Tom Doyle
@tomdoyle.bsky.social
science fiction and fantasy writer, author of the American Craftsmen trilogy, Border Crosser, and the Agent of Exiles audio adventure series.
He may have been arguing for Earendil's execution because he knows he leads a couple of different ways to the downfall of Numenor?
February 5, 2026 at 6:03 PM
He may have been arguing for Earendil's execution because he knows he leads a couple of different ways to the downfall of Numenor?
Sometimes he's fricken' hilarious. E.g., when Fëanor says “I shall be slain, first of all in Aman,” Mandos replies “Not the first," because he knows Fëanor's father has just been killed. He's like Middle Earth's Janet from #TheGoodPlace.
February 5, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Sometimes he's fricken' hilarious. E.g., when Fëanor says “I shall be slain, first of all in Aman,” Mandos replies “Not the first," because he knows Fëanor's father has just been killed. He's like Middle Earth's Janet from #TheGoodPlace.
Mandos's penchant for spoilers also explains why Glorfindel comes back to Middle Earth with one of the biggest--that the Lord of the Nazgul wouldn't fall by the hand of man.
February 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Mandos's penchant for spoilers also explains why Glorfindel comes back to Middle Earth with one of the biggest--that the Lord of the Nazgul wouldn't fall by the hand of man.
Mandos's music obsession explains why he takes pity on Lúthien. She sings to him, and it sucker punches him. It's original music he didn't hear before in the creation, and it's as unspeakably sad and beautiful as that first music. Because he didn't know it was coming, he can act.
February 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Mandos's music obsession explains why he takes pity on Lúthien. She sings to him, and it sucker punches him. It's original music he didn't hear before in the creation, and it's as unspeakably sad and beautiful as that first music. Because he didn't know it was coming, he can act.
But whenever the gods meet and make decisions, Mandos can't resist throwing in a cryptic comment when they go astray, like the decision to bring the Elves to Aman in the first place. Spock used to say stuff like this in the background, and no one would listen.
February 5, 2026 at 5:59 PM
But whenever the gods meet and make decisions, Mandos can't resist throwing in a cryptic comment when they go astray, like the decision to bring the Elves to Aman in the first place. Spock used to say stuff like this in the background, and no one would listen.
Some more on Tolkien's later revised fanboy Mandos: Illuvatar and Co. hate spoilers as much as Doctor Who, so they tell Mandos to take his album liner notes and go run the house of the dead, because the dead are the only ones to whom Mandos can safely talk about what he knows (mostly).
February 5, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Some more on Tolkien's later revised fanboy Mandos: Illuvatar and Co. hate spoilers as much as Doctor Who, so they tell Mandos to take his album liner notes and go run the house of the dead, because the dead are the only ones to whom Mandos can safely talk about what he knows (mostly).
Mandos was the ultimate fan boy of the music of the Ainur--while everyone else was awed by the beauty, he was memorizing the liner notes like a crazed Springsteen fan. He knows all the spoilers, and can barely contain himself from gabbing them all away.
February 5, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Mandos was the ultimate fan boy of the music of the Ainur--while everyone else was awed by the beauty, he was memorizing the liner notes like a crazed Springsteen fan. He knows all the spoilers, and can barely contain himself from gabbing them all away.
I think the problem here may be that the Thangorodrim and Angband proper may just have been tips of Morgoth's underworld empire, because the Valar had to destroy all of Beleriand to root him out. It's probably like underground trench warfare in Tolkien's head.
February 5, 2026 at 4:32 PM
I think the problem here may be that the Thangorodrim and Angband proper may just have been tips of Morgoth's underworld empire, because the Valar had to destroy all of Beleriand to root him out. It's probably like underground trench warfare in Tolkien's head.
Dwells fully in that Venn intersection of the religious and the fantastical. Some of his work is here in the US--I need to make the effort to see sometime.
February 2, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Dwells fully in that Venn intersection of the religious and the fantastical. Some of his work is here in the US--I need to make the effort to see sometime.
First hear about Clarke in a Teaching Company course on the Irish Identity--not a peep before. Shows how the literary side usually overwhelms such discussions. The lectures also did a good job of revising and elevating Lady Gregory's status in the Celtic revival.
February 2, 2026 at 5:42 PM
First hear about Clarke in a Teaching Company course on the Irish Identity--not a peep before. Shows how the literary side usually overwhelms such discussions. The lectures also did a good job of revising and elevating Lady Gregory's status in the Celtic revival.
Even better is his patron saint of bees. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_G...
Saint Gobnait (Clarke) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 2, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Even better is his patron saint of bees. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_G...
Still have to face an angry Theodora.
February 2, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Still have to face an angry Theodora.
Ooh, also, if you haven't a zillion times before, check out Harry Clarke's St. Brigid work for the day: roaringwaterjournal.com/2025/02/02/h...
Harry Clarke’s Brigid
Harry did several wonderful St Brigid windows, and included Brigid as a saint in larger scenes. There are also Brigid windows attributed to him that he actually didn’t do, but that’s a blog for ano…
roaringwaterjournal.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Ooh, also, if you haven't a zillion times before, check out Harry Clarke's St. Brigid work for the day: roaringwaterjournal.com/2025/02/02/h...
"The keys to. Given! A way a lone a last a loved a long the..."
February 2, 2026 at 3:33 AM
"The keys to. Given! A way a lone a last a loved a long the..."
Tyler (singing): "Charlie Jane's got a pun."
February 2, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Tyler (singing): "Charlie Jane's got a pun."
Combine it with Joyce's birthday tomorrow and Anna Livia Plurabelle and make a big Celtic mess of it and Brigid will surely feel at home.
February 2, 2026 at 3:18 AM
Combine it with Joyce's birthday tomorrow and Anna Livia Plurabelle and make a big Celtic mess of it and Brigid will surely feel at home.
There can be only one.
a young boy in a white shirt is standing in front of a fence and smiling
ALT: a young boy in a white shirt is standing in front of a fence and smiling
media.tenor.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:00 PM
There can be only one.
Shoot, I thought that was just a natural result of Chinese takeout--they send soy and duck sauce, you use the soy and save the duck sauce for "later." Only later never comes, does it? This is as bad as when I learned my dog didn't really go to the farm upstate.
January 31, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Shoot, I thought that was just a natural result of Chinese takeout--they send soy and duck sauce, you use the soy and save the duck sauce for "later." Only later never comes, does it? This is as bad as when I learned my dog didn't really go to the farm upstate.
Billy Bragg has a Minneapolis song on youtube now: "City of Heroes."
January 31, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Billy Bragg has a Minneapolis song on youtube now: "City of Heroes."
"The Ones Who Belong in the Omelas Hole." I think the part about it making the society happier just knowing they were there would actually work.
January 29, 2026 at 1:21 PM
"The Ones Who Belong in the Omelas Hole." I think the part about it making the society happier just knowing they were there would actually work.