What folks call dark fantasy — that niche within fantasy of bloody tales full of morally grey people, supernatural forces and a distinct lack of happy endings — has become incredibly popular over the last few years.
But who are the progenitors of the dark fantasy movement? What are their key works?
Here’s a thought-provoking list from io9 of some of the landmark titles that have helped define dark fantasy. It contains some interesting entries.
One readers of Tolkien will certainly recognise is The Children of Hurin — a grim read if ever there was one. Beowulf and The Kalavela were also key inspirations for Tolkien. Victorian proto-fantasy author William Morris was too, although Tolkien’s letters cite influence from The House of the Wolflings and The Roots of the Mountains rather than Williams’ archaically-styled magnum opus The Well at the World’s End. Continue reading “A list of the landmark novels in the history of Dark Fantasy”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Emil over at LOTRProject has painstakingly assembled a new graphic comparing the distance each of our protagonists (Bilbo and Frodo) travel in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
I am very happy to reveal this interactive distance vs time chart of the journeys by Bilbo and Frodo in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. It contains information about each day. I hope you will find it interesting.
Continue reading “Compare the time and distance travelled in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Many people have written to us over the last five or so days about a story that has begun circulating around the internet concerning Thorin Oakenshield and the final Hobbit film, The Battle of the Five Armies.
Frankly, we hoped this story would die a quiet death because it is simply not credible. However, a couple of web media outlets have picked it up so somewhat reluctantly here we are quashing a rumour that simply has no credence at all.
Seeing as this is obviously leading us into spoiler territory, if you are avoiding them or have not read the book (I know there are a few of you out there), then look away now. Continue reading “Debunking that Hobbit movie rumour about Thorin Oakenshield”
Tolkien scholar John Garth reviews Tolkien’s long-awaited translation of Beowulf (together with the short story Sellic Spell) in The New Statesman.
J R R Tolkien’s Beowulf: one man’s passion for the threshold between myth and reality
by John Garth
In his story “Leaf by Niggle”, J R R Tolkien imagines an artist painting a picture he can neither complete nor abandon. “It had begun with a leaf caught in the wind, and it became a tree; and the tree grew, sending out innumerable branches, and thrusting out the most fantastic roots.” In the end the picture is never put on show. Continue reading “John Garth reviews Tolkien’s Beowulf translation”
This Saturday at 6pm ET, Hall of Fire will explore the link between J.R.R. Tolkien and one of the things he most loved — trees.
There is no doubt that trees had a special place in Tolkien’s heart. In Middle-earth they whisper, they walk, and before Sun and Moon was made, two trees gave light to the world.
The forces of darkness, like Saruman and his orcs delight in cutting the woods down, but in Middle-earth the trees themselves can go to war, led by those most curious of Tolkiens creations: the shepherds of the trees. Continue reading “Hall of Fire chat topic this Saturday: Trees and Tolkien”
In our latest Library feature, Tedoras muses on how we can view Gandalf as the prime extension of the will of J.R.R. Tolkien within The Lord of Rings.
Gandalf as Tolkien’s Will
By Tedoras
“Hobbits really are amazing creatures,” a wise man once remarked. While Gandalf was indeed right about that, it is a rather fatuous comment for such a sage to make. The praises of the halflings are sung perpetually in our fandom, as they rightfully are affirmed by their deeds in the legendarium. But it is certainly time we reexamined our relationship with Gandalf — for here, truly, is an amazing creature.
Continue reading “Gandalf as Tolkien’s Will”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
