Volume 194/Issue 1
Circulation: One thousand one hundred and eighty-nine. Welcome all!
Note from the Mods: Please encourage friends on your friends list to join and send their news. If you have an announcement you would like to make, a fic you'd like to promote, a question you'd like to ask, we invite you to simply format it according to the rules on the info page and email it to
middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. You do not have to be a member to post but we are an open community and encourage everyone to join now. Only the mods may initiate new posts but comments are encouraged.
MEDIA NEWS:
• From
TheOneRing.net:
~The Great Hall of Poets
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets. [More]
~Today in Middle-earth, October 6
The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on October 6: Thorin requests supplies (1341); Gandalf heads for Rivendell after escaping Weathertop (1418); The camp under Weathertop attacked at night. Frodo is wounded (1418); They cross the Ford of Bruinen; Frodo feels the first return of pain (1419); Frodo is again ill (1420); Samwise returns to Bag End (1421). [More]
~Sex & Sensibility: Amazon's Nude Take On Tolkien
Amazon Studios' LOTR Series Heads Into Uncharted Carnal Waters with Casting Call for Nudity and an "Intimacy Coordinator." [More]
~UHD 4K LOTR and Hobbit Announced! A Special Message from Sean Astin
It has long been rumored...and now we can finally confirm! For the first time, Warner Bros. will be releasing The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on 4K UHD on December 1st, 2020. To celebrate, we have a special TheOneRing.net exclusive message to fans from Samwise Gamgee himself, Sean Astin. [More]
~Lost in Translation -- Chewing up Tolkien in 2020
Speaking of translating Tolkien's world to TV and cinema, we dug into our archives to find a rather relevant masterpiece from Green Books staffer Ostadan -- originally posted November 4th, 2004. Enjoy! [More]
~'Tolkien is barrel-rolling' -- Revisiting 'MTV Has Landed' from 2003
We've been digging through the Green Book archives a bit to find relevant articles discussing the 'purity' of Tolkien and his works. We came across this classic from Green Book author, Anwyn, where she addresses the questions that came out of watching the 2003 MTV Movie Awards. If you aren't familiar with it…read on! [More]
COMMUNITY NEWS:
Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for
middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.
• From
dawn_felagund:
~Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Do you read or write Tolkien-based fanfiction, or have you done so in the past? If so, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey wants to hear from you! We are looking for people who read and/or write fanfiction set in Tolkien's universe, whether the books, films, or other media versions. All fic-writing and -reading fans are welcome, no matter their experience level with Tolkien or fanfiction. We also want to hear from fans who read/wrote Tolkien-based fanfiction in the past but who are no longer involved. For more information on the survey, including more details on what data we're collecting, what we're doing with it, and contact information for the researchers, or to start the survey: https://tinyurl.com/tolkienfanficsurvey.
•
tolkien100 updates:
•
tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
•
silwritersguild updates:
CHALLENGES/WORKSHOPS/AWARDS:
• From
tolkien100:
• From
tolkien_weekly:
• From
silwritersguild:
~ October 2020 Challenge: Soap Opera
This month's challenge features a prompt generator using stock characters, common plot scenarios, settings, and episode types that are frequently featured in soap operas. Your fanwork does not have to be a soap opera, and you can use one, two, three, or all four prompt generator categories in any combination you want. Also remember that we do not monitor the prompt generator, so feel free to roll until you get a combination that inspires you. [ More]
FIC/ART NEWS:
•
Book Five of The Circles, "Through the Valley of Shadow" by
angmar-elfhild (Epic AU; Rated Mature)
Book Five has just been re-released. Follow the journey of two captives of Mordor, twin sisters Elfhild and Elffled, as they cross over the Anduin and pass through the ethereal mists of the Morgul Vale, a place so terrifying that even the minds of brave men succumb to madness.
• From
silwritersguild:
~ Horror Fanfiction Book Club: October 31 and November 1
On October 31 and November 1, we will be hosting a fanfiction book club for horror stories. Discussions will take place on our Discord server--see below for how to join!
Stories that are under or roughly 5,000 words and hosted on the SWG or AO3 are eligible. Stories should be horror fiction based in The Silmarillion; they should be complete or a chapter from a longer work that can stand alone. You can only submit a story that you have written. [ More]
• From
AO3 - Archive of Our Own:
DISCUSSIONS OF INTEREST:
• From
TOR:
~When Tuor Met Ulmo, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let Gondolin Fall
In Which Tuor Takes a Littoral Walking Tour, Ulmo Tells All, Gondolin Is Given An Eviction Notice, and Turgon Loves Too Well the Work of His Hands. Chapter 23 of The Silmarillion, "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin," introduces us to a young man every bit as heroic as fellow mortals Beren One-hand and Túrin Turambar, but he's given far less page time. Yet Tuor's role is vital; his descendants will include famous names like Elrond, lore-master of Rivendell, and Elrond's brother, who also happens to be the founder of Númenor and the ancestor of Aragorn. [More]
CLASSIFIED:
Your friendly
middleearthnews mods are constantly on the lookout for all things LotR-related, from fics to fandom events, comics to current news. Make them happy by emailing them at
middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
RESEARCH AIDS:
• From
Ask About Middle-earth:
~Adoption in Middle Earth
There's actually a long history of elves fostering young men. Aragorn is probably the most well-known example of this, having basically been raised by Elrond as well as his mother while living in Rivendell. But he was just the last in a very long line of young heirs that spent several years living among the elves (as a sort of study abroad/apprenticeship deal, I think). This was seen as a good opportunity for the young man to learn from the elves, as well as a good way to maintain strong relationships between the elves and the men. [More]
TRIVIA:
• Our Previous MOVIE question: How many explosive devices do Saruman's troops place in the culvert at Helm's Deep?
Answer: Two.
Sadly, no one was correct.
• No trivia today! Check our next issue for another trivia question.
All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.
SEND MATHOMS:
• HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY,
littleone_17,
rangerfan,
rinnor,
misc_plinks,
anorienparker,
phyncke,
calikali,
mireandune,
nenris,
angelica_ramses,
pash_panther and
mary_poppin!
• HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY,
fanged_geranium and
elwenlj!
• HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY to the High King of the Reunited Kingdoms, Viggo Mortensen!
The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to
middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.
COMICS:
(Link contributions are welcome)
• From
Travis Hanson:
That's it for this edition. Please send your formatted post for Tuesday's edition by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday (Eastern time) to
middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. Thanks for joining us and tell your friends!