Composer and sound engineer Jordan Rannells (who you might recall from his acclaimed The Lord of the Rings ambient audio soundscape project) has just released a new, immersive work designed to synchronise with Andy Serkis’s unabridged audiobook reading of The Silmarillion.
The project, called The Soundscape of Eä, follows The Silmarillion’s full journey from the Music of the Ainur and the formation of the world, through the wars of Beleriand, and more.
Rannels says that the new soundscape is timed to exactly match Serkis’s audiobook reading, and combines foley audio, original music, ambient nature recordings, and carefully timed sound effects, all engineered in Dolby Atmos to deliver a 3D immersive audio journey through J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
“This is not just a bit of added music: it changes how we can experience these stories,” he says. “We get to hear the song of the Ainur. The hissing and darkness of Ungoliant, and the might of Ancalagon in the War of Wrath.”
Get 25% off any of Jordan Rannell’s soundscapes with TORn
Until January 6, TORn readers can get 25% off not only The Soundscape of Eä, but any of Rannell’s soundscapes over on his website. Just use the special code TORN25 at checkout.
You can also listen to a few samples from The Soundscape of Eä in the Youtube clip below:
The release of The Soundscape of Eä also means listeners are now able to sync an immersive audioscape to Harper Collins’ audiobooks of the three key works of Tolkien’s legendarium: The Silmarillion, The Hobbit (An Unexpected Soundscape), and The Lord of the Rings (A Long-Expected Soundscape). Handily, if this appeals to you, Rannells has bundled them all together in The Legendarium Collection.
We’ve heard a rumour – whispers on the wind… And now we’re excited that our good friends at Syzygy Forge have given us the thumbs up to share this news with you: they are making collectibles for Tolkien fans!
Thus far, the folks at Syzygy Forge have been known in Middle-earth fandom for their whiskey – their Green Dragon wheated whiskey comes in a beautiful bottle (seen above). As licensees of Middle-earth Enterprises, however, they’ve just today announced that they have been given the green light to make other high end collectibles.
What these treasures will be remains to be seen; their teaser trailer is giving very little away. Here’s what their press release tells us:
Syzygy Forge Announces Licensing Partnership with Middle-earth EnterprisesTM to Craft High-End Collectible
Knoxville, October 30th, 2025
Syzygy Forge is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Middle-earth Enterprises, the holders of worldwide rights to The HobbitTM and The Lord of the RingsTM literary works by J.R.R. Tolkien. Known for creating high-quality, handcrafted collectibles, Syzygy Forge will bring to life an exclusive line of pieces inspired by Tolkien’s timeless tales.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone for fans and collectors, uniting Syzygy Forge’s craftsmanship with the timeless world of Middle-earth. The collection will feature limited-edition statues of iconic characters and faithful reproductions of legendary swords, shields, and armor. Each piece will be crafted with extraordinary attention to detail.
In addition to their core collection, Syzygy will collaborate with acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe on a dedicated line of collectibles based exclusively on his original illustrations. This series will celebrate Howe’s influential visual legacy, offering collectors an unprecedented opportunity to own sculptural interpretations drawn directly from his vision of Middle-earth.
“Bringing Tolkien’s universe to life in a tangible, meaningful way is both an honor and a responsibility we embrace with great passion,” said Jordan Costner, Founder & Creative Director at Syzygy Forge. “These collectibles will be more than just display pieces, they will be heirlooms forged with the same reverence that Tolkien poured into his work.”
The first wave of releases, slated to be revealed in 2026, will be officially licensed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Collectors can sign up for early access and exclusive reveals at www.syzygyforge.com.
About Syzygy Forge
Syzygy Forge specializes in high-end collectibles inspired by literature, mythology, and fantasy. Known for blending traditional techniques with modern innovation, their work celebrates the stories that shape imaginations around the world.
About Middle-earth Enterprises
Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of the Embracer Group, holds the exclusive worldwide licensing rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. With a legacy spanning decades, the company has brought Tolkien’s world to life across film, stage, video games, collectibles, and consumer products through partnerships with leading studios and creative teams, including New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Discovery. Today, Middle-earth Enterprises continues to steward and expand these iconic stories for fans around the globe.
Greetings, Ringers! New York Comic Con 2025 is underway, and as ever TheOneRing.net is delighted to be back. It’s always the best of times, when we get to hang out with our fellow fans.
