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Imagination as a tool of resistance – How fantasy fans can help the fight against far-right extremism
If the far-right can deploy fantasy to promote hate and bigotry, what’s to stop activist from using fantasy as a form of resistance? Reading through this blog must leave fans of fantasy feeling grim about the future of their favourite genre. Throughout my posts, I’ve explored how fantasy has become a valuable tool in the… Read more
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Are Tolkien fans racists? Or are we asking the wrong questions?
The surge of hate speech surrounding The Rings of Power series has left many asking the same question: are Tolkien fans racists? Not only is this debate unhelpful in addressing racism within fan communities, it also conceals the true perpetrators – white supremacists. As latest instalment in the Lord of the Rings franchise, The Rings… Read more
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How Frodo Baggins Resurrected Italy’s Far-Right Movement
For much of the world, The Baggins of Bag End are just one of the many fantastical creatures that populate Tolkien’s work . For Italy’s far-right however, Hobbits take on a more sinister meaning. When imagining the ideal fascist, Frodo Baggins would not be the first to come to mind. With their short stature and… Read more
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Fantasy doesn’t just transport you to imaginary worlds – it’s also a gateway to white supremacy
In co-opting fantasy media to normalize and circulate extremists ideologies, fans of fantasy have become key targets of far-right recruiters. As far-right groups work to normalize their extremist ideologies, scholars like Simon Strick ask that we remain attentive to how propaganda has adapted to modern culture. This includes the increasing collapse between politics and entertainment,… Read more
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The strange relationship between fairy tales and fascism
Fantasy has been at the heart of far-right nationalism and antisemitism, namely in the form of German fairy tales and folk lore. When we think of Nazis, their interest in fairy tales is probably not the first thing to come to mind. Though often overlooked, fairy tales and folk stories form an important part of… Read more
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Preserving the Bloodline: British Fascists and Heritable Citizenship
Read enough British fantasy and you’ll come across the same cliché: a protagonist with a mysterious and magical lineage is thrust into an epic adventure. While innocent enough at first, this idea hold a prominent place among British fascists and ethno-nationalists alike. Among the conservative tropes built into fantasy, none are more blatant than the… Read more
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