The Fireside

  With The Fall of Numenor  now coming to what was formerly known as the 'Author-Illustrated' Hardcovers, it makes one think on what other  Tolkien titles may come to this format.  I will 'think out loud' and speculate which other titles may arrive in this format.  ~ The Great Tales.  Next year, the first of the three standalone books, The Children of Hurin , turns 20. As such, I can see all 3 (all on the same date? Over time?) arrive in this Special Edition hardcover format. How The Fall of Numenor  was 'transferred' from its standard hardcover format into the Special Edition format could also apply to The Great Tales. The Great Tales may also appear in the Collector's Edition format - either in addition, or instead.   ~ Unfinished Tales Another title I can see coming to this style would be Unfinished Tales  - but, the one illustrated by Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith, and John Howe. All of Tolkien's own artwork was used for the Special Edition ...

  Some time ago, a listing for a Special Edition of The Fall of Numenor  has appeared online. Now, we have all the info possible - until the new edition is actually out  and the finer details can be seen.  " A special edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth collected in one volume, illustrated by Alan Lee. Guided by the Dark Lord Sauron, the Elves of Eregion forge the Rings of Power. Yet in secret he has begun building the Barad-dûr in Mordor, and here, in the fires of Mount Doom, he makes the One Ring. Seeking to rule Middle-earth, Sauron begins to wage terrible war upon them. On the island-kingdom of Númenor, the Men of the West become mighty, building great ships to increase their influence throughout Middle-earth. But as their power grows, the seed of their downfall is sown. Only by uniting in alliance with the Elves can they hope to overcome Sauron. Adhering to ‘The Tale of Years’ timeline in The Lord of the Rings, Brian Sibley ass...

  S omething interesting is on the way.  A new edition of The Fall of Numenor  has been spotted, and it's a.....different edition/format.  The publisher, HarperCollins, has some terminology that they use for various editions: "Collector's Edition", "Deluxe Edition" and "Special Edition" and the like.  With most Tolkien hardcovers, you usually have the normal version that features a dustjacket, and then you have a higher-tiered deluxe edition.  However, this November, a 'Special Edition' is on the way.  Here is the info: " A special edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth collected in one volume, illustrated by Alan Lee. Guided by the Dark Lord Sauron, the Elves of Eregion forge the Rings of Power. Yet in secret he has begun building the Barad-dûr in Mordor, and here, in the fires of Mount Doom, he makes the One Ring. Seeking to rule Middle-earth, Sauron begins to wage terrible war upon them. On the island...

  The 'theme' of 2027 Tolkien Calendar  has been revealed!  There are a few milestones that year (90th Anniversary of The Hobbit , 20th Anniversary of The Children of Hurin - the first of three published Great Tales - and the 50th Anniversary of The Silmarillion ) and the calendar's theme will be The Hobbit's  90th Anniversary!  The ISBN for the HarperCollins version is  9780008805234 , and the description follows: "The official Tolkien calendar, this year containing 13 stunning illustrations and paintings inspired by The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved work of fantasy. The official Tolkien calendar has become an established publishing event, eagerly anticipated by Tolkien fans the world over. Previous Tolkien calendars have become much sought after collector’s items, and this year’s will doubtless be an essential purchase for Middle-earth fans everywhere. Featuring 13 full-colour paintings of scenes inspired by the story, some of which are unique to this ...

  In the 'new blue' illustrated deluxe editions (of which The Hobbit  and The Lord of the Rings  belong to) William Morrow and HarperCollins will both be offering a deluxe illustrated edition of The Great Tales Trilogy ( The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin ).  This appears to be a deluxe version of the boxed set that came out last year. I'm also really glad that they were grouping this books together, rather than individually. Perhaps they'll do a Signature Paperback Collection boxed set some day....?  The HarperCollins version arrives in June and the William Morrow one in July. For anyone wondering, The Silmarillion  turns 50 next year. I think this year (2026) will be 'quiet' for Middle-earth books, so the publishers likely issued this one out now, saving The Silmarillion for next year. After that, I can see Unfinished Tales  in 2028, The Fall of Numenor  in 2029, and then Tales From the Perilous Realm  in 2030...

  Typically, these come out the same day as the standard edition. Here's the info!  ISBN   9780008815134 "Deluxe slipcased edition of this previously unknown short satirical fantasy by J.R.R. Tolkien edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien, accompanied by illustrations from the author together with an essay, 'The Origin of Bovadium', by Richard Ovenden OBE, and featuring an exclusive foldout colour frontispiece. As Christopher Tolkien notes in his Introduction,  The Bovadium Fragments  was a ‘satirical fantasy’ written by his father, which grew out of a planning controversy that erupted in Oxford in the late 1940s, when J.R.R. Tolkien was the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature. Written initially for his own amusement, Tolkien’s tale was a private academic jest that poked gentle fun at such things as 'the pomposities of archaeologists' and 'the hideousness of college crockery'. However, it was at the same time expressing a barbed  cri de...