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] 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…
[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.
Building Middle-earth
Receive a prompt of an architectural style or a location on Arda—or both!—to inspire your fanworks. Read more ...
Caprice and Chance
Prompts for this Matryoshka challenge are loosely based on the plot arcs and tropes of romance novels. 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.
Silvergifting Week 2026
A week dedicated to Celebrimbor/Mairon | Annatar | Sauron pairing, aka Silvergifting. August 10-16, 2026
I had never considered the potential similarities these two share before, and really appreciated this look at them.
"But you are not at peace, my lord" is such an excellent reply!
I'm so glad they had this one night of mutual comfort (and really, weddings can be an incredibly trying experience even without being in love with the bride or groom!) and I can't help wondering how Maeglin might have acted in future events if he'd been open to Voronwë's understating and companionship as a regular thing.
This is a lovely piece and I think it suits both prompts so well. (I mean, LaCE aside, Maeglin is heavily censoring himself and his emotions ... until the wine opens him his, but that was sadly temporary.)
Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comment. I totally agree with you about weddings!
Wonderful story! Voronwe being unrequitedly in love with Tuor is such and interesting idea, and so heartbreaking. I like this characterisation of Maeglin -- he's certainly not pleasant, but we (via the beautifully compassionate Voronwe) feel for him.
The thoughtful gift at the end was a touching addition.
I really appreciate your lovely comment. I have a lot of sympathy for Maeglin (hence compassionate Voronwe), and it wasn't easy to write him being so unpleasant, but I wanted to try and be 'realistic'! I'm so glad you liked this, and especially the gift - it seemed to me that Maeglin would want to thank someone who'd tried to help him, even if he couldn't find the words.
They do have things to talk about, those two, don't they?
Sadly, although it is enough for them to be some comfort to each other on this occasion, it is not enough for a closer friendship. Otherwise things might perhaps gone differently?
But it is good of Voronwe to reach out, even in his own distress.
(The prompt list does include that Akallabeth quotation about cousin marriage being forbidden in Numenor, by the way, even if it doesn't have that other reference, so the theme is there.)
Thank you so much for reading and commenting! Yes, sadly I think that if these two had continued to spend time together, Voronwe would have found Maeglin's hatred of Tuor increasingly difficult to deal with, especially after Earendil's birth (I considered writing an epilogue about that, in fact).
Thank you too for the reassurance about the cousin marriage law.
I never really thought about Voronwë and Maeglin interacting, but it works extremely well. What a tragic little piece--but I really like how they're trying to comfort one another in spite of everything. And I love how sympathetic and understanding Voronwë is! That last line is really quite haunting, and I can just see the brooch in my mind's eye.
(May I trouble you for a Scavenger Hunt prompt?)
You certainly may! It's a quote: "Oft in lies truth is hidden".
I'm always so grateful for your interesting, thoughtful comments. I care so much about both these characters, and it was such a bittersweet joy to find a way to bring them together like this, for a little while at least.
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