This week kicked off with what is now widely recognised as Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You, for those who don’t speak Geek!). So I thought I’d continue the theme with some Classics/Sci-Fi links to brighten up your weekend. Do chip in, if you have other links to books and articles: all reading suggestions gratefully received…!

 

 

New readers of this blog may not have realised that I’m a huge sci-fi/fantasy fan – particularly since you can’t see my collection of Firefly t-shirts or my home-made Tardis (nope, not joking – it has lights and sound effects, and is actually bigger on the inside…!). I desperately wanted a PhD not because I longed for a career in academia, but because I wanted to be The Doctor. If your mother knitted you a Tom Baker scarf when you were a teenager, you’ll know where I’m coming from.

 

 

The beauty of Classics is that the category of ‘classicist’ overlaps quite significantly with the world of sci-fi nerds: so a lot of classicists have a secondary expertise in this area. If we were on Mastermind our first specialist subject might be Monuments of Augustan Rome: but in the final we’d be answering questions on The Geography of Tatooine.

 

 

And so we find that Classical Reception has a whole sub-genre of Sci-Fi Studies. To be honest, I tend to avoid it as much as possible, because that’s the rabbit hole I’m most likely to get sucked down. But it’s top of my list for when I run out of things I have to do…!

Here are some of the classical Star Wars links and pictures that I’ve been enjoying this week:

 

 

Star Wars as a Latin epic – In Medias Res

Star Wars Day in Rome – Wanted in Rome

Star Wars and myth – Open Learn

Star Wars and Rome – The Latin Language Blog

Star Wars archaeology – Forbes

Remembering and restoring the Republic – Classical World [for those with journal access]

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll also find some interesting articles on Doctor Who, Star Wars and other sci-fi on Philip Boyes’ blog, and the CREWS Project blog; and former OU tutor Tony Keen has also written some great publications in this area:

 

 

Here are some books you might enjoy, if you want to take a more academic interest in the sci-fi/Classics crossover. (By the way, if you follow the links to Amazon and buy something, Amazon gives me a few pennies. I live in hopes that someday this website might start to pay for itself, but so far I haven’t earned enough to pay for a cup of coffee!)

 

(reviewed by my sister here)

 

 

 

And from the less murky corners of the internet…

 

 

News

Stephen Fry on a ‘Mythos’ tour [hooray – I’ve got tickets for Gateshead!] – BBC 

Antony Gormley in Greece – The Guardian 

Hadrian’s Wall cartoons at Segedunum – Chronicle Live 

The UK’s Tutankhamun – BBC 

Lots of lovely coins – BBC

Sphinx room at the Domus Aurea – Ansa 

 

 

Comment and opinion

More on the history of OU Classics, from the wonderful Janet Huskinson – OU Classical Studies

Becoming a Latin teacher – In Medias Res 

Autism and myth – Institute for Classical Studies 

A walk through Athens – Delphi the Philosopher

Votives from Corinth – The Votives Project 

A new wave of classicists – Warwick Knowledge Centre 

‘Abductions’ in art – Journal of the History of Ideas 

Working class Classics – The Edithorial 

 

 

 

Podcasts, video and other media

Latin philosophy in Byzantium – History of Philosophy 

Emily Wilson’s Sebald Lecture – BCLT 

Barbara Graziosi on Greek religion – Ancient Greece Declassified 

Briseis: Wonder Women of Greek Mythology – Greek Mythology Retold 

On being a Spartan woman – Ancient History Hound

 

Finally…

Sign up for Ancient Health MOOC (10^th June) – Future Learn 

…or go along to the Minimus Latin Weekend at Vindolanda – Vindolanda