Entries tagged with promo posts

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The Adventures of Tom Bombadil Promo Post

a rustic path through woodland with a fence to the right

Summary: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poems set in Middle-earth around the time of The Lord of the Rings. Some of them are purported to be written by Frodo or Sam, but many have more mysterious origins, or have clearly been passed down from older times as oral tradition among hobbits.

Why should I check out this canon?
Did you enjoy the Hobbit poetry in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, such as Roads Go Ever On and On or Sam's poem about the Oliphaunt? Would you like to read more poetry about and by hobbits? Then The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is the canon for you! From the ridiculous "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" to the epic "The Hoard" to the sad "Sea-bell" and "The Last Ship," there's all kinds of poems here for the enjoying!

Where can I get this?
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is sold as a book on its own wherever you would normally purchase books. It’s also available in Kindle format from Amazon. If you aren’t able to obtain it for whatever reason, let me (@elwinfortuna) know, and I’ll provide you with a copy.

What fanworks already exist?
There are 21 works so far on AO3, and they involve everything from femslash about Mee and Shee, to exploring what Gorcrows are, to works inspired by the various poems.

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Finn and Hengest Promo Post

(Image credit: Mike Pennington, shared under Creative Commons 2.0)

Summary: Finn and Hengest contains Tolkien's translations of and commentary on two Old English texts - the "Finnesburg Fragment" and a small excerpt from Beowulf. Both are allusive accounts of the Battle of Finnsburg, a medieval Germanic conflict which we now know about only from Anglo-Saxon poetic sources. Tolkien's translation and commentary bring the battle to life for modern English readers while proposing solutions to the central mysteries of the texts.

Why should I check out this canon? Admittedly this is not Tolkien's most accessible work, but if you're interested in seeing his linguistic/philological practice in action, this is for you! What emerges is a tragic story of betrayal and divided loyalties, broken oaths, and vengeance. It's also a fascinating text for anyone interested in the history of northern Europe, the origins of England and the mythologising of Englishness, or medieval languages.

Where can I get this? It isn't the easiest text to get hold of but can be ordered online, either new or second hand - though if you're affiliated to a school or university you may be able to access an online version free of charge through your institution's SSO. Amazon also offer a digital copy for a few pounds/dollars cheaper than the physical book, if you'd prefer to use an e-reader.

What fanworks already exist? There are a couple of crossover fics in Russian on AO3, but that's all I could find, so the ground is pretty open!

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Tolkien (2019) Promo Post

Summary: This 2019 biopic explores the early life of J. R. R. Tolkien – the friendships he forged at school in Birmingham and later at Oxford, his romance with Edith Bratt, his experiences in the First World War, and of course the blossoming of his lifelong fascination with linguistics and mythology.

Why should I check out this canon? Let’s get this out of the way up front – opinions on the film were decidedly mixed when it came out. Yes, I admit, it does take a few liberties with the facts as we might know them from Humphrey Carpenter’s biography, the Letters, or John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War – but in terms of situating the man and his passions within the generation of doomed young men who went to war and came back irrevocably changed, if they came back at all? It nails it. The cast are wonderful, the score gorgeous, and there are some lovely nods to book-readers: the scene with Edith dancing in the woods, which famously inspired the meeting of Beren and Lúthien, is beautifully done. What makes this film for me, though, is Tolkien’s relationship with his school friends – especially with Geoffrey Bache Smith. (The queer subtext is very, very deliberate.)

Where can I get this? In the UK it’s available on Disney+, or to rent on Amazon Prime for £3.49. Availability in other geographies may vary. A quick Google suggests it’s not too tricky to get hold of on DVD or Blu-Ray so your local public library might be an option too.

What fanworks already exist? According to the AO3 tags there are 36 hosted there, although in reality it's fewer than that - Tolkien (2019) seems to have been adopted as an umbrella tag, which makes it harder to filter! If you scroll through, though, there are at least a dozen fics based on the film, ranging from tiny ficlets to novellas. Many involve Tolkien interacting with characters from his own legendarium.

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The Notion Club Papers Promo Post

A rainy day seen through a window. The camera focused on the raindrops on the window, rendering the cityscape beyond blurry.

