Cultus Dispatches - Fandom before the Time of the Trees: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset

Cultus Dispatches: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset. In September 2026, Marquette University released a dataset about their Tolkien fanzine collection. Analysis of the data reveals what these fanzines contained and show how pre-internet Tolkien fandom responded to the publication of "The Silmarillion."

Unquote - Silmarillion Writers' Guild Challenge - 15 October through 15 November 2026 - quote in the background reads, The unicycles should be swinked by a majestic troll, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding haints and fishsticks and llamas. Absurd.

New Challenge: Unquote. Choose a prompt from our selection of misheard, miswritten, and misrepresented unquotes that are in no way part of the actual "Silmarillon."

Silmarillion Writers' Guild - Character of the Month - Eonwe by NelyafinweFeanorion

Character of the Month: Eönwë. This month's biography focuses on Eönwë, who started with a variety of identities but settled into the role of Manwë's herald, exemplifying the values of strong leadership and justice.

Instadrabbling, October 3, November 7, and December 5, 18:00/6PM UTC, SWG Discord, #instadrabbling

Instadrabbling Sessions for October, November, and December. Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.

Latest News

Cultus Dispatches: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset
In September 2026, Marquette University released a dataset about their Tolkien fanzine collection. Analysis of the data reveals what these fanzines contained and show how pre-internet Tolkien fandom responded to the publication of "The Silmarillion."

New Challenge: Unquote
Choose a prompt from our selection of misheard, miswritten, and misrepresented unquotes that are in no way part of the actual "Silmarillon."

Site Etiquette Update: Fandom and Money
We have updated our policy in our Site Etiquette around linking to sites that collect money.

Newest Fanworks

We are Married . . . to Each Other by Susana_R

Findekano exclaimed, "Russandol, will you please just tell me who I am married to? And you can tell me who you are married to, while you're at it."

Maitimo took a deep breath, as if to gather his courage. Then he began, "Findekano, we are married . . ."

"Yes, we've established that much!"

"To eachother," Maitimo finished.

elwing | sacrifice by goldenatreides

a mother's sacrifice. elwing mid-transformation

Out of the East by AdmirableMonster

The folk of the East send a diplomatic mission to reinforce ties with Mordor, after the reported return of her god-king in the wake of the fall of the isle of Númenor. Letters are exchanged. Likely to be a rather episodic, wandering, travelogue sort of story.

Eat, Pray, Love by AdmirableMonster

The Darkest Timeline AU for my Steampunk Númenor series.

In which the Mouth of Sauron is originally a Númenorean chemister rescued from Ar-Pharazôn's intimate attentions by Sauron himself.

Silmarillion Non-Con November 2026 by AngbandThrallNo.1035

This is my collection of ficlets for the various prompts of Non-Con November 2026, I'll update the tags as I upload my fics, each prompt will be a new chapter. This writing event specifically focuses on the absence of consent, so keep that in mind! Current average chapter/ficlet length is 450 words.

Day 1: Groping (Maeglin/Dark!Glorfindel)

New in References

Fandom before the Time of the Trees: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset by Dawn Walls-Thumma

In September 2026, Marquette University released a dataset about their Tolkien fanzine collection. Analysis of the data reveals what these fanzines contained and show how pre-internet Tolkien fandom responded to the publication of "The Silmarillion."

Eönwë by NelyafinweFeanorion

Across the history of the "Silmarillion," Eönwë's role settles on a character who leads without taking upon himself the power to mete out justice and who acts with equanimity across some of the most harrowing conflicts in the early legendarium.

Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma

Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.