New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] House of Finwë by softmoonlightmelody
One drabble per Finwëan. Currently on first and second generations.
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Writing] Into the West by Grundy
Dawn does not call sailing off into the unknown with a guy they've only known a few days a great plan.
[Writing] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
Current Challenge
Random Challenge
Orctober
A mysterious map points to locations used by escaped Orcs who seek to live in freedom. For this month's challenge, use elements from that map and those quests to create your fanwork, with a bonus puzzle to solve for those who dare attempt the ultimate escape. Read more ...
New in References
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Artwork] A Memento of Faery by Grundy
TRSB26 art 144 - an artifact brought back from Faerie by a Starbearer.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
Around the World and Web
Sindar Week 2026
A Tolkien event week for the Sindar, the Grey-Elves, from the Years of the Trees to the Third Age.
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
Yávië by AdmirableMonster
The queen of Númenor reflects on her past and future with a strange companion.
| Major Characters: Sauron, Tar-Míriel |
| Major Relationships: Sauron & Tar-Míriel |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 298 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
Starsong by Gabriel
A little Elf child has her first taste of the horrors that lurk in Beleriand and learns what it is to be Fëanorion.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Amras, Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 210 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
A Promise Kept by chrissystriped
Mablung leaves Doriath on the eve of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
| Major Characters: Mablung, Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: Mablung & Thranduil |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 542 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (13) |
The Time of Moths and Warm Evenings by Maggie Honeybite
Voronwë leads Tuor across Beleriand and into Gondolin, and then faithfully serves and protects him and his family through all that follows. Which is just the natural order of things, isn’t it? All part of Ulmo’s grand plan, nothing much to see here, move along. Right? One day Tuor begins to suspect there might be more to it.
| Major Characters: Tuor, Voronwë |
| Major Relationships: Tuor/Voronwë |
| Genres: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Mild), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 153 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Initiation by chrissystriped
Fingon is out for an adventure and asks Maedhros for an introduction to a certain club. Soon he finds himself participating in an orgy, the plaything of others, and enjoying every moment of it.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Ingwion, Mablung, Maedhros, Penlod, Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros, Fingon/Ingwion/Mablung/Penlod/Thranduil/Original Character |
| Genres: Erotica, Het, Poly, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 6, 228 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Love in The Woods by chrissystriped
Thranduil goes out to meet the elf he loves. If only she would let him court her properly.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: Thranduil/Unnamed Canon Character |
| Genres: Het, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 497 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Slowly Separating Ways by chrissystriped
After being called out by Eru in front of everyone, Melkor wants to be alone. Manwe tries to talk to his brother and make him see reason.
| Major Characters: Manwë, Melkor |
| Major Relationships: Manwë & Melkor |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 590 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
In the eye of the beholder by chrissystriped
After the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Melkor decides to savour his victory by taunting a group of prisoners. Mablung, being the center of his scheme, keenly feels the elves' disdain.
| Major Characters: Original Male Character(s), Melkor |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Original Character |
| Genres: Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 810 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Fandom Voices: Women in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The fandom has become a friendlier place for writing women, but its hostile history toward women-centric fanworks continues to exert a chilling effect for some, while other creators see potential in the legendarium and fandom's traditional lack of women characters.
Fandom Voices: Impact of the Films by Dawn Felagund
The Tolkien fandom existed long before Jackson's film trilogies were even thought about. Fans who were active in fandom before one or both film trilogies recall how the films changed (or didn't change) their fan communities and experiences.
3 Mayan/Aztec inspired Silmarillion Illustrations by cuarthol
For Tolkien Latin American & Caribbean Week
Ink (black and gold) and watercolor on cardstock paper.
| Major Characters: Beleg, Finduilas, Gwindor, Tuor, Túrin, Ulmo |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Drawing/Painting, Illustration |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (4) |
Wherefrom Tempered by Gwanath Dagnir
Elrond Half-elven is the newest addition to Gil-galad's court in Mithlond. One night separated from the fawning crowd, Celebrimbor confronts him about their pasts' unique relationship after learning something Elrond has tried to keep hidden.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 391 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
Yours to discover by I_did_not_mean_to
Daeron thinks about his life in Doriath, writing letters he'll never send and wishing things were different so he could see Maglor again.
| Major Characters: Daeron |
| Major Relationships: Daeron/Maglor |
| Genres: Romance | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: In-Universe Intolerance |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 806 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
Skipping Song by Himring
A skipping game, and how it connects the children of Hurin and how it doesn't.
| Major Characters: Lalaith, Nienor, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: Lalaith & Túrin |
| Genres: Family, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 001 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Sieges in the First and Second Ages by S.R. Westvik
From ancient times to the present, siege warfare has been used to wear down an enemy through time and deprivation. Siege tactics, defense against a siege, and humanitarian concerns from real-world sieges have analogues in sieges in Middle-earth.
Power and Choice in the Second Age: A Political Primer by S.R. Westvik
Fantasy fiction is often conceived to aid escapism in a world as complex and threatening as ours is. It is also an important tool for reflecting on and critiquing our political and societal norms and deficits, serving as a great lens to understand politics, power, choice, order, and justice. Through the lens of political science, underused in Tolkien studies, this paper describes and evaluates the broad themes of the domestic and international political landscape of early Second Age in Middle-earth, examined through a framework of power and choice. With a specific focus on Númenor as a rising power, the paper will also address diverse themes of great power politics, foreign policy, technology and weaponry, ideology, and alliance systems.
haunted by your handiwork by skywardstruck
Together, they could have been great. But love cannot last, on the inescapable path Sauron has set for himself.
As he gains more territory in Eriador after the fall of Eregion, Sauron contemplates his solitude.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Ficlet, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death, Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 553 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
And Now For Something Completely Different... by Grundy
The world changed when Sauron fell. Orcs have to adapt to survive, and the elves may have to try new things too.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Other Fictional Character(s), Elladan, Elrohir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Challenges: X Marks the Spot |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 6, 283 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
To Aman from Ard-Galen by Lferion
Places reflect on elves and events that were.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental, Fixed-Length Ficlet, Poetry | Challenges: X Marks the Spot |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 867 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (12) |
The Lay of Thangorodrim by DaegredWinsterhand
A retelling of the rescue of Maedhros in the form of a narrative poem, in which the Valiant heads out in search of the Tall.
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 493 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
The Voyage of the Sand Piper by Himring
In the Years of the Trees, Cirdan and a young relative of his, Voronwe's mother, decide to go on a voyage together. It promises to be an enjoyable trip. Nevertheless, Beleriand at this time is less peaceful than it was, if not as dangerous as it will one day become.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Círdan |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, General | Challenges: X Marks the Spot |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 1, 640 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (11) |
Burning by chrissystriped
After touching a poisonous plant, Mablung is running a fever. Melkor takes care of him.
| Major Characters: Original Male Character(s), Melkor |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Original Character |
| Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 059 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Prince and his Servant by chrissystriped
In Aman Maedhros and Fingolfin start a secret relationship based on their common taste for plays of power and pain. When Maedhros comes back from Angband hurt both in body and soul Fingolfin does everything he can to make him still feel wanted.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingolfin/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Hurt/Comfort, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
Wonder Ere the Waking Dawn by StarSpray
Eärendil invites Bilbo aboard Vingilot to sail the skies.
| Major Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Eärendil |
| Major Relationships: Bilbo & Eärendil |
| Genres: Fluff, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 056 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
