I wrapped up my re-read of The Lord of The Rings and promptly dove into Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. It’s one of those books that’s been on my to-read list for ages, superseding The Martian (which in turn has languished there since I saw the film adaption nearly a decade ago.). And I’m reading… Continue reading Different Books
Tag: The Lord Of The Rings
Expanded Lore
After two seasons I am quite tepid on Amazon’s Rings of Power. Like, the show’s fine, I guess, doing some things well, other things less so. Sometimes it gives decidedly reverent shoutouts to Tolkien’s legendarium, other times it kinda runs roughshod over it, which wouldn’t be so bad except that it strikes me as choosing… Continue reading Expanded Lore
Legends and Legends
I’ve started reading The Silmarillion. Well, re-reading, since I read it for the first time twenty-odd years ago, not long after finishing The Lord of The Rings but before reading The Hobbit (I’m not sure if there’s a wrong way to read Tolkien’s books, but that order doesn’t feel like the right one). The Silmarillion,… Continue reading Legends and Legends
Wars And The War of the Ring
One of the (many) things I love about The Lord of the Rings is how remarkably anti-war it is. It feels like a counterintuitive concept; the book stands triumphant in the canon of the fantasy genre, a genre known for its swords and war-making. Even The Lord of the Rings is built around the precipice… Continue reading Wars And The War of the Ring
Rewriting
November starts in a few days, and with it comes National November Writing Month. After taking last year off, I’m back in it again so expect half-coherent posts next month as I try and slog out 50,000 words. Or more, ideally. I’ve spent a good chunk of this year reverse-engineering an outline from the novel… Continue reading Rewriting
Not Glittery Gold
Heads up, this post contains some minor spoilers for Rings of Power. Probably not actual spoilers if you were following casting news in the lead-up to the release of Amazon’s shot, but it is about a neat surprise I got while watching, having been ignoring the buzz. Don’t worry, it’s not about who turns out… Continue reading Not Glittery Gold
What The Hell Is Canon, Anyway?
That long-awaited/feared Amazon-made show based on Tolkien’s stories is finally out and I have watched the first two episodes and let me tell you that I am surprised by how much I dig it. Understand, I absolutely love The Lord of The Rings —in both book and movie form—, I tackled The Silmarillion shortly after… Continue reading What The Hell Is Canon, Anyway?
Lightness
There’s a lot of depressing crap going on in the world right now. A lot of stuff happening that weighs heavy on me and so when it’s time to sit down and write this blogpost it feels hard to ignore it. But I also know that, at a certain point, there comes a time to… Continue reading Lightness
More Rings
Amazon’s long-gestating Middle-earth set project is looming in the autumn, and this week we got a look at some character posters. They aren’t much, just shots of torsos and hands that give us an idea of the show’s aesthetic. There's cool armor, berries, and it’s anyone’s guess as to which one is Hot Sauron (as… Continue reading More Rings
The Spine
The movie version of The Lord of The Rings is quite different from the book version of The Lord of The Rings, but they’re both very much The Lord of The Rings. It’s the same story, and the movie does an incredible job at adapting the book by not adapting the book. Let me explain.… Continue reading The Spine
Essays, Not Rants! 