Christian Kriticos

Paste Magazine • 19th November 2023

New Blue Sun heralds a bold reinvention for André 3000

While most of us doomscroll through life, the eccentric André 3000 – off in a quiet corner playing his meditative flute music – seems increasingly like the sane one in a mad world. Maybe we should listen up.

Winter is Coming • 14th November 2023

Expanded collection of Tolkien letters leaves some stories untold

Despite this expanded edition, hundreds of letters remain unpublished. But there is a power in leaving some of Tolkien's story untold: as long as there are unseen materials out there, the mythology can remain alive.

The Guardian • 7th November 2023

Mythical archive of ‘first Beatles historian’ comes to light

Mal Evans neglected his family for a life with the Beatles, amassing a priceless trove of ephemera and diary entries. Long after his untimely death, a new book has finally uncovered it.

Paste Magazine • 2nd November 2023

The Beatles’ Final Song is an AI-Assisted Success

'Now and Then' is a worthy closer to the Fab Four's discography – arriving out of nowhere, long after we thought the music had ended, to bring a final smile to Beatles fans across the world.

Paste Magazine • 6th October 2023

A Colourless Remake of a Classic Album

Roger Waters positions himself as the single beam of creative light for The Dark Side of the Moon. But his original bandmates were the prism which allowed his creativity to be refracted into its full-colour splendour.

Paste Magazine • 11th August 2023

All 26 Rodriguez Songs, Ranked

It’s a small body of work, but Rodriguez's recorded output nonetheless contains greater substance than most artists who have recorded 10 times as much.

Quillette • 12th June 2023

Roald Dahl’s Forgotten Novel, 75 Years On

Roald Dahl's debut novel sold poorly and has never been reprinted. But it has a major historical importance as the first novel about nuclear war to be published after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Guardian • 22nd May 2023

Dante Ross: "the Forrest Gump of hip-hop"

“The Forrest Gump of hip-hop” sounds like an incongruous nickname. But Ross is thrilled with the title. “Gump is the connector,” he explains. “He’s connected to all these things. But you don’t really know who he is.”

Winter is Coming • 6th April 2023

Tolkien translation unearthed in new book

The Battle of Maldon may not have had a great influence on The Lord of the Rings, but it did inspire J.R.R. Tolkien to create one of his best works outside the Middle-earth legendarium.

Paste Magazine • 3rd March 2023

A Guide to the Music of De La Soul

Having spent decades in legal purgatory, De La Soul's music is finally coming to streaming services. But where is the best place to start with the hip-hop trio's diverse catalogue?

Quillette • 28th February 2023

Words Are the Only Victors

The appearance of Victory City in the aftermath of the attack on Salman Rushdie is a powerful celebration of his literary voice, as well as his fearless advocacy for free speech.

StarTrek.com • 22nd December 2022

A Q Carol: Star Trek's Christmas episode

With its humanist outlook, Star Trek has never produced a traditional Christmas episode. But one of its most popular instalments is based on Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol.

Winter is Coming • 11th November 2022

The Fall of Númenor: a redundant but beautiful addition to Tolkien's canon

The reordering of previously published text fragments is now the driving creative act behind the Tolkien industry - as if moving the puzzle pieces of these unfinished writings will somehow reveal new insights.

The Guardian • 21st October 2022

Alis Lesley: the ‘female Elvis’ on Bob Dylan’s new book cover

Positioned between Little Richard and Eddie Cochran is a rock ’n’ roll star who had a short-lived music career. So why has Bob Dylan chosen this relative unknown to front his essay collection?

Winter is Coming • 1st September 2022

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth shows the scale of Tolkien's achievement

Foster describes his book as the culmination of “ten years of intermittent labour.” Whether fans have a previous edition or are coming to it for the first time with this reissue, they will agree that it was labour well spent.

Winter is Coming • 25th June 2022

Christopher Tolkien's legacy shines in The Great Tales Never End

Christopher’s approach always gave the sense of someone working faithfully in the background, out of the limelight. This new essay collection shines a light on his powerful impact on Middle-earth.

StarTrek.com • 29th April 2022

Captain Kirk's Favourite Poem

Kirk’s poetic reference highlights the tension that often comes with scientific progress – whether we belong to the age of seafarers or the age of starfarers.

Winter is Coming • 7th March 2022

Remembering Priscilla Tolkien

Priscilla Tolkien always spoke of her father’s work with pleasure and pride. Fans can honour her memory by continuing to preserve the fellowship they share in their passion for J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.

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.