Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Hope Remains · Author: Baggins Babe · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond · ID: 118
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-20 17:06:49
Spoilers!
One of my favorite after-death fics.

Aragorn has declared that due to his love of his Hobbit companions his
heart has dwelt in the Shire ever since he became High King. And now
an odd Ranger is seen repeatedly guarding the Shire....

The special love Aragorn would undoubtedly feel for the Shire and its
inhabitants is well expressed, as well as how that love might well
continue to be expressed after he was freed from the circumscribed
life he knew as King.

Goes to show you can put the Ranger on the throne, but not fully take
the Ranger out of the King! Heh!

Title: The Importance of Being Bilbo · Author: Dreamflower · Genres:
Non-Fiction: Character Studies · ID: 686
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-20 17:22:20
A wonderful reason to reread this essay!

A good look at the nature of Bilbo Baggins and his importance to both
"The Hobbit" and LOTR, and the many similarities between the two stories.

If Bilbo hadn't had his own adventure, LOTR would not have happened
either, which is a point Dreamflower hammers home while pointing out
the wonderful sense of the Hobbit freed from expected Hobbit decorum
one gets in following Bilbo's career.

And now some of the plotbunnies sparked by her essay are beginning to
mature and be shown forth, some by her and at least one by me, one
that will posted soon enough, I must suppose.

This is marvelously thought-provoking and well worth the read, and I
hope it sparks others too to add to the relatively small library of
stories focussed on our first love among Bagginses. Primsong,
Lindelea, and a few others besides Dreamflower have written to the
subject; now it's time for the rest of us to weigh in!

Title: Light of the Westering Sun · Author: Dawn Felagund · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 126
Reviewer: stefaniab · 2008-07-20 18:16:11
I wish Tolkien had described Haleth in a great more detail in the
Silmarillion. For all who complain about the lack of strong female
characters in LOTR, rest assured, folks, Tolkien saved them for the
Sil. And Haleth, leader of one of the three houses of the Edain, was
the most powerful of women. But did she have a long time romantic
relationship with Caranthir, fourth son of Feanor, greatest of the elves?

Dawn's double drabble series is a lyric journey into the romance of
Caranthir and Haleth. Whether you accept this premise or not, the
language of the series and its progression from Haleth in old age to
Haleth as a child makes enjoyable reading.

Title: The Captain's New Clothes · Author: Raksha the Demon · Genres:
Humor: Other Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 421
Reviewer: stefaniab · 2008-07-20 18:19:28
There must be an explanation for Faramir's hideous fashion faux-pas,
as shown in one of the more notorious pieces of calendar art that were
featured in the There and Back Again Yule Challenge. Fortunately,
Raksha has come up with a plausible scenario in "The Captain's New
Clothes": Faramir's orange leggings and garish cape were a gift from
his aunt, of course. And far be it from Faramir to not wear his
auntie's present for a day, even if those iridescent leggings scream
"I'm Here!" to every orc and other miscreant in a hundred mile radius.

To describe any more goodies in this mirthful piece would be Spoilers
that I don't want to give. Instead, I encourage readers to check this
piece out for a great laugh.

Title: A Cat in King Elessar's Court · Author: agape4gondor · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Friendship · ID: 66
Reviewer: stefaniab · 2008-07-20 18:22:17
Agape's story "A Cat in King Elessar's Court" gives us a view the
seige of Gondor and Battle at the Black Gate through entirely new
eyes--those of Alqualonde, a wise and surprisingly speaking white cat,
descendent of Queen Beruthiel's own felines.

Alqualonde has spent his long life as the spy (and, more importantly,
as the pet) of Denethor. His loyalty and love for the Steward make up
much of the drama of this story. Denethor's death, Faramir's injuries,
and the arrival of Aragorn are more than the loyal kitty can handle.
So rest assured that the tale is full of angst and cat tears. But
there are also has many moments of insight, most particularly in the
sympathetic light it casts on Denethor. I was most touched by the
scenes where the cat remains steadfast in his love and loyalty to the
Steward, despite Denethor's mad behavior before his death.

"Cat" has some minor language problems but all in all, it is a good
read, especially for us unapologetic Denethor supporters, and for
those who like their heroes strong, hairy, and four-legged.

