Strong Recommend: Elden Ring
Helen is 120 hours deep into the video game Elden Ring, and notices the language of fantasy hasn't changed since Lord of the Rings. Why is that 'house style' so enduring?
If you're interested in fantasy, and fancy taking on a responsibility equivalent to a part-time job, Helen recommends Elden Ring. A wildly popular Japanese video game which allows you to live in a world created by George RR Martin. With place and character names reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, we ask why that is the accepted register of fantasy. Could it be the detail and care which Tolkien gave to his languages, and the sounds of words denoting a sense of place, building a rich landscape? And with companies coming out of Silicon Valley with names like 'Palantir' and 'Mithril', why are the Tech-Right so obsessed with his creations?
Helen also grills Armando on his video-gaming history (whatever the audio equivalent of a 'blink' is, do that, and you'll miss it).
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on 蜜芽传媒 Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a 蜜芽传媒 Studios production for Radio 4.
Podcast
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Strong Message Here
Armando Iannucci and guests decode the utterly baffling world of political language.
