Founded in 2005, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild exists for discussions of and creative fanworks based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and related texts. We are a positive-focused and open-minded space that welcomes fans from all over the world and with all levels of experience with Tolkien's works. Whether you are picking up Tolkien's books for the first time or have been a fan for decades, we welcome you to join us!
New Challenge: Everyman Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration.
Cultus Dispatches: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn and Grundy The fan studies column Cultus Dispatches returns with a history of how Tolkien fanworks fandom has reacted and resisted generative AI by drawing strong boundaries in a way that is not typical for the fandom.
Finrod and Bëor stop for a while on the road to Nargothrond to rest. The bodies of the Secondborn often grow weary, and Finrod laments, massaging Bëor's back and renewing his beloved's vigor with the work of his hands. But Finrod has other burdens of his own, Bëor soon discovers, returning…
Maglor without Maedhros, Daeron without Lúthien. Alone, they are nothing, but together, they can be something more. Where do you turn, when you have no one else left?
Written for Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2023, featuring artwork by athlai.
It was only the second time Finwë had come out foraging with them, and of course this would happen—of course the Hunter would come, the Dark Rider on his steed with its terrible, heavy footfalls, and the deep-throated laughter that held no mirth, only malice.
“Come on.” Maedhros grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path, both of them quickening their pace now, until the trees opened up into a wide meadow filled with flowers, bright yellow celandine and dandelions and sweet-scented pale chamomile mingling with cornflowers and irises. On…
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
For most of my life, when reading Lord of the Rings, I read it through the perspective of Gandalf's words about Éowyn, that she'd spent years trapped as a caregiver, watching the realm she love fall from honor into disgrace.
But what if Éowyn was also a student of history?
…
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Angbang Week 2026
Angbang Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Morgoth and Sauron, running from May 5-11, 2026
Gondor Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the history of the realm of Gondor.
Crablor Day
A day dedicated to everyone's favourite warcriminal crustacean - April 26, 2026
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.
It captures the feeling of intense relief that the war is finally over perfectly (I imagine it's a bit like I feel when the anxiety inducing thing I had to do is finally done)
Thank you! I'm glad you think it captures the feeling!
I was having to imagine it, too (well, fortunately for me!), and I agree that, whatever else, the War of the Last Alliance must have been the most anxiety-inducing thing...
Yes, elves would have a slightly different perspective, given that they've already experienced that relief of the war being over once, only to find out it was more like a pause before the next round. At least the Men will get to have (mostly) peaceful lives!
I think so (I tried to have a look). In the Appendices, there is a hint that Gondor was seldom at peace for long, but when you look at the recorded wars the next one actually seems to be several generations later!
My Sinda is partly echoing Elrond at the Council of Elrond with her observation (if she is indeed my OFC Huntress, they know each other), but it was important to me that this ends on a note of hope!
As usual with your ficlets, there are so many things tucked in here.
I really love where you took the prompt, and I have to admit that my eyes waters while I was reading.
The homecoming of all those men (ex-adolescents) to the outlying regions of Gondor is quite a thought — and must have been quite a sight. The camaraderie that would have formed runs deep, but adjusting to life beyond the war, with people who can never fully comprehend what you've experienced, is something else entirely.
And Huntress' companion's thought that they may well experience peace for the remainder of their time in Arda hearkens back to that line that even the Powers will come to envy the Gift of Men. I can't wrap my mind around how life must be for the Elves if Middle-earth, although I feel for Huntress here. (And it's nice to glimpse her again.)
After some thought, I realized it was going to be important for this that these are not the kind of combatants that are major names in history. I was partly thinking of the kind of soldiers Aragorn is concerned about in ROTK on the march to the Black Gate. And I only hinted at the problems they might have at fitting back in afterward after these experiences, but we know from history that that would be an issue.
I'm glad that you liked the idea of this being Huntress! I wasn't more definite, because I hadn't really thought before about what she was doing in this period before, so there was no backstory in place. Of course, she is older than Elrond, by this point, even though she was quite young when she joined the Noldor in Mithrim.
I watched the video just before reading this, and I think that you have found the essence of that scene in your beautiful, thoughtful writing. There's this sense of relief and happiness, but bittersweet because not everyone had come back.
I appreciate the perspective of Elves: Men do indeed live at a quicker pace. Perhaps Elves feel the same way we do when we witness our pets be young, adults and old.
Comments on And better, and better is peace
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.