Title: Cat's Paws · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Villains · ID: 58
Reviewer: whitewave · 2008-07-20 18:22:42
Spoilers!
I stumbled upon Doc Bushwell's work by way of SWG and I find myself
thinking -- I wish I had read her work much, much sooner than I had.
Cat's Paws and Broken Star have become my favorite yin and yang
stories, in my humble opinion, they complete each other. I had
goosebumps when I read this piece, especially the blood compact scene.
The foreshadowing was chilling and bittersweet. Bittersweet because
despite their deep and long friendship and trust Aulendil is bound to
betray Celebrimbor, a theme often repeated in many human
relationships. This was a very enjoyable read.

Title: Broken Star · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Villains:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 54
Reviewer: whitewave · 2008-07-20 18:28:27
Spoilers!
I highly recommend that this story should be read right after "Cat's
Paws" the way I did if only to appreciate the "yin and yang" feel of
the two. I enjoyed the way the author fleshed out Aulendil and
Celebrimbor and their relationship and interaction, they have so much
human dimension and they felt very "real" to me. I had goosebumps as I
read the part where Aulendil kisses his former colleague/blood
brother's brow then proceeds to do the previously unthinkable.
Chilling, terrible, terrifying but definitely a good read.

Title: The Vase that was Broken · Author: Linda hoyland · Genres:
Humor: Gondor · ID: 417
Reviewer: Virtuella · 2008-07-20 20:17:17
This is such a sweet LOTR version of the stereotypical broken Ming
vase! I had to laugh when I thought of Aragorn using his spoon to
demonstrate his sword movements. It is very realistic (and very funny)
that Aragorn would dream about being buried under a mountain of vases.
And what a hilarious ending! Great story, I love it.

Title: Fennas Haradren · Author: Linaewen · Genres: Adventure · ID: 280
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2008-07-20 20:36:08
It was a very great pleasure to rediscover this story - I remember
reading it when it was originally posted to Henneth-Annun in 2005. A
nicely atmospheric story, very rich in detail, which is an aspect I
always enjoy. I found myself quite swept up with the mystery of what
had happened to the men (for I had apparently forgotten that small
detail). Excellent use of foreshadowing!

I was particularly moved by the image of Boromir going and looking
carefully at each dead man, not only to identify him for his family,
but to put a personal face on the cost of Gondor's defense.

Title: Five things that never happened to Nerdanel · Author: Meril ·
Genres: Alternate Universe: Angst/Tragedy · ID: 389
Reviewer: crowdaughter · 2008-07-20 22:11:48
Spoilers!
This is a very interesting take at the history of Feanor and his wife,
and it tells us much about the fate of both with just telling which
way it did not turn out (but all too easily could have done). All of
these pieces are chilling and compelling in their own right. How
easily things could have turned out differently! The most compelling,
and most chilling, version ids the one of the shared oath. But every
single of these pieces is breathtaking, giving so much of a completely
believable alternative universe with so few strokes. Great work! Thank
you for writing and sharing.

Title: MAGIC: The Password · Author: Fiondil · Genres: Humor: Elven
Lands · ID: 451
Reviewer: crowdaughter · 2008-07-20 22:17:17
ROTFLMAO!!! This story is wickedly funny, and all too true. I
especially loved the exchange of the Elves about the different
alternative technologies... for their problem. *Snicker*
Thank you for making my day with this great piece of humor! :)

Title: In This These Days of Glory · Author: Dana · Races: Hobbits:
Incomplete · ID: 640
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2008-07-20 22:19:40
I have really been anticipating this story from Dana for quite a
while. And even though it is only just begun, I really do see all of
the promise of a great story there.

Dana is one of the few hobbit writers who has a sure and deft hand
with the period of time during which Our Heroes were gone on their
perilous Quest. The Occupation of the Shire, or The Troubles as it is
sometimes called, has been the setting for many of her stories, set in
what she calls her ["Sunless Year"] universe. We have seen various
minor characters and original characters dealing with the privation
and cruelty laid on them by Lotho's betrayal, the Ruffian's brutality,
and Saruman's revenge. But this story will tie together many of those
threads, as she deals with the way the Tooks and the Tooklands, coped.
How did Paladin keep the Men out? What did Pippin's parents and sister
do while he was gone? And what of his many Tookish cousins?

Already we see the way that Pippin's leaving affects his family:
Pervinca suspects something's up as he prepares to go off and help
Frodo with the move. And then we see the reaction of the Tooks when
they learn of Pippin's disappearance along with Frodo, Merry and Sam.

I really look forward to seeing the continuation of this story and am
hoping that she will soon resume her work on it.



