Tolkien in the New Century

Widely considered one of the leading experts on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Thomas Alan Shippey has informed and enlightened a generation of Tolkien scholars and fans. In this collection, former students and colleagues honour Shippey with 15 essays that reflect their mentor's research interests, methods of literary criticism and attention to Tolkien's shorter works. In a wide-ranging consideration of Tolkien's oeuvre, the contributors explore the influence of 19th and 20th century book illustrations on Tolkien's work; utopia and fantasy in Tolkien's Middle-earth; the Silmarils, the Arkenstone and the One Ring as thematic vehicles; the pattern of decline in Middle-earth as reflected in the diminishing power of language; Tolkien's interest in medieval genres; the heroism of secondary characters and numerous other topics. Also included are brief memoirs by Shippey's colleagues and friends in academia and fandom and a bibliography of Shippey's work.

“Deep, fascinating, and clever… an intriguing take on Shippey scholarship.”—Tolkien Studies

John Wm. Houghton, Firestone Endowment Chaplain and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, has contributed to Beyond Bree, Mythlore, Mythprint, Tolkien the Medievalist, Tolkien Studies and The J. R. R. Tolkien Encylopedia. He lives in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Janet Brennan Croft is Head of Access Services at the University of Oklahoma libraries. She has published widely on J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Lois McMaster Bujold and other authors and edits the refereed scholarly journal Mythlore. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Nancy Martsch is the editor of Beyond Bree, newsletter of the JRR Tolkien Special Interest Group of American Mensa. She has been active in Tolkien fandom for more than 30 years and has presented and published a number of papers on Tolkien and his works. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.

An independent scholar, John D. Rateliff has contributed to numerous books and journals such Tolkien Studies, Mallorn, Mythlore, and VII. He lives in Kent, Washington.

Robin Anne Reid is a professor of literature and languages at Texas A&M University-Commerce. She teaches creative writing, critical theory and marginalised literatures, including Tolkien’s Legendarium, and is currently working on the Tolkien Corpus Project. She lives in Commerce, Texas.

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