(written by

Perching )

Summary: In 1980s Oxford, professor Michael Ramer discovers a method for the mind to travel in time and space while the body is asleep. He presents his discoveries to the Notion Club, a social group strikingly similar to the Inklings of the 30s and 40s, and while some are skeptical, others take off with the idea. Then one night, a great storm rises up out of the west, and Arundel Lowdham cries to the others, “The Eagles of the Lords of the West are at hand!” A time travel story connecting the mythological fall of Númenor to the (then) near future of the 1980s, The Notion Club Papers went forever unfinished, and by the end of it the main characters have experienced only one major dream/vision: that of Ælfwine, an Englishman from the Middle Ages. In an outline, Tolkien gestures towards the tale of Ælfwine meeting Elves on Tol Eressëa, a “Beleriand tale”, and the fall of Númenor as told through the eyes of Elendil and his friend Voronwë. Why should I check out this canon? The Notion Club Papers draws on many more famous aspects of the Legendarium and will appeal to fans of:

Númenor and its fall
Ælfwine and his meeting with the Elves
portal fantasy and contemporary fantasy
crossovers between Middle-earth and the modern day
and, of course, the Inklings.

Where can I get this? The entire text of The Notion Club Papers, including commentary by Tolkien’s son Christopher, can be found in volume nine of The History of Middle-earth, which is titled Sauron Defeated. Check your library and any local bookstores, or buy it online.

What fanworks exist already? Fanworks of The Notion Club Papers are, not surprisingly, hard to come by. fanfiction.net hosts at least one work by shakespeareanfish, which you can read here. AO3 has a recently posted piece of meta in Russian. JD-Kloosterman on DeviantArt has contributed fanart. Between these works, there’s lots of space for fans to take up a pen (or keyboard, paintbrush, stylus, etc.) and bring something new to The Notion Club Papers universe.

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Beowulf Promo Post

(Image credit: J. R. Skelton, 1908)

Summary: Hwæt! New to Innumerable Stars this year is Tolkien's prose translation of Beowulf, the Old English epic which underpinned his academic career and informed so much of his legendarium. This is a tale of heroes and monsters, loyalty and sacrifice, history and kinship, memory and grief. Beowulf does battle with the terrifying Grendel, with Grendel's lake-dwelling mother, and finally, in old age, a dragon. Throughout the poem there are a number of digressions - on the Swedish-Geatic wars, on Biblical stories, and on other tales and legends of the old Germanic world. Scholars are divided on how much these help or hinder the narrative; for Tolkien (and later scholars such as Shippey) they are important reflections both of the history of the North and of the themes within the poem's main narrative.

Why should I check out this canon? For Tolkien completists this is a must-read. As with all his translations and non-Middle-earth texts, there are plenty of resonances and parallels with his more famous works - from the elegiac tone to the exchange with the wily old dragon (direct inspiration for Glaurung and Smaug), from the culture and history of Rohan and its linguistic links with the Shire to meditations on the nature of monstrousness. If you're already familiar with the source material then this is, as you would expect, a highly accurate and deeply considered translation. For those not yet familiar, Beowulf is a fascinating and important piece of literature in its own right, as Tolkien argued in his 1936 lecture 'Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics', and if the original Old English looks daunting then this translation is as good a starting point as any. It's a strange read to contemporary eyes, and a bit of a puzzle - critics can't even agree whether the original poem is one text, two, seven, or eleven - but (for some of us anyway) that's part of the the appeal. Grab a copy and see if it casts a spell on you too.

Where can I get this? It was published in 2014 (together with Sellic Spell, two original lays based on the Beowulf legend, and a detailed commentary) as Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary. Your local bookstore or library should be able to help you locate a copy. (Note that the book doesn't contain 'The Monsters and the Critics'; that particular text is available in The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays.)

What fanworks exist already? AO3 doesn't tag the Tolkien version separately, so it's difficult to say, although I couldn't locate any fanworks based specifically on this translation. It's fertile ground for standalone and crossover creations, though, so go forth and tell of the glory of the Spear-Danes in days of old!

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Finrod Rock Opera Promo Post

A still from the Finrod Rock Opera, version staged October 7, 2023. (Teatr-Studio "Portal")

(written by thepastisaroadmap )

Summary: This is a couple different Russian stage productions of the part of the Lay of Lethian focusing on Finrod, which covers the time between Beren and Luthien’s meeting to escape from Tol-in-Gaurhoth. It is a rock opera, which means it’s a sung-through musical.

