I’m joking idgaf (except that I’m actually trying to find a cloak…)

(Me, the most annoying person at the ren faire) a cloak is literally just a piece of cloth fastened by a brooch, if it has clasps it’s a cape

I also think that some things JRRY said in on fairy stories and several asides made by characters in lotr indicate he was interested in narrative as a mediating device

I haven’t read Verlyn Flieger’s arguments but JRRT experimented with several different frame narratives for his legendarium (medieval traveler’s tales, dreams, even time travel!) and I think it’s significant that he settled on “historical narrative” in the end

Very cool!!

I’m still listening to The Ruin of the Roman Empire by James J. O’Donnell

No I didn’t know there was a new one!

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker makes use of gladitorial school factions clearly inspired by late antique chariot racing fans! I’m not sure to what extent that book is SFF or historical fiction with the serial numbers filed off tho.

Whole late antique Mediterranean at the mercy of vintage F1 fans

Apparently Theodoric also had to deal with rioting between chariot racing factions in 6th century Rome. Man, if I had a nickel,