Upcoming Tolkien Books: Filling in the Holes

 

At this point in the year, we have a pretty good idea on what Tolkien books will be published. In this post, though, I'll go through a few titles that don't exist - yet - in particular style, whether or not more will exist in said style.

PAPERBACK VERSIONS OF HARDBACKS

What this style is, is how a new book typically debuts in hardback and eBook (and sometimes as a slipcased edition), then the paperback comes out about 1-2 years afterwards.

- Unfinished Tales (illustrated edition). This is a gamble as to whether or not it will come out. We have not yet had a re-publication of older titles as illustrated paperbacks. Given that it has come out somewhat recently, we'll see if this will exist as a paperback.


'ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR' EDITIONS

This style is somewhat recent, featuring Tolkien's own artwork. The format began in 2021 with The Lord of the Rings, as a hardback, slipcased edition, and an eBook. Later this year, there will be a similar edition of The Silmarillion. So does that mean next year that The Hobbit will join that style? Or Unfinished Tales, perhaps? Or maybe both: with The Hobbit next year and Unfinished Tales the year after?? Though there's only two titles in this format so far, a new format it remains.

- The Hobbit in this style

- Unfinished Tales in this style.

After the illustrated by Tolkien Silmarillion, there MAY not be enough artwork to do an Unfinished Tales. They COULD do a 'mixed bag' of Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion art, where appropriate to the text.

ILLUSTRATED (BY OTHER ARTISTS) SLIPCASED EDITIONS

We have illustrated standard hardbacks of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but as it stands, they do not exist in the slipcased format to compliment the forthcoming Complete Guide to Middle-earth illustrated by Ted Nasmith, which in turns matches the illustrated Silmarillion (Ted Nasmith) and Unfinished Tales (Ted Nasmith, Alan Lee, and John Howe). It should be noted that Tales From the Perilous Realm, The Great Tales (The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin) and the forthcoming The Fall of Numenor exist in the '2004 style' slipcased editions, and ARE illustrated.

OTHER ODDS & ENDS

- The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun [slipcased edition]
It doesn't appear that this title will ever be offered in the slipcased format. 

- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight [standard hardback edition]
HarperCollins has never published this as a standard hardback edition yet.