NYCC - New York Comic-Con At 12 noon today, TheOneRing.net staff will be presenting An Unofficial Sneak Peek: The Desolation of Smaug in Room 1A14 at the New York Comic-Con.

Join us then! But if you’re going to NYCC, be sure to get in line early — the room may be full!

Plus a quick reminder: swing by the TORn stand at the Con at Booth 3008, particularly if you’re on the hunt for our merchandise. As we’ve previously announced, many of our current designs are being retired and this will be your last opportunity a whole bunch of our awesome t-shirts, buttons and other goodies! Continue reading “Get an unofficial sneak peek at The Desolation of Smaug at Comic-Con today!”

The-Hobbit-illustrated-by-Jemima-Catlin-221x300 By now you’re undoubtedly aware of the newest edition of The Hobbit, illustrated in gorgeous and whimsical fashion by Jemima Catlin.

She was just 23 when artwork she’d created for a personal project on Tolkien’s short story Rover Random came to the notice of literary giants Harper Collins -– and eventually landed her a contract to illustrate The Hobbit.

Here, Tolkien Library chats with her about how it all happened. Continue reading “An interview with Jemima Catlin, newest illustrator of The Hobbit”

We're all going on an adventure.
“I’m going on an adventure!”
In our newest TORn Library feature, Gibbelins muses on the unwedded status of the Fellowship during the Quest to destroy the Ring in The Lord of the Rings. Could it be that Middle-earth adventures are only for bachelors? Continue reading “Are Middle-earth adventures only for bachelors?”

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.

Smaug by Donato GiancolaOur good friends at Harper Collins – Tolkien publishers in the UK – are running a competition where they want to see YOUR version of Tolkien’s mighty dragon Smaug!  They say:

‘Smaug is an incredible and mysterious character, his sleep and anger equally frightful.  J.R.R. Tolkien described and illustrated the dragon with awe-inspiring words and artworks.  Now it’s your turn to create your version of Smaug, as you imagined it when you first read J.R.R. Tolkien’s descriptions.  Illustrators, designers, Hobbit fans of all ages – anyone can enter the competition and submit their Smaug’s artworks to win a fantastic grand prize!’

That prize is a copy of your own illustration, beautifully mounted on canvas!  The winner will also get a collection of Harper Collins Hobbit books.  Ten runners-up will win an exclusive, deluxe print of their artworks.

Smaug, The HobbitGet out those pens, pencils, inks, paint and whatever else takes your fancy, grab a copy of The Hobbit, reread Tolkien’s description of the fiery worm, and get illustrating!  Full details of the contest, and where to submit your artwork, can be found here.  The contest runs until December 13th, when (in many countries) we’ll finally be able to see Peter Jackson’s Smaug in all his glory on the big screen!

Harper Collins will be releasing various movie tie-in books for The Desolation of Smaug on November 7th.  We’ll bring you details – and a chance to win copies! – nearer the time.  Meanwhile you can find more information at Harper Collins’ website, here.

[Click here to enter the Smaug Artwork competition.]

 

The Sun, the Moon and the Stars of Tolkien's universe - Eä.
The Sun, the Moon and the Stars of Tolkien’s universe – Eä. Note: As Larsen explains in the article, there is no evidence that Luinil or Nénar correspond to Neptune and Uranus. Sadly the artist got a bit over-enthusiastic.
The other day, we posted an essay by Ringer DarkJackal over at Heir of Durin exploring the confusion surrounding exactly when Durin’s Day occurs. But even more widely, star lore — and astronomy — plays a significant role in the shaping of Middle-earth, both figuratively and literally.

In this fantastic essay, first presented at the RingCon Tolkien convention in November 2002, Dr. Kristine Larsen, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Central Connecticut State University discusses the evolution of Tolkien’s star lore, and its links with our own stars and constellations. It’s a long read, but quite worthwhile.


The astronomy of Middle-earth

One question we might ask ourselves when embarking on a critical study of Tolkien’s work is “are we just reading too much into a story?” Christopher Tolkien argued for the authenticity of such analysis: “Such inquiries are in no way illegitimate in principle; they arise from an acceptance of the imagined world as an object of contemplation or study valid as many other objects of contemplation or study in the all too unimaginary world.” Continue reading “The astronomy of Middle-earth”

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.