Why should I check out this canon? Musicals are a good form to adapt the legendarium into! It works particularly well for the battles between Finrod/Luthien and Sauron, where the song bends between their leitmotifs. Truth (Finrod's final song), the meeting of Beren and Luthien, and the quarrel with the sons of Feanor are also really good songs.

There are also some intriguing implications of canon divergence, including Celegorm and Curufin being the only remaining sons of Feanor, Sauron being an amalgamation of himself and Melkor, and the implication of Sauron rehabilitation/orc healing in recent performances (during Galadriel’s final song, Thingol and Melian heal the orcs while Finrod goes to a defeated Sauron and leads him into the cast as a whole). The loyalty between Finrod and Beren is showcased quite strongly; they have a couple of duets together. The 2001 Temple version also includes Caranthir in Nargothrond! (All of the sons of Feanor are still alive in this version, and they’re wearing the burning of the swan ships on their costumes.)

Where can I get this?

Many of the productions exist on YouTube in full! As far as I’m aware, the only English-subtitled versions are this video of the 2014 production and the 2001 Temple production. (These can be machine translated into other languages as well.) However, asterisq on ao3 has created an excellent line-by-line English translation of the lyrics for both the 2014 production and 2021-2023 ones, available here . This YouTube playlist includes full versions of many other productions.

What fanworks exist already?

There are not very many fanworks for this, but one I particularly like is this really lovely piece of fan art . There is also a small fandom for this show on tumblr!

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Roverandom Promo Post

Photo of a small black and white dog chasing a tennis ball toward the camera. Dog and ball are on a gravel road in the countryside, with trees and greenery in the background.

(written by

aprilertuile )

Summary: Roverandom is the incredibly cute story of a small dog that gets turned into a toy dog by a wizard and sold to a family with children. While Roverandom just thinks of escaping and being turned back into a real dog, his new owner, Little Boy Two, loses Roverandom on the beach.

The story contain wizards, a visit and life on the moon and in the sea, it also contains dragons, and Roverandom’s adventures to be turned back into a real dog.

Why should I check out this canon? It’s a beautiful little story that contains everything one might want: dogs, adventure, magic, a bit of mythology, new friendships. It’s entertaining, and has dogs and dragons. (Don’t go and poke at the dragon, he’s ill-tempered)

Where can I get this? Roverandom is available in libraries, perhaps even your local one, or book shops. It is also available from online booksellers. Roverandom is included in Tales From the Perilous Realm, which is available on the Internet Archive.

What fanworks exist already? There are 18 fanworks on AO3, and another 3 on Fanfiction.net. Four are also available on the Silmarillion Writers' Guild

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Adventures in Middle Earth Promo Post

Game sheet with many dice of various varieties (D4, D6, D8, D12, D20) against a red and white background

Written by

jaz-the-bard

Summary: Adventures in Middle Earth is a tabletop roleplaying game set in Middle-Earth between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The system is based on Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, but can also be played in its own system, The One Ring RPG, and it has a sister game: The Lord of the Rings for 5e and The One Ring 2e. The game has premade adventures, such as political intrigue in Dale, a particularly persistent undead creature trying to do Sauron's bidding, and venturing -- carefully -- into Angmar, but there's no need to stop at the published plotlines!

Why should I check out this canon? AiME is a lore-knowledgeable game designed specifically around Arda, both thematically (misdeeds and influence of the Shadow cause player characters to slowly become corrupted) and practically (journeys from one place to another are fleshed out and feel like real adventure, as do audiences with powerful figures). Characters from the books make appearances, and have in-depth guides on how they should act, and if you've ever wondered what Legolas's stats are, there's an answer! And the original characters are just as good, from the ones the adventurers befriend to the ones they desperately want to deck every time they talk. The worldbuilding is top-notch, too, and gives more detail to places that get glossed over in the books!

Where can I get this? AiME and TOR 1e are out of print, but some sourcebooks are available on the Internet Archive, or from people willing to share their copies. LotR 5e and TOR 2e are available to buy online or at some game stores.

What fanworks exist already? In a way, every game of AiME is a live fanwork! But there are some fics on Ao3, and some art that can be found on Tumblr. Most of these feature player heroes in central roles, and let readers glimpse between the pages and see the other heroes Middle-Earth might have.