Title: One Step More - The Heroism of Frodo Baggins · Author:
ConnieMarie · Genres: Non-Fiction: Character Studies · ID: 395
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2008-07-20 22:20:01
This wonderful essay explores why we love the character of Frodo
Baggins, and what makes his heroism so different from that of other
heroes of popular culture. A touching and thoughtful essay.

Title: On Canon and Fanfic · Author: Marta · Genres: Non-Fiction · ID: 123
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2008-07-20 22:20:20
This is an excellent opinion piece, defining the lines between canon,
fanon and AU, or alternate universe. I like the distinctions that
Marta makes between _extracanonical_ and _uncanonical_. And I love
this description of a good AU:

["Really, a good AU is like a surgical incision. A story where the
author breaks with canon out of carelessness or lack of knowledge is
more like a machete cut. The affect of an AU's change is steady,
exact; it is predictable and used to good affect. In the latter case
(the machete), it can get messy, and the change is usually not under
the author's control. As a result the reader usually feels like they
have lost a canonical story and often not gained a lot in return, as
far as canonicity is concerned. (A good AU can tell you as much about
the themes and other elements of the canon as a canon-compliant one
does.)"]

A very thought-provoking and insightful essay!




Title: Tolkien's Parish: The Canonical Middle-earth · Author: Steuard
Jensen · Genres: Non-Fiction · ID: 91
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2008-07-20 22:21:02
I have had the privilege in past years of occasionally interacting
with Steuard Jensen on the Tolkien newsgroups,
["alt.fan.Tolkien/rec.arts.books.tolkein"] where I was very much
impressed with his authoritative knowledge of Tolkien's work and of
the many and varied theories and interpretations of JRRT's writings.

But it has only been quite recently that I paid much attention to this
wonderful essay, since it has only been recently that I had begun to
read various volumes of HoMe myself, and to realize the many
incongruities and seeming contradictions they contain. The post-humous
works of JRRT can be a veritable landmine for the incautious.

Steuard Jensen gives us some practical guidelines for seeing our way
through the morass of notes and letters and unfinished snippets that
have now been made public. He does not lay down the law, so to speak,
but instead shows how we may use those guidelines to make our own
decisions.

I especially loved the way he compared JRRT to the character of
Niggle, in "Leaf by Niggle". Like that character, JRRT never was able
to quite finish tinkering with his creation, so that it was incomplete
at his death. But much like Niggle, he created a world that is deeply
realized even if incomplete, and that invites exploration by others.

A engrossing and accessible essay.


Title: The Dooming of Small Hands · Author: Thundera Tiger · Times:
Late Third Age · ID: 639
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2008-07-20 22:21:32
Spoilers!
Small hands. It was the smallest hands of all the races which carried
the Ring to its destruction. One of the themes of LotR is the death of
innocence and the sacrifices of the innocent.

It has often been debated what Gandalf knew, and how much he knew, and
when he knew it. Should he, could he, have told Frodo more than he did
without imperiling the whole free world? In this story, Thundera Tiger
explores these questions in a tense and emotional conversation between
Gandalf and Elrond in Rivendell.

The fitness of Elves, Men or Dwarves to carry the one is examined--and
I loved the discussion of Dwarves in this regard--and it is the very
qualities that make those races seemingly obvious as bearers that
ultimately rules them out.

We see the wizard's anguish at having to doom one whom he clearly
loves, and how he sees his own role in the decision that Frodo made at
the Council. Elrond questions his decision--after all, he has just
labored for three days to save the hobbit's life--and now, to throw it
away? Yet the inevitability of it all rolls over them.

Even so, we are treated to the remembrance that the strength of
hobbits lies in hope and in love. A very moving piece, and exploring a
theme that was at the heart of the story.

Title: Risk Assessment · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Elves · ID: 665
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2008-07-21 02:00:50
Pandemonium's specialty is the creation of an Elvish world that is
simultaneously magical and firmly rooted in reality, something I
thought could never be done. She does this through "scientifiction,"
borrowing a made up word from Tolkien himself. This little story is a
prime example of her technique: to "explain" Elvish magic through
scientific-sounding terms and tales. Here, we learn why lembas has
such special properties, and why it has a potentially dangerous effect
on Mortals, but not on Elves. It's very clever and utterly convincing,
and so much more interesting than murky mysticism (I won't give the
answer away.)

