NEW YORK (AP) -- An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.
Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on "The Children of Hurin," an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of "The Children of Hurin," which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and other works, have been published before.
"It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long version of the legend of the 'Children of Hurin' as an independent work, between its own covers," Christopher Tolkien said in a statement.
The new book will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the United States and HarperCollins in England ...
I'm looking forward to that. I seem stuck in decades old sci-fi. I don't really read much fiction any more because I don't really give it a chance. The following were the staples of my shy, sheltered midwestern upbringing: Tolkien, Heinlein, Clarke, Niven, and Herbert. Good escapism and exposure to a bigger world of ideas. The last of these authors, Frank Herbert, wrote my favorite sci-fi/fantasy book of all time, Dune. Herbert creates an incredibly intricate world that does a great job of exposing the links between environment, ecology, resources, religion and politics. What are your favorite sci-fi/fantasy novels?
11 comments:
I'm not a big fan of this genre but I love Tolkien. The fact that he was great friends with C.S.Lewis is so comforting to me. I like to imagine them together--I wish I could hear their conversations from the past!
I loved Ender's Game but I hated the sequels.
I haven't read Dune but so many people have told me to read it, that I will.
These new releases will be a must in my book collection!
Some of my friends were talking about Ender's Game. I've never read it but will have to pick it up.
I too am looking forward to it. I love Tolkiens works.
Sadie: Sadly, Tolkien and Lewis fell out in their later years. Tolkein, who was instrumental in bringing Lewis to Christian faith, never forgave him for joinng the Church of England rather than following Catholcism.
See ... another Christian war! lol
dback - you need to read at least a few "modern" sci-fi books.
"Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stepahnson are both great. "Nueromancer" by Gibson is good stuff, "Blue Light" and "Futureland" by Walter Mosley are both quite good.
And "Altered Carbon", by Richard Morgan, and "Down and out in the magic kingdom" by Cory Doctorow are both worth a read.
Fans of tolkein should give David Eddings first two series a try (The Belgariad and The Mallorean, IIRC).
Gibson is one of the few modern sci-fi that I've read. And I did like it immensely. Several people have recommended Snow Crash.
I certainly recommend anything by Neil Stephanson or William Gibson. Try Brian Stableford too and, of course, Iain Banks..
I've just finished some classic SF myself... now reading an historical detective novel... not a spaceship or raygun to be seen anywhere.
As to Tolkien... Really liked Lord of the Rings.. haven't read much else by him though - except The Hobbit.
Oh, and I've been meaning to re-read Dune for a while now... It'll be interesting to see what I think of it after a 20 year gap.
thanks for the book suggestions, eric. Those sound like some solid leads if I'm going to try some sci/fi fantasy.
Hmmm...I think it's time to bust out some new books. I haven't read much science fiction/fantasy stuff for a while. I think the last was some Neil Gaiman. I loved Tolkien and Herbert.
There was a really good book I read a long time back called 'Earth Abides'. I want to find it again and see if it was actually that good, or if it was just that I was younger.
Shawn said, "I want to find it again and see if it was actually that good, or if it was just that I was younger." -- I can identify with that. I've been surprised a few times (especially with movies) about just how much my perception has changed with age.
Yeah...a lot of stuff hasn't held up that well. Some things are even better now though...
Post a Comment