In no small part, the richly imagined and detailed mythology of British writer J.R.R. Tolkien was born of his revulsion towards mechanised warfare and industrialisation, yet today, pieces of it have been appropriated to serve ideologies that advance the same forces.

Ironic names

Recently, a private company, Reflect Orbital, announced plans to launch a satellite called Earendil-1, which it said would reflect sunlight from orbit around the earth towards the ground, in a bid to increase the efficiency of solar cells. Eärendil is a legendary voyager and a bearer of light through the heavens in Tolkien’s cosmology. Even before launch, Reflect’s project has raised questions about governing orbital debris, ownership of reflected energy, and light pollution.

Earlier this year, two other U.S.-ba

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