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The Story of Kullervo Promo Post

Summary: This dark little tale follows "hapless Kullervo" as he tries to reunite with his family after they are torn apart by the evil wizard Untamo, who killed Kullervo's father. Our hero makes Túrin Turambar look like a good luck charm; expect witchy women, terrible twists of fate, incest, and tragedy aplenty. (Oh, and humans descended from swans.)

Why should I check out this canon? Jesting aside, this text genuinely is the forerunner of Túrin's story - Tolkien confirmed as much in Letter 257. Tracing the motifs through is a lot of fun, as is seeing what changed. It's an interesting look at Tolkien's early prose writing (the drafts date from 1914, when he was an undergraduate in Oxford) and also at how he drew on and adapted the epic literature of other countries when creating his own legendarium.

Where can I get this? There's a copy available on the Internet Archive; for physical copies, try your preferred bookseller or your local library.

What fanworks already exist? Nothing comes up in an AO3 search - could you be the one to give this canon the love and attention its tragic soul deserves?

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Horn of Gondor Promo Post

Horn of Gondor fan film promo poster. The poster shows a man on a cliff at blowing a horn against a brilliantly lit sky silhouetting a forest. To the right, a man raises a sword in salute.

(Written by Aprilertuile)

Summary: Horn of Gondor is a fantastic fan film that follows Borondir, a knight of Gondor charged alongside 5 other knights to bring a message to the horse lords of the North, to the Eorlingas. Gondor is in a difficult position, losing a terrible war: will the messengers be able to bring Gondor’s plea for help to the Horse Lords? Will they be in time?

Why should I check out this canon? It’s fan made but it’s beautiful. The cast is PERFECT, the story is full of adventure, the fights are beautiful and the story itself keeps your attention from start to finish, once you start the film you will not be able to look away, and to add to all of it, the decor, the landscape is gorgeous. All of it looks like it belongs in Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Where can I get this? HORN OF GONDOR (2020) A Tolkien Fan Film.

What fanworks exist already? I have alas found no work already existing for this fandom (but you could be the first)

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Smith of Wootton Major Promo Post

Summary: Smith of Wootton Major is a short story full of faery, adventure, baking, and other good things. The eponymous Smith has a stroke of luck as a child that opens the way to Faery, where he travels throughout his life.

Why should I check out this canon? Do you like cake? Baking? Faery? Adventure? Good things happening to people who deserve good things? Hopeful endings? If you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you should definitely check out Smith of Wootton Major.

Where can I get this? At the bookseller or public library of your choice. Be aware that while you can get it as a standalone book, it’s also to be found bundled with other Tolkien short stories in collections such as Tales From The Perilous Realm, or Poems and Stories. (If you’re checking out several of our promo fandoms for the first time, this might be something to keep in mind. There is a copy of Tales From the Perilous Realm available on the Internet Archive.)

What fanworks already exist? At time of writing, there are 33 works on AO3 (one is a translation); 5 may also be found on SWG.

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Call for Fandom Promo Post Volunteers

Calling all fans of our "small" fandoms! Many people are aware of Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and Rings of Power. But there are many more fandoms in Innumerable Stars, and we have a special place in our hearts for the small fandoms.

Last round's promotion of the "small" fandoms was a success. We not only had more nominations for those fandoms, we also had more fanworks for them! So we are planning to do another round of promo posts this year - ideally fresh ones, not just recycling last year’s posts.

We're looking for volunteers willing to write a promo post for one or more of the fandoms on our small fandoms list - meaning any fandom with less than 100 works posted to AO3. We'd also be very excited if anyone wants to promo the fandoms newly added this round - unlike the others, they don't have any posts from previous rounds to fall back on if there are no volunteers.

The promo posts will be posted on Tumblr and Dreamwidth to get people looking at the fandoms in advance of nominations. Your post should answer the following in your own words:

Summary - what is this fandom about?
Why should I check out this canon?
Where can I get this? (The mods are able to assist somewhat with this.)
What fanworks exist already? (We have links to the tags on AO3, but people who are into the fandom can probably add a bit more - you probably know better than we do if there is more to be found and where.)
Optional: provide an image (The image must be either your own work, or a stock photo/other image that allows posting - no copyrighted images, please.)

