Byte-Sized Middle Ages: Tolkien, Film, and the Digital Imagination
Courtney M. Booker
BYTE-SIZED MIDDLE AGES: TOLKIEN, FILM, AND THE DIGITAL IMAGINATION by Courtney M. Booker “A note on the wall says, ‘Magic word XYZZY.’” —Will Crowther, programmer of Adventure In a letter to New York Times, Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor Social Studies Science and Technology in Program Science, Technology, Society at MIT founder (2001) current director Initiative Self, observed that mass appeal Peter Jackson’s film adaptation The Lord Rings “owes much computer culture made J. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world its own.”1 There is an entire book packed within this statement. Certainly many people—especially those born since early 1960s—now understand there some kind connection among fiction, game Dungeons Dragons , programming. Yet usually trivialized or ridiculed as nothing but clear sign eccentric, tedious interests define (male) misanthropes, freaks, geeks.2 Thus what Turkle’s remark suggests success films novel revenge nerds, so speak. Put another way, part reason enjoy because they seem make sense visually—but visual sensibility one was learned, learned only relatively recently. Who were teachers? 1960s readers An earlier version paper delivered 6 June 2002 UCLA Center for Medieval Renaissance lecture series, Los Angeles, California. I wish thank Blair Sullivan, Kevin Attell, Scott McDonough, Clementine Oliver, John Eldevik, Paul Dutton, Sinfield, Susan Cho, Leslie Paris. 1 S. “Lord Hackers,” 7 March 2002, sec. A, p. 31. 2 See B. King Borland, Dreamers: Rise Computer Game Culture, from Geek Chic (Emeryville, CA 2003); A. Leonard, Geeks,” Salon.com 30 December . For two most accurate dramatic portrayals kids who played ca. 1980, see television series Freaks Geeks, episode 18, “Discos Dragons,” written directed Feig (2000); SLC Punk!, James Merendino (1999). As shall describe more detail below, these same time regarded with deep suspicion, believed lead frequently unhealthy, dangerous, even criminal behavior. COURTNEY BOOKER 146 imagined medieval boundless place, filled mystery, grandeur, historical depth. Four decades later, has been interpreted screen audiences largely terms frenetic actions—chases, skirmishes, battles reflective “modular” episodic encounter engagement wrought virtual reality games. pages follow, offer something prolegomenon statement noted above examine perspective how why modern visual/cinematic understanding Middle-earth particular, consequently Middle Ages general, come rely upon be shaped shared stock stylized referents related computers. *** When teaching assistant UCLA, my colleagues taught sensitive diverse cultural backgrounds students our courses, differences could subtly affect dynamics classroom discussion. never equivalent recommendation offered about deal diversity preconceptions held regarding topic course itself. Rather, we simply advised deduce asking enrolled class—a question typically elicited any combination three unhelpful answers: “it suits schedule,” fulfills university requirement,” and/or seems like interesting period .” short, basic pedagogical presumption are...
Comitatus-a Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies