J. R. R. Tolkien, undisputedly a most fluent speaker of this language, was criticized in his day for indulging his juvenile whim of writing fantasy, which was then consideredâas it still is in many quartersâ an inferior form of literature and disdained as mere âescapism.â âOf course it is escapist,â he cried. âThat is its glory! When a soldier is a prisoner of war it is his duty to escapeâand take as many with him as he can.â He went on to explain, âThe moneylenders, the knownothings, the authoritarians have us all in prison; if we value the freedom of the mind and soul, if weâre partisans of liberty, then itâs our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as possible."
Stephen R. Lawhead
















