The Fireside

  I have a bone to pick with the the Tolkien community: TCG (Tolkien Collector's Guide).  It is a fantastic resource, filled with tons of info, along with news of upcoming books, and some great photos.  But there's one issue: the moderators are hypocritical assholes.  I admit, I've had my fair share of rough history with some of the moderators (one in particular....) so there might be some bias here. However, each time I've done something they didn't like, it was addressed in a condescending manner: sorry, I don't read the rules every time I log on. Oops, I forgot to use 'search'....However, the gist of it, is this: If something happens on a topic that they  don't like or they  don't agree with (even if you're correct and they're wrong) your comment will be removed, and your account could vanish. That, and they don't seem to grasp that the way that their site is set up is in message board style....which encourages and engages discussi...

  HarperCollins is doing a great job at putting the various Tolkien books out into the Signature Collection series of paperbacks.  ....so what's left?? ~  Letters From Father Christmas  (previous paperback ISBN:  9780007280490). I noticed that various editions of  Letters From Father Christmas  typically come out Oct or November, so maybe Oct 2026 going by that...?  ~  The Fall of Numenor  (will likely occur with a future reprint. Current paperback ISBN:9780008655679) ~  The History of The Hobbit  (as 2 volumes. Part 1 ISBN:  9780007266463 . Part 2 ISBN:  9780007266470  ) or,  A Brief History of The Hobbit  (ISBN:  9780007557257 ) ~  The Song of Middle-earth  (ISBN:  9780008184 810 ) ~  The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun  (current ISBN:  9780008202156 ) ~  Author of the Century  (ISBN:  9780261104013 ) If all of the above were to be issued into the Signat...

  Today marks 70 years since The Lord of the Rings  was published in full, by way of The Return of the King  being published.  Since that The Lord of the Rings  is one novel (not a series of  them), I always choose to recognize its significant anniversaries when The Return of the King was published, not The Fellowship of the Ring .  There are a bevy of editions to choose from, however, the appropriate 70th Anniversary Edition should be showcased in this post.  The description reads: " Three-volume, deluxe slipcased hardback set of The Lord of the Rings , illustrated throughout by acclaimed Tolkien artist, Alan Lee. Features exclusive new paintings and dozens of drawings appearing for the very first time, together with three removable art cards and two foldout maps. Since it was first published, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, this work of sweeping fantasy has touched t...