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.
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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 Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
[Writing] Wound Care by StarSpray
He’d ventured into the little fishing village in search of food and maybe a dry place to sleep for a night of rain and wind—he hadn’t expected this, to be bullied into a hot meal and a healer’s attention.
[Writing] Swelling from the Sea by annarobots
Tuor and Elwing’s recreational sailing excursion goes terribly awry when a carnivorous siren casts her gaze upon their vessel. With her song, she enchants the mariners and boards with evil intent. She kills and eats their crewman, she demands Tuor’s hand in marriage, and for dessert…
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Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[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] One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan
As beautiful as he is dangerous, Aegnor, an elven prince, stands against the looming shadows of Angband. Brother to Galadriel, he commands the siege with a fierce intensity, a duty that exacts a heavy toll on him. But beneath the iron walls he has built lies a broken soul, haunted by a…
[Reference] "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…
Building Middle-earth
Receive a prompt of an architectural style or a location on Arda—or both!—to inspire your fanworks. Read more ...
Period Drama
A Matryoshka challenge where prompts are inspired by common tropes found in period dramas and historical fiction. Read more ...
"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.
[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…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
Silvergifting Week 2026
A week dedicated to Celebrimbor/Mairon | Annatar | Sauron pairing, aka Silvergifting. August 10-16, 2026
I like this very much. The details of the ruined world are interesting. I love the evocation of the Elven love of earth. The tension between Eka’s view of herself and other’s view is moving. I like that the story’s end is so focused on one clear image, and yet is open-ended About what happens next.
Thank you, Tomour! (And my apologies for taking so long to reply to your comment.) I very much wanted to leave the end open. What happens when she takes off that mask? I personally like to think that she survived, either in body or spirit form, but another reader pointed out that even if she didn't, it was likely better than her life in that world anyway.
I really appreciate you reading and commenting on my story! :)
Very sad, to think of the last of humanity so reduced. Poor Eka.
I read the end as saying that she was about to die, but at least she had had that vision of something else?
I left the end open intentionally, and it was been fun to see the different ways different readers imagine it turning out! :D
Thanks so much, as always, for reading and commenting!
I loved (and hated, and I mean this in the best way) this! You know it's effective when I am tempted to use the back button. ;) The dystopian world you are showing us here is terrible and the barest layer of civilisation can't hide human nature in catastrophes.OMG Eka's father getting her pregnant, but also the gruesome punishment??!!? D: D: I wanted to hide under my desk.
I feel sorry for Elladan that he has to see what has become of this world he chose to stay in, but I am glad for Eka that he found her and gave her something nice, even if she is barely able to understand what it is! I wonder if Eka will become a hero of her people, but in a way that doesn't hurt everyone else? And also, I am totally seeing Eka in the tree from my inktober pieces. <3
Horror is definitely a genre where saying, "It was awful!" can in fact be a compliment. :D I'm proud of you for making it through without resorting to that BACK button!
That's an interesting thought, about Eka becoming--and redefining--her people's understanding of a hero. Because I left the ending so open, it's been interesting to hear what different readers think happened after the story ends. I have to say I'm rooting for her to have a happy ending, as in a place in the world where she can help to heal the world. (Why am I suddenly hearing Michael Jackson and seeing that emoji that looks like the devil dressed up as MJ?! :D) So I love your vision of the ending!
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