On the show floor, our good friends at Geek Orthodoxare back at Booth 1570. You definitely will want to see the stunning stained glass and window clings on sale there – some incredible new designs are being revealed! AND once again TheOneRing.net’s t-shirt is also available there! Last chance to pick up the 2025 design Prancing Pony Club! Once the convention ends, this exclusive edition disappears forever. So swing by booth 1570 and treat yourself! (It’s more glittery than the image below shows!)
Prancing Pony Club sdcc
As usual, we are hosting our annual geekfest party tonight – and it’s very nearly sold out. Just a few tickets remain; can’t wait to see folks there. We have some amazing giveaways thanks to our friends at Oscha, Syzygy Forge, Shire Post Mint, Sideshow, and more. And we’re thrilled that our party this year is sponsored by Middle-earth Enterprises. We’re going to eat, drink, and be the Hobbit of our choice!
It’s Thursday, and already the Marriott hotel in downtown Atlanta is pulsing with music, crowds and excitement. DragonCon is upon us! And staffers from TORn are looking forward to connecting with our fellow fans.
We’ll be at our ‘fan table’ in our usual spot (Hyatt Exhibition Level, opposite the entrance to the Art Show). We have some awesome new buttons for sale, as well as this year’s shirt designs – the Prancing Pony Club:
And Bilbo from the Rankin/Bass The Hobbit:
Please come by the table and say hi. As an added bonus – if you come and tell us something Boromir would have done (in the style of Denethor, a la ‘Boromir would have remembered his father’s need…’), we have a special secret prize for you!
Join us in Bree!
Friday night is of course the annual ‘Evening at Bree‘, starting at 8.30pm. We’re in the Grand Ballroom in the Courtland Grand (same venue as last year), and we’ll have the Brobdingnagian Bards and Beth Patterson playing again, as well as a new (to Bree) band this year, the duo Kinnfolk. The Elf Choir will sing for us, and of course we’ll have the costume contest. (If you’d like to enter, please sign up before the event, either at the High Fantasy Track room: Marriott L401, or at our table.)
Panels
There is lots to enjoy for Tolkien fans this year. TORn’s own panel, ‘An Hour with TheOneRing.net’, when staffers deej, Madeye Gamgee and greendragon will be joined by TORn’s good friend Knewbettadobetta, is Saturday 5.30pm in the Hyatt International South. You can also find greendragon on The Rings of Power Season 2 panel (Friday 1pm, Marriott A601), and join many excellent Tolkien scholars and friends of TORn for ‘Harmony and Dissonance: Creation in Tolkien’s Mythos’ (Sunday 1pm, Marriott L401). For those who stay right through the end of the con, come and Scour the Shire with us at 11.30am on Monday, Marriott L401.
Dance Party
The High Fantasy Track’s ‘Goblin Ball’ goes 90s this year – and our own deej will be DJing once again! Put on your plaid shirt and DMs, apply some frosty lipstick, and come and party 1990s style. We’ll be dancing in the Marriott A601 from 10pm on Sunday night.
As if that weren’t enough…
Tolkien lovers abound at DragonCon this year! Artist Donato Giancola is well-known to fans of Middle-earth, and he’s this year’s Guest of Honour in the Art Show – so be sure to stop by and visit him there. Another featured guest is singer, songwriter, actor and well-known Tolkien fan Jason Charles Miller, who will be performing and appearing in a couple of panels.
We have one more trip around San Diego Comic-Con 2025 for you. In this episode of the Collecting The Precious Podcast Jim and I, along with very special guest Matt from Nerd of the Rings, talk about the fun that was SDCC 2025. We cover how cool it was, and that despite there wasn’t a film or show coming out this year, that there was awesome stuff to be seen from Weta Workshop, Vanderstelt Studio, Middle-earth Enterprises, and Cliff Cramp Illustrations. That’s not to mention how freaking awesome our booth was.
This amazing piece by Weta Workshop was revealed to the world during Comic-Con 2023. After much turmoil for yours truly, I finally had time to sit down, open, and to review this awesome piece.
This is the limited version of the Fountain Guard statue. In this version you also get the White Tree of Gondor as we see it during much of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Fountain Guard of the White Tree is limited to 905 pieces and is sold out of course but if you’re willing you can snag this on the secondary market. It is, after having had time to stare at it, one of my new favourite pieces.