Note: If you would like to suggest a fandom to be added to Innumerable Stars, now is the time! We are open to adding fandoms based on material written by Tolkien or media adaptations thereof. (Musicals, operas, movies.) We do not add new fandoms once nominations open.

Our small fandoms list is below. Bolded fandoms are new this year - we really need promo posts for these fandoms! The links in most cases go to the works for the fandom on AO3; in a few cases, they go to the work itself. Please note the numbers were accurate at the time the list was compiled, but it's possible more works may post before nominations begin.

( Fandoms List )

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promo posts

The Fall of Arthur (Promo Post)

Summary:

The Fall of Arthur is a narrative poem in alliterative metre by Tolkien. It takes elements from different Arthurian works and sources and recombines them in a way that is all Tolkien's own. As the title says, the subject is the collapse of Arthur's rule through betrayal and his death. It is not complete but reached quite a fair length (a bit less than 1000 lines, in 5 cantos), and there are some of Tolkien's working notes for the unwritten end included in the edition.

Why should I check out this canon:

As a kind of crossover, this work is likely to be especially interesting to those who have an interest in Arthur, Gawain, and the other Arthurian characters more generally. Tolkien is partly inspired by some less well-known medieval sources, so it may be a fresh angle on Arthurian lore to readers for that reason, too. Particularly interesting and original is the complex shading of Tolkien's portrait of Guinevere. The work will also appeal to those who like Tolkien's other narrative poems or read works in modern alliterative verse. There is some great storm imagery and description in there, for instance. The piece is also interesting as demonstrating one of the sources of inspiration for Tolkien that have received less attention than the Germanic tradition. The poem work could both inspire further Arthuriana and crossovers with Tolkien’s non-Arthurian works.

Where can I get this?

This is one of the lesser-known works of Tolkien, partly because it was published quite late, even though its existence was known much earlier. The text is available in a hardcover edition, with a significant amount of supplementary material for those who wish to delve deeper. An electronic copy of this is also available on the Internet Archive to those with print disabilities. It is also possible to get a taster by hunting down some substantial quotations online, as the online reviews that appeared on its publication tend to do a fair amount of quoting.

What fanworks already exist?

There are currently six works in the AO3 tag, of which four are crossovers with other Tolkien works (one is a poem) and one is a moodboard.

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Promo Post: The Book of Lost Tales

(written by dawn_felagund )

Summary: Tolkien began writing the "Silmarillion" as a young man in the trenches of World War I. The Book of Lost Tales are the stories he penned during this period of his life and represent his earliest work on the "Silmarillion." Many of the familiar tales are already present in their early form: the cosmic conflict between the Valar and Melkor, the tale of Beren and Lúthien, and the Fall of Gondolin, to name just three. These stories are embedded in a frame narrative where the Anglo-Saxon mariner Eriol ends up visiting Eressëa and hearing a series of stories from the Elven residents there. The Lost Tales were never finished in their entirety, so while some of the early stories are complete, others are fragmentary or just outlines. Each tale is accompanied by commentary from Christopher Tolkien, who edited the collection.

Why Should I Check Out This Canon? The Lost Tales are recognizably "Silmarillion" stories, yet they differ greatly in style and tone from Tolkien's later work. They are more whimsical and more like the Victorian fairy-stories that Tolkien later denigrated. Magical elements abound, and the texts are more playful than the more sober "Silmarillion" texts Tolkien would write in the decades to come. In addition, they contain copious detail, especially about the Valar and Maiar, their homes in Valinor, and their adventures against Melkor.

For creators who work with the published Silmarillion, the Lost Tales can provide canon details that expand what is available in The Silmarillion (Nienna lives in a hall constructed of bat wings!) or deviate from it in surprising and delightful ways (Sauron is the prince of cats!)

Where Can I Get This? The Book of Lost Tales comprise the first two volumes of the History of Middle-earth series. They are available as both print and ebooks. For a reader not up for two volumes of sometimes dense reading, individual stories stand well on their own.

What Fanworks Already Exist? There is no tag on AO3 specifically for The Book of Lost Tales. Creators use several different Tolkien tags to mark these works. On AO3, you may have luck finding Lost Tales fanworks here. The #book of lost tales tag on Tumblr has more fanworks.

