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…
[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…
[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 ...
Songs of Arda
Create a fanwork about music. 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
A powerful description of Irmo.
I guess I do regret a bit that you didn't develop the theme of Namo's reaction to having proclaimed the Doom of the Noldor--maybe there will be a companion piece, one day?
Thanks! He's always been one of my favorite Valar/Ainur in general (also, I value sleep).
I regret it, too; the pieces are still there, I think, in how he refuses to speak and ignores Manwe's summons and has gone out searching for Irmo, but they never really came together in the end. (Irmo sort of hijacked the scene.) If the bug ever bites there will be a companion piece, probably from Irmo's point of view...
Insert up arrow here. That would be called me mising up the review and respond functions. I don't know how I managed to do that, but... yeah. In case I figure out how to delete the self-review in the next five minutes, here's what I (tried) to say:
I love how the 'audience,' as it were, never hear Námo speaking, yet we can still follow him somewhat through the action and Irmo's dialogue. The way you've characterized them both is great, and the scene has a very surreal quality.
I'm glad that worked for you! When I started writing he had short lines of dialogue, but they slowly disappeared as the piece progressed, and when I was typing it up I just cut his lines altogether, since they weren't necessary (also having him speak would have been against the original point). I've become a bit more interested in how the Valar/Ainur interact amongst themselves, and Irmo and Namo have always been my favorites. Thanks for your review!
These two are so interesting! I like how you portray Irmo as "whimsical," and all the discriptions of his gardens. The way the brothers interact is nice, too; slightly teasing but also reasuring and nonjudgemental.
Thank you! (And for your entire reviewing spate; it means a lot :) )
Namo and Irmo have fascinated me for a long time. I don't really know why; part of me is just really captivated by Tolkien's decision to have the Doomsman of the Valar related to the guy in charge of dreams and rest. And both of them separately are very interesting characters to me as well. (Namo has the interesting distinction of being I think the only character in Tolkien's myth that I claim as a favorite while simultaneously wanting to smack Every Single Time he does something in canon. I'm not entirely sure how my version of him diverted so sharply from the one Tolkien wrote and I ???? should probably figure that out at some point honestly oops.)
But yes, I find them very interesting, so I'm glad the portrayals here worked for you.
Thank you once again!
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