Having taken up the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in episode 207, Phil and JF turn to part two, The Two Towers. Together, they peel back the husk of familiarity to reveal the strange object underneath: a story about stories, about life and destiny in a storied world.

Music: "Wotan Hangs" from Weird Studies Vol. 1 and "For the Sun" from Weird Studies Vol 3.

Support Weird Studies on Patreon.

Upcoming Events:

JF's course on the metaphysics of the horror genre, The Awful Truth, starts September 17, 2026, on Weirdosphere.

Erik Davis's course on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? starts October 1, 2026, on Weirdosphere.

Click here for details on JF and Phil's appearance at the Brooklyn Public Library on September 26, 2026. Part of the Dream Mapping Symposium, organized by The Dream Mapping Project and the Dream Library Foundation. Attendance is free.

References

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Viktor Schlovsky, “Art as Technique”

Arthur Machen, “A Fragment of Life”

Joshua Cutchin, Fourth Wall Phantoms

Cristina Campo “On Fairy Tales”

J. R. R. Tolkien, “On Fairy Stories”

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 

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