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] Alone Yourself and Nameless by StarSpray
It was easier than he had thought it would be to leave his name behind—to put on a new one when needed, like changing one set of clothes for another.
[Writing] Kesäkuningattaret by Erdariel
Celebrían ja Varyandë viettävät kesäpäivää Imladrisin puutarhassa.
[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…
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
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…
Building Middle-earth
Receive a prompt of an architectural style or a location on Arda—or both!—to inspire your fanworks. Read more ...
Kids These Days
Create a fanwork using a bingo card of prompts based on common gripes about kids and teens. 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
Hi. :) I rather liked this drabble. I like the theme of it, it is not teh msot explored time of elven hitory and therefor more fascinating in my opinion.
You did a good job with it.
However I hope you do not mind if I give you a couple of opinions on where, for me personally, the rythm of this drabble felt a bit jarring.
"A flotilla of white sails bloomed around us..." I would personally have chosed "billowed" rather than "bloomed", it is I am sure a personal choice although to me billowed would have flowed better. I would also have chosen "beneath the stars" rather than "under the starlight". I find again that beneath would have benefited the rythm better and I find the -light in starlight slightly superflous and ado feel that it would have read better without it.
In the line "flickering light like a living being" I would suggest changing it into "their lights flickering like living beings" or even "like living creatures" once again for the sake of rythm and tightness.
The last word I personally found slightly jarring was "gross" and I would suggest to exchaning it for "grotesque" or possibly "crass".
Thank you for sharing this lovely drabble. I really did find it enjoyable.
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I am glad you enjoyed it. I think I chose 'bloomed' because it felt, to me, more indicative of a sudden overwhelming action, going from no sails to full sails, more an explosion instead of an expansion of something that was already there. But I could work on making that more clear (I swear, it's clear in my head, heh!). I very much like the exchange of 'grotesque' for 'gross'.
It is a big change for me, living with these drabbles in my head, and then getting a reader's reaction. Again, thank you for sharing your suggestions, I appreciate it.
You have a lot of powerful images in this piece, particularly where Feanor appears as though he could will Middle-earth towards him. My Feanor would argue that he can. :) Very nice ... I hope you post more of your work on Curufin; he is certainly one of the more neglected Feanorians.
Thank you, Dawn, I appreciate the comment. I hope to post more soon. Mustn't let him feel neglected, even if he is content to let others take the spotlight. ;)
Ah Curufin, one can only wonder what it will do to a character to hear the laments on the wind. Now we only have to wait for the fury of Osse to be unleashed on that fleet once she hears of the kinslaying. This drabble feels like a pause of silence before the storm. Great imagery, the previous reader had some good points and I learnt that flotilla is a different word for small fleet :)
Thanks for the comment. I haven't found much info yet that deals with the period between Alqualonde and when they reach Middle-earth, so it would be great to explore that time. What did they do? Did it really take 19 years to cross, as I read somewhere? Did they invent shuffleboard to pass the time?
:D
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