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Promo Post: Born of Hope

(Written by Aprilertuile)

Summary: Born of Hope tells us the meeting and love story of Arathorn and Gilraen, who would later become the parents of Aragorn, at a difficult time when Sauron’s power is growing and the orcs are looking for the Dúnedain, and more specifically, for the heir of Isildur.

Why should you check this fandom: If you liked the Lord of the Rings, you should really check this movie. It’s fan made, and very well made, it has the Dúnedain’s recent history, orcs, danger, impressive skirmishes, the wilderness of Middle Earth, Elladan and Elrohir and also... Baby Estel.

Where can I get this? Born of Hope is available here : Born of Hope - Lord of the Rings fan film prequel

Or here : Born of Hope - Full Movie - Original

What fanworks exist already?

There are 9 fanworks on AO3. The fanfictions are nice to read to continue the adventure.

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promo posts

Promo Post: The Notion Club Papers

Summary

One of Tolkien's most obscure and unfinished works, The Notion Club Papers came about as the result of an agreement with his friend C S Lewis. Lewis took on the challenge of writing a space-travel story, which became his Space Trilogy, whereas Tolkien was clearly all in on Middle-earth at the time and never made it very far into his time-travel story.

The end result that we have is two versions of the beginning of what could have been a much larger tale, consisting of fragments and a somewhat puzzling narrative along with characters clearly based on (admittedly!) the Inklings themselves. The story itself, what exists of it, gives hints of H G Wells' The Time Machine, Charlie Stross' Laundry Files, or, naturally, C S Lewis and his Space Trilogy, to which it is at least partially a response.

Why Should I Check Out This Canon?

I think there is honestly so much untapped potential here for both writers and artists, however, it's probably not to everyone's taste. But if you like the Inklings themselves and would be intrigued by a fictional version, if you like the idea of piecing together fragments of a larger work, if you're inspired to fill in gaps and explore dark recesses, if you're wondering how Tolkien would have perceived the future (1980s-1990s and 2012), or if you're a fan of Aelfwine, then have a look and see what you make of it!

Where Can I Get This?

This is only available in The History of Middle-earth, Volume 9, Sauron Defeated, and makes up the second half of the volume. It was published in the 1990s and is probably available in your local library or bookshop, though it might have to be special-ordered. If you cannot get hold of it another way, please get in touch with me (edgeoflight) / elwinfortuna and I'll arrange to get you a copy.

What Fanworks Already Exist?

Nothing, nada, zilch! If you want to break some new ground here, you absolutely can.

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Promo Post: The Story of Kullervo

(written by Zhie)

Summary Do you like to write fanfiction? Yeah, I bet you do.

Know who else did?

Tolkien. Tolkien fanboyed on The Kalevala so hard when he read it in 1911, he wrote The Story of Kullervo.

This fanfic has everything you would expect from Tolkien. An evil magician, orphans, kidnapping, twins, a helpful dog with a terrible fate, revenge themes, lots of dead bodies, and of course, a talking sword.

Why should I check out this canon? If you want to go two degrees of Kalevala and write some darkfic, this is the story for you.

It's about 35 pages long minus the intro and notes by Verlyn Flieger, so even if you just read the story and don't actually write anything…

…at least it's not that long, and you'll leave thinking 'wow, maybe Turin didn't have it quite so bad'.

Where can I get this? At the bookstore or library of your choice. There is also a copy available to borrow on the Internet Archive.

What fanworks already exist? The only thing this fanfic doesn't have is many other fanfics about this fanfic. There's one on AO3. One. The ink on the fandom tag is still wet and it's sitting in Uncategorized Fandoms. Won't you consider writing some Kullervo fic so that this AO3 tag can find it's forever home on the category page?

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Promo Post: The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún

Summary

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is a set of two narrative poems by Tolkien based on stories from Norse mythology: Völsungakviða en nýja (The New Lay of the Völsungs) and Guðrúnarkviða en nýja (The New Lay of Gudrún). Despite their Norse titles, these poems are in English, composed in alliterative verse.

Like The Silmarillion, "The New Lay of the Völsungs" begins with the creation of the world. It then follows the descent of the legendary Völsung family, ending with Sigurd the Dragonslayer. The poem recounts Sigurd's heroic deeds and the complicated entanglements of oaths, love, and betrayal that develop between Sigurd, the former Valkyrie Brynhild, the warrior lord Gunnar, and Gunnar's sister Gudrún.

