard this one. Except it's not a joke—it's the premise of one of the greatest stories ever told. And unlike most fantasy setups that feel like they're checking boxes on a diversity requirement form, Tolkien's four races of Middle-earth … Continue reading The Portrayal of Different Races in Middle-earth: Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, and Men
Magical Creatures in Harry Potter: Folklore, Mythology, and Rowling’s Creations
Twenty-eight years after Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first introduced readers to a world where three-headed dogs guard magical stones and house-elves iron their own ears as punishment, J.K. Rowling's menagerie of magical creatures continues to captivate audiences worldwide. But behind every Niffler's obsession with shiny objects and every Boggart's shape-shifting terror lies a … Continue reading Magical Creatures in Harry Potter: Folklore, Mythology, and Rowling’s Creations
Where Magic Still Lives: Choosing My Fictional Christmas
Welcome back to Blogmas 2025, my annual series of holiday-themed blog posts that runs every day through Christmas. This year, I've enlisted the help of AI to generate daily writing prompts, which has led to some interesting creative challenges and unexpected topics. Today's prompt for December 19th asks a deeply personal question: If you could … Continue reading Where Magic Still Lives: Choosing My Fictional Christmas
The Confusing Middle 