Tolkien Paperbacks: Speculative Look Ahead

 

The 'Tolkien Signature Collection' has now had quite a few titles added to it, as you can see from my Master Post, found here: https://insurrbution.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-tolkien-signature-paperback.html

There are, however, a few titles here and there yet to make it to that precise format, which paperback editions do exist. I'll outline what exists in paperback, but is not yet in The Signature Collection. I'm sourcing an older post, with updates where necessary.

~ Letters From Father Christmas.

I can picture how this could look in my head: it would feature the image which has adorned the front covers in shape or form of various editions over recent years; and the book's colour would be red. HarperCollins could use a new ISBN for it, or merely use the one of the previous paperback edition: 9780007280490. Perhaps the foil stamping would be silver rather than gold for this one instance - much like the deluxe edition.

This is also worthy of mention, due to the fact that there currently isn't a paperback edition of Letters From Father Christmas in print. Various editions of Letters From Father Christmas typically appear October - November, so hopefully Fall of 2025 will see it come out.   

~ The Fall of Numenor.

This title was recently published in the paperback format. At some point, expect future reprints to start being issued in the Signature style. Which printing that would happen with remains to be seen. 

The other similar books (The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin) were issued with a red/maroon cover, so I'm kind of expecting The Fall of Numenor to be receive that colour, as well. The cover image would be the emblem designed by Alan Lee, which has appeared on the dexlue edition, and the large print edition. Last point: the current paperback edition doesn't feature any colour illustrations. The Signature editions of The Great Tales don't either - so the 'transition' into the Signature Collection would be 'easy', in a sense, for The Fall of Numenor.  

~ The History of The Hobbit (in two parts?)

HarperCollins has reissued The History of The Hobbit (the Revised and Expanded Edition) hardcover with new cover art, and also released it as a slipcased deluxe edition. However, what they could do, is to also publish it in the Signature Collection. 

There's two different ways I can see this happening:

1) They reissue the 2 paperbacks from 2008, but with a styling that would be of the Signature style. The imagery chosen could be from the deluxe edition.

2) They could take the typesetting of the Revised and Expanded Edition - which has always been presented as 1 book - and divide it into two. 

~ The titles in the upcoming Myths and Legends boxed set:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, The Fall of Arthur and Beowulf

The current paperback editions (contents and ISBNs) can be re-purposed for Signature Collection editions, just with the cover art updated. The same image can be used, as well. An alternative could be to use the emblems that were featured on their respective deluxe editions. Note: if these come out in the Signature Collection, they'll get their own 'Collection Number' on my Master Post, which would likely be 'Collection XII.' Or, 'Collection IX' with the current 'Collection IX' titles being bumped to 'Collection X.'

~ The Story of Kullervo and The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun.

These ones would be 'easy' to put into the Signature Collection: the exact same cover - and design - for both the current editions could be used, just change the font/writing so that they'll 'fit in' to that particular style. 

~ A Secret Vice.

The current paperback edition could easily be 'reworked' into The Signature Collection in a very similar fashion to how On Fairy-Stories will make it into that style. 

~ The Monsters and the Critics. 

I am at a loss as to which image could be used for the cover art, or even which colour it could be! As it stands, this is one of very few 'black box' that features the title on the cover yet to make it into the Signature Collection. 

~ Finn and Hengest. 

This title has always been incredibly niche. I do not mean that in a 'bad' way, just that this is purely 'Tolkien the Academic.' Nevertheless, it's a Tolkien title, in paperback, yet to make it to The Signature Collection. The cover art by John Howe could be retained yet modified to make it fit into that style. The book itself very likely wouldn't change, right down to its ISBN. So I could see future reprints (at some point) updating the cover design to make it fit into the current style. 

~ The Song of Middle-earth, Author the Century, Biography, The Inklings and Tolkien and the Great War.

I saved these for last, not out of 'disinterest' or anything, but due to some 'mixed signals' with regards to these types of books. For example, The Road to Middle-earth is coming to the Signature Collection - yet, the recently-published paperback edition of the expanded edition of Letters is not. Most of the titles I've listed are 'more' similar in nature to Letters. Nevertheless, these are Tolkien paperbacks that are not yet The Signature Collection - though these may come with a 'but.' I still wanted to mention them, though. 

So that's where things currently stand in March of 2025 with regards to the Tolkien paperbacks. I can honestly that I'm 'expecting' The Fall of Numenor and Letters From Father Christmas to join that style at some point - though, HarperCollins has been known to 'surprise' us from time to time (referencing Signature Editions of The Road to Middle-earth, Tree and Leaf (I'm glad they're doing this one though I didn't think that they would) and On Fairy-Stories).

Likely placements of these titles on the Master Post:

~ Letters From Father Christmas: Collection IX

~ The Fall of Numenor: Collection VI (if same colour as Great Tales) or Collection VII (if different colour) 

~ The History of The Hobbit: Collection VII

~ Myths and Legends titles: Collection X

~ The Story of Kullervo: Collection XI

~ The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun: Collection XI 

~ A Secret Vice: Collection IX

~ The Monsters and the Critics: Collection XI

~ Finn and Hengest: Collection XI