"The New Lay of Gudrún" continues the story of Gudrún after Sigurd's murder: her grief for Sigurd, her second marriage to Atli (a mythologized version of Attila the Hun), the trap Atli lays for Gudrún's brothers, and the terrible fate of Atli and Gudrún's children.

Why Should I Check Out This Canon?

It's a dramatic story of heroism, torn loyalties, fate, love, and hatred! If you enjoy those themes in Tolkien's other works, you'll find them here too.

If you've enjoyed Norse myths or other versions of the Sigurd story, you might also like this one.

If you liked Tolkien's poetry in The Lord of the Rings or the Lays of Beleriand, here's another hoard of it. He makes writing alliterative verse look easy.

You also get a look at some of the sources for Tolkien's Middle-earth works. I don't mean only the plot elements that have been noted by many literary critics, such as the similarities of Túrin's dragon-slaying adventure to Sigurd's. Having these legends in Tolkien's own words can help show the connections he made in his own mind between Norse legend and his Legendarium. Taking just one stanza as an example:

The Gods gathered
on golden thrones,
of doom and death
deeply pondered,
how fate should be fended,
their foes vanquished,
their labour healed,
light rekindled.

That sounds a lot like the Valar in the Silmarillion, doesn't it? And there are plenty more resemblances to find.

Where Can I Get This?

Your local bookstore or library, or the Internet Archive.

What Fanworks Already Exist?

There is one work in Russian on AO3, a fic cross-tagged with the Silmarillion; I don't know Russian, but it seems to be a darker take on the Beren and Lúthien story. (The AO3 tag is here.)

One work from

b2mem here, a recording of four stanzas from "The New Lay of the Völsungs" set to music and sung. Full Disclosure: This one is by me.

In other words, if you want to create fanworks for this, the field is wide open!

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promo posts

Promo Post: The Hunt for Gollum

Summary

The Hunt for Gollum is a fan film from the UK, directed and produced by the same team that created Born of Hope, and released in 2009. This 40 minute film covers events from the LOTR appendices about Aragorn's search for and capture of Gollum.

Why Should I Check Out This Canon?

It fleshes out an aspect of the story we only really hear about in passing, adds some fun additional original characters that would be enjoyable to hear more about, and gives a new perspective on Aragorn.

Where Can I Get This?

It's available on YouTube here: The Hunt for Gollum. Please note that this is a version uploaded in 2019 with improved audio and a slightly different edit to the original.

What Fanworks Already Exist?

None yet! You could be the first! Although there are a few fanworks depicting this event based on the LOTR books or movies, there is nothing dealing with events as portrayed in this short film.

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Promo Post: Sir Orfeo

Summary: You may be familiar with the Greek myth of Orpheus, who entered the Underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice back from death (and even if you don’t know it, you might be noticing similarities between a certain man and half-Maia of Silmarillion fame). ‘Sir Orfeo’ is a Middle English poem which relocates the story to England and weaves in elements of Celtic myth and folklore. Tolkien’s translation of the poem was published together with ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ and ‘Pearl’, plus his commentary on all three texts.

Why should I check out this canon? You’ll spot plenty of familiar Middle-earth motifs in this text; opportunities for crossover shenanigans are plentiful! There’s some fascinating stuff to play around with in terms of the nature of Faery (let’s just say the Otherworld depicted in this poem is a startling departure from the takes on Faery that we might be more familiar with these days – the perilous realm indeed). If you’re artistically inclined then there are some amazing scenes and images just crying out to be illustrated. It’s also a great text for examining how myths evolve over time and absorb influences of the cultures retelling them.

Where can I get this? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, together with Pearl and Sir Orfeo was first published in 1975, so there are several editions available – try your preferred bookshop, online retailer, or public library. (If you feel like treating yourself, or someone else with a love of Tolkien or Medieval literature, there is an absolutely gorgeous 2020 hardcover edition complete with slip case.) The 1975 edition is available as a PDF on the Internet Archive.

What fanworks already exist? The Tolkien version isn’t tagged separately on AO3, but there is one three-sentence fic that crosses the poem with Farmer Giles of Ham. So if you’re looking to break new ground with your IS fanworks this year, check this text out!