Talking Sauron on The Athrabeth Podcast

From "Mairon" to Metatextual Shapeshifting to Sauron the Reformer and Arda Marred and Unmared.

I recently got the opportunity to talk with Jude Vais and Stef Midlock of the Athrabeth Podcast about my favorite lesser-trod path: Sauron. From the name “Mairon” and what it can tell us about Sauron’s nature and fall, to Sauron’s precursors in The Book of Lost Tales and how they may have influenced Sauron’s development into different “modes” across Tolkien’s lifetime, to Sauron the Reformer and how he fits into the greater metaphysical context exemplified by Arda Unmarred, Arda Marred, and Arda Healed, we dive deep into Tolkien’s most famous baddie.

Thanks to Stef and Jude for this awesome recording experience: I had a wonderful time. I’ve enjoyed the Athrabeth Podcast for a while so getting to appear on it to talk Tolkien and Sauron was kind of surreal! Be sure to check out some of their other episodes for some fascinating deep dives into Tolkien’s Legendarium.

You can stream through Spotify below or find the episode on all the major podcast services.

---