  Michael Adams — From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages
Adams’s introductory chapter deals with the spectrum of linguistic invention, and considers the motivations for such inventions. He considers whether invented languages are an attempt to re-create “the language of Adam”, i.e., a perfected language as spoken by Adam before the fall (it appears that Adams takes the Biblical texts quite literally here), and considers slang and poetry as examples of human linguistic creativity; Adams is the author of Slang: The People’s Poetry(Oxford Press, 2009). I have a Nibling infestation!
Book Review: The Genesis of Oblivion Saga Maxwell Alexander DrakeThis month, the Bookshelf comes to you from the site of the Super Bowl, where J.W. (part owner of the Green Bay Packers) tells you all about The Genesis of Oblivion Saga, a series of fantasy books by Maxwell Alexander Drake. (By the way, J.W. apologizes to the good people of Nevada for mispronouncing the state’s name. Hopefully J.W. won’t ever have to talk about a literary executor from Nevada, because then he’ll be in a lot of trouble.) There and Back AgainWhy did Bloomsbury U.K. eventually decide to offer “Harry Potter” books in disguised covers? Because people were ashamed to be seen reading about witches and wizards on the train. Fantasy had been made into a guilty pleasure, like pornography. It was immature, juvenile, escapist. As for all those Tolkien fans who liked to dress up as elves and orcs, the only explanation, spluttered Edmund Wilson in 1956, was that “Certain people . . . have a lifelong appetite for juvenile trash.” This, Michael Saler remarks, “from a man who liked to be called ‘Bunny.’ ” In “As If: Modern Enchantment and the Literary Prehistory of Virtual Reality,” a historical and cultural study of fiction fandom, Mr. Saler counterpunches vigorously against the whole edifice of literary snobbery. What he has to say is so self-evidently right that the fact he has to say it makes one wonder how the critical profession has managed, for so long, to cultivate such a large blind spot. His book should be essential reading in every graduate school of the humanities. But it’s much more fun than that recommendation suggests. More.. Studio Cine Live Goes Hobbit Happy
New Book: The Traitor’s Heir
In an epic tale, the young Eamon Goodman goes on a journey of discovery. A journey which sees him taking a pivotal role in the battle between the rival forces of the king and the master, and from being a young soldier in his home of Edesfield to being a fast-rising hero in the city of Dunthruik. The Wizard of Id Goes Geek Parker and Hart’s ‘Wizard of Id’ has gone geek again with a Gandalf/Balrog reference. Another little post-Christmas present! Hero Worship: Bringing Lord of the Rings to ComicsFor as long as most of us can remember, licensed comics haven been a part of the comic book industry. From the original Star Wars to TRON: Legacy to the bizarre upcoming Prelude to Marvel’s Avengers – a licensed prequel to a comic book adaptation super-movie – these kind of things are standard fare for building a franchise and covering all of the bases. But one franchise in particular – one set to make a huge return in the coming year – has been notably absent from comic books altogether: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. More.. The Dragon’s Egg – High fantasy for young adultsAt Oxford in the nineteen-forties, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was generally considered the most boring lecturer around, teaching the most boring subject known to man, Anglo-Saxon philology and literature, in the most boring way imaginable. “Incoherent and often inaudible” was Kingsley Amis’s verdict on his teacher. Tolkien, he reported, would write long lists of words on the blackboard, obscuring them with his body as he droned on, then would absent-mindedly erase them without turning around. “I can just about stand learning the filthy lingo it’s written in,” Philip Larkin, another Tolkien student, complained about the old man’s lectures on “Beowulf.” “What gets me down is being expected to admire the bloody stuff.” More.. Empire Magazine’s Massive LOTR IssueThanks to Gordon for these scans from Empire Magazine’s 10 Anny LOTR issue. Take a look, and enjoy the look back in time! Official Release: HarperCollins Publishers Releases Enhanced eBook of The Hobbit
HarperCollins Publishers Releases Enhanced eBook of The Hobbit David Brawn, Publisher of Estates at HarperCollins, said: “It is customary for publishers to release new editions of books to commemorate milestone anniversaries, and as we entered The Hobbit’s 75th year, we felt we should acknowledge its success not only in print but also in the eBook world. Many thousands of readers have embraced The Hobbit in the two years since it was first released as an eBook, and with the growing availability of color-enabled devices, we felt it was time to offer an alternative edition, complete with Tolkien’s color pictures from our popular Deluxe edition. Together with J.R.R. Tolkien’s now famous half-hour recording of Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum, the recent discovery of three further unreleased extracts – one long and two short – meant we have been able to enhance the eBook even further. At a time when there is so much speculation about how others are visualizing The Hobbit, it is rather special to be able to read the novel with Tolkien’s own pictures and with parts of it read in his own voice, for a truly authentic experience.” Book Review: “Arda Reconstructed”This month J.W. talks about Anne Frank and reviews “Arda Reconstructed: The Creation of the Published Silmarillion” by Douglas Charles Kane. Order “Arda Reconstructed: The Creation of the Published Silmarillion” on Amazon.com This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2011 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net.
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TORn has discovered a Tolkien-inspired children’s picture book called “
As we excitedly reported last week, HarperCollins Publishers have released an 