I also really appreciate Pan's original female characters--they are
masterful, and go a long way toward making up for Tolkien's sad male
chauvinism. The Elven smith Melamire is her best character so far, and
I am anticipating with glee reading (eventually) about her whole life.
In this tale we get a glimpse of her, and it ought to be enough to
send new readers searching for more.


Title: Dead Steward's Gift · Author: stefaniab · Genres: Mystery · ID: 572
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-07-21 02:06:33
Spoilers!
Stefania takes a different road in her characterisation of Faramir
than most Tolkien fanfiction writers - she visualizes a man who
physically resembles the movie version, but who is emotionally
stronger, and who has more fortitude as well as something of the
farsight of Book-Faramir. Her LOTR fanfiction sub-universe is a
movie-verse/bookverse hybrid; one that generally includes the best of
each.

In this multi-chapter tale, another in her tapestry of stories of
Gondor, Stefania weaves a story that is mysterious, comic, and always
entertaining. Faramir, joined by his intrepid (and very cute) young
cat, finds a mystery in the White Tower when he begins to search for
the missing palantir.

The last chapter and the epilogue are my very favorites of this highly
enjoyable story, but it's all well worth reading, even for those who,
like myself, admire cats but are not owned by them. Faramir's palantir
search, and its results, are a wonderful sort of mental road trip,
well-imagined and written. And you have to smile at the cat's antics,
particularly since Stefania uses them to advantage, to pause the
tension, or heighten it, in more than one case. The scene where the
cat intrudes on Faramir's palantir conversation in a way I could not
have anticipated had me laughing out loud.


A very enjoyable story!


Title: Homeward Bound · Author: Werecat · Genres: Alternate Universe ·
ID: 430
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-07-21 02:10:57
Spoilers!
Werecat weaves a tale of might-have-beens, if Beruthiel had not died,
and lingered in the mortal world that cursed her, for the sake of the
cats she loved. Excellent story that shows without telling; with a
fitting poignancy that is bittersweet.

Title: Two Prisoners · Author: Lord Branwyn · Genres: Alternate
Universe · ID: 724
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-07-21 02:11:42
Spoilers!
A fine fanfiction debut by Branwyn's Lord!

Here, the weary men of a British squad mired in the trenches of WWI
snag an odd find - two very peculiar prisoners. Their significance is
related more to their eventual disposition than their identity; and
the penultimate line is slyly informative.

Please write some more, Lord Branwyn!

Title: Vengeance's Folly · Author: Rhapsody · Races: Elves: Noldor
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 718
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-21 02:23:20
Spoilers!
Save for the quest to retrieve their father's treasures, the sons of
Feanor appear to find themselves without purpose. Thought-provoking as
we look at the transition of the leadership of the seven. One can
almost see the seven of them looking at one another from the corners
of their eyes, wondering what shall happen next, and Celegorm making
his decision.

Title: Tulip's Tale · Author: Cathleen · Genres: Humor: Shire · ID: 615
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-21 02:34:37
Ah, small Tooks and knitted pink piglets in search of tales find
everything but!

Cathleen's Tulip the piglet is a darling, and one of those of a fabric
persuasion I've come to love alongside Grey Wonderer's Errol. And if
it weren't for the protections she offers our wee Took one wonders if
he might have managed to make it to become a Knight of Gondor! But
love the childish reality of this tale!

Title: At the Last Minute · Author: rhyselle · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Elves and Men · ID: 544
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-21 02:50:05
Spoilers!
For special holidays, particularly after there have been traumatic
losses of those we've loved best, there is so often the desire to go
home again; and this is as true of our favorite Ranger as of any other
man. To see all desirous of giving him a joyful reminder is delightful.

Gentle humor abounds.

Title: Choosing · Author: docmon · Genres: Drama · ID: 473
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-21 03:05:46
We know some of the debates and considerations entertained in the
inclusion of Merry and Pippin among those first venturing out of the
Shire and then being included within the Fellowship. Now we look at
the possible specific reasons for three others having gone to Imladris.

Characterizations are wonderful, and reasons eminently plausible and
in keeping with what we know of those who made the decisions.

Very nice set of vignettes.

Title: Out, Damn'd Spot! Out, I Say! · Author: Alassante · Races:
Elves: Noldor Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 260
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-21 03:11:32
Spoilers!
I've loved this short fic since I first read it on SoA. The actions
they committed and the atrocities that followed must have haunted
those who followed Feanor, as we see in this brief interchange between
two of his progeny. An excellent identification with Shakespeare, and
vivid imagery. One thinks also of Pilate as well as Lady Macbeth.