Christian Kriticos

Winter is Coming • 3rd September 2021

The Nature of Middle-earth enhances Tolkien’s world

Even as The Nature of Middle-earth expands our knowledge of Tolkien’s world, it also shows us how unfinished it is. We can never fully catch up with the imaginings of a man who every day falls further into the past.

StarTrek.com • 23rd April 2021

Star Trek at the Oscars

Few franchises can rival the enduring success of Star Trek. With 13 films across some 40 years, it is no surprise that it has also been a consistent presence at the biggest event in filmmaking – the Oscars.

StarTrek.com • 25th February 2021

A Closer Look at Benny Russell's Library

In 1998, one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine broke the mould in a radical way, shining a light on the great works of African American literature.

StarTrek.com • 23rd October 2020

How the United Nations Helped Shape the Federation

On UN Day, Christian Kriticos looks at how the United Nations influenced Star Trek and how Trek fans can return the favour.

The American Writers Museum • 20th September 2020

Another Side of George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin's earlier work seems to have been forgotten, or at least overshadowed by, his colossal success with A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation, Game of Thrones.

StarTrek.com • 30th April 2019

How W.B Yeats Captured the Essence of Star Trek a Century Before its Time

To celebrate National Poetry Month, Christian Kriticos takes a look at how a W. B. Yeats poem captures the spirit of Star Trek.

The American Writers Museum • 19th October 2017

Stories Behind Classic Book Covers: The Great Gatsby

Francis Cugat’s painting is perhaps the most famous book cover in American literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s editor understood its significance immediately, declaring it “a masterpiece for this book”.

The Rumpus • 16th March 2017

J. M. Coetzee’s “Bread and Beans” Writing

Man shall not live by bread alone. But add some unsalted bean paste and you have all the nutrients needed for healthy, hard-working life. At least, that is, according to J. M. Coetzee's latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus.

The Millions • 6th January 2017

James Joyce and the Yuletide Epiphany

As we leave the festive season, James Joyce's The Dead represents a return to reality. For Joyce, true epiphanies do not come during Christmas, amidst wine and tinsel, but after the celebrations have died down, when we find ourselves alone.

The Millions • 29th December 2016

A Reading Resolution

I am making a New Year’s resolution to embrace the unexpected book; to make an effort to read things I have never heard of, on subjects I know nothing about.

The Millions • 8th September 2016

Made of Sterner Stuff: On Roald Dahl and 'Love From Boy'

This newly published collection of Roald Dahl's letters shows how devoted he was to his mother—and how lucky he was to survive the travails of English boarding school life.

The American Writers Museum • 6th September 2016

Five Great Film Adaptations of American Literature

For as long as Hollywood has been making movies, it has looked to America's literary greats for inspiration. Christian Kriticos selects his five favourites adaptations—from the page to the big screen.

The Millions • 31st August 2016

An Invitation to Hesitate: John Hersey’s 'Hiroshima' at 70

In August 1946, The New Yorker eschewed cartoons and “Talk of the Town” in favour of something less frivolous: a 30,000-word article on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Millions • 5th April 2016

Origin Stories: The Darker Side of J.R.R. Tolkien

The Story of Kullervo, the first known prose work by J. R. R. Tolkien, offers fans of Middle Earth a chance to read what may be one of the earliest sources for Tolkien’s quintessential literary fantasy realm.

The American Writers Museum • 22nd March 2016

The Orchard: A Forgotten American Classic

Many of America’s great writers only achieved recognition posthumously. But, Adele Crockett Robertson’s memoir, The Orchard, published 15 years after her death, failed to launch her to fame.

The Millions • 29th February 2016

Animals Emoting: An Interview with Yann Martel

Christian Kriticos catches up with Yann Martel to discuss his latest novel, The High Mountains of Portugal. Their wide-ranging conversation covers Jesus, animal husbandry, and J.M. Coetzee’s one bad book.

The American Writers Museum • 18th January 2016

Stories Behind Classic Book Covers: The Catcher in the Rye

The old mantra says “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. But some, like the famous first edition cover to J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, have achieved such an iconic status that they beg for closer scrutiny.

The American Writers Museum • 30th December 2015

Five Great American Short Stories

As the short story form undergoes a renaissance in the digital age of speed and brevity, Christian Kriticos selects five American favourites for your consideration.

The Millions • 11th June 2015

Hapworth Revisited: On J.D. Salinger's Most Inscrutable Short Story

Fifty years ago, The New Yorker published a bizarre short story by J.D. Salinger. No one could know it at the time, but this would lead to one of the longest and most fascinating silences in literary history.