On Writing Aman, or the Balance between the Mythic and the Real

Published on 6 March 2017 | Essay

Fantasy writers, including creators of Tolkien-based fanworks, have long struggled to depict the "otherness" of realms like Aman. In the past, the Tolkien fanfiction community showed a preference for an idealistic portrayal of Aman that left little room for imperfection. My work has long taken the opposite approach, and in this essay, I argue for the artistic need and canonical basis for grounding stories set in Aman in a more recognizable reality of human experience.

Detour

Published on 28 January 2017 | Short Story | Author's Choice 

It is the Fifth Age of Arda. Finarfin has unkinged himself and declared Tirion a democracy, and the Noldorin people are alive with the possibilities to be found in their new existence. Yet Maedhros, more than ten years after his release from the halls of Mandos, has retreated to a life of apathy and loneliness, until one day, Anairë comes to deliver him news that he never hoped to receive: His cousin Fingon has been released from Mandos.

This work is part of the collection Republic of Tirion.

The Ship of Light

Published on 1 January 2017 | Short Story | Gift Story , | Reader's Choice 

Elwing is a troubled child, acting out to avoid facing the trauma of her past. During the survivors' first Yule at Sirion, mariners from Balar bring gifts to the refugees, and inspired by their benevolence, Elwing and Eärendil remake an old tradition into a new symbol of hope.

This work is part of the collection Felakverse.

Bone-White

Published on 7 September 2016 | Short Story | Gift Story , | Reader's Choice 

After wandering accidentally near to Mandos, Caranthir encounters a procession delivering his newly reembodied brother back to the world: Maedhros. Caranthir breaks into his tent, and the two discuss healing, mutability, and the things that will never change.

This work is part of the collection Republic of Tirion.

Attainable Vistas: Historical Bias in Tolkien's Legendarium as a Motive for Transformative Fanworks

Published on 1 September 2016 | Article

The Silmarillion was constructed as a pseudohistorical text and contains evident biases. Motivated as they often are by a desire to correct their source texts, Tolkien fanfiction authors use this bias as a motive for creating fanworks. However, this is not a universal impulse, and survey data coupled with data from Tolkienfic archives illustrates key cultural differences between Tolkienfic communities. Published in the Journal of Tolkien Research.