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Lastiel Rusc
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Post After the King...Heard of it?
on: November 27, 2012 10:16
The other day I visited a used book store and I found a book in the same spot where all of Tolkien's books are located. The title of it is, "After the King: Stories in Honor of JRR Tolkien" I was unable to buy the book in store so I was able to order it online. So while I'm waiting for the book to arrive, I'm wondering if anyone has been able to get their hands on it and what their thoughts are about the book. Is it worth the read? (Sorry it has the name Tolkien on it so I'm keeping it on my book shelf even if the book is a dud, hoping it isn't though.)
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
The Wavesinger
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 20, 2013 05:39
I leafed through it at the library, but though I haven't actually read it, I have the impression that it's a collection of fantasy stories that are not related to Tolkien, but written in his honour. Might be worth the read, though. I don't know.
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 21, 2013 05:39
Yea I got the book a while back and took a look at it more closely than I could before I got it. And it is just a big collection of stories written in Tolkien's honor. Neat, not exactly what I was hoping for but good enough. ^.^
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
Erucenindë
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 21, 2013 09:11
that's kinda cool. were the stories any good?
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 21, 2013 11:39
Um...haven't even opened it to read it yet....Once I finish reading RoTK I'll open it up and let you all know how it is.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
Ironfoot
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 21, 2013 04:35
Sounds good...give us a mini book review once your done! I might get it...
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dwellerofthewest
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 26, 2013 04:53
I have never heard of it What is it about?
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 26, 2013 11:14
Dweller, keep in mind I have not read it yet, and when I do I will probably be writing a book report for everyone. /grin But here's a list of the authors who contributed.

Stephen R. Donaldson, Terry Prachett, Robert Sliverberg, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Poul & Karen Anderson, John Brunner, Patricia A McKillip, Harry Turtledove, Andre Norton, Charles De Lint, Dennis L. McKiernan, Emma Bull, Judith Tarr, Karen Haber, Peter S. Beagle, Mike Resnick, Jane Yolen, Barry N. Malzberg, and Gregory Benford

And here's a portion from the inside flap, "No writer has had a greater influence on the literature of fantasy than J.R.R. Tolkien. His beloved creations -The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings- have not only delighted millions of readers around the world, they have inspired an entire generation of writers to continue the grand tradition of which was his life's work. Now, and extra ordinary group of Tolkien's literary descendants have contributed original works of fantasy to this unprecedented memorial collection honoring the 100 anniversary of his birth." "These stories were not created to imitate the master, but to celebrate the dazzling diversity of fantasy which Tolkien's work has inspired."

I can't really say much more than what the outer flap says, since I have yet to read it. ^.^ But I hope that helps explain it some.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
cirdaneth
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 26, 2013 02:59
... so obviously published 20 years ago. I've not read it either but must remedy that soon. Thank you Lastiel.
Lastiel Rusc
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 26, 2013 11:39
Yup. Hopefully it's good. A friend of mine likes Peter S. Beagle's work so I think it should be good. (fingers are crossed) And your welcome Cirdaneth.
'If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise.' ~ Flies and Spiders The Hobbit
Taug anin ú-daug.
dwellerofthewest
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Post Re: After the King...Heard of it?
on: January 28, 2013 05:32
sorry I should have saw that
Gandolorin
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on: January 21, 2014 11:54
I have it and have read it several times (fairly widely spaced). I have a paperback edition from 1992 (if there is a hardback it's also from 1992). Of course that year was the centennial of JRRT's birth, so there was probably more of this stuff to be had, but this collection is worth reading. A very wide scope of styles and locations the stories take place in, so I would be surprised if no one had one or more stories to make them shrug their shoulders. Anyone who has no use for ANY of them would most likely not be a fantasy fan and might not even have heard of JRRT (but then why would they even try to read this book?).
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findemaxam48
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on: January 21, 2014 03:54
I have never heard of this before!
We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.
Gandolorin
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on: January 22, 2014 11:51
Published 1992.

Ummm, how can I state this ...

Ask your parents?

[Edited on 01/22/2014 by Gandolorin]
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Silmelirie
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on: January 23, 2014 10:22
Are the stories based on the world by Tolkien? I mean, are there elves, hobbits, dwarves and Middle-Earth, or are they just random fantasy stories?

[Edited on 01/23/2014 by Silmelirie]
~*You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.*~
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Gandolorin
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on: January 23, 2014 01:23
More like random, none is specifically in ME - unless you count one which takes place in our own world and time as counting for ME. They have elements of Tolkien in them, (superficial) similarities, but the subtitle is clearly "Stories IN HONOR OF JRRT".
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Silmelirie
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on: January 24, 2014 02:39
Ah, alright. Thank you!

It's probably a good book. I was just excited about the ideia of "fanfics" written by professionals.
~*You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.*~
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Gandolorin
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on: December 28, 2018 03:46
I'll take this specific book's title "After The King" as a description of a genre of books widely "in honor of JRRT". 1992 was his 100th birthday, but though readership was already certainly in middle tens of millions worldwide, other media - Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated plus rotoscoping film, also needing a never-produced second part to complete it, and other animated films - didn't have much impact. It was still very much a "bookie" affair.

What did produce more books in the genre were PJ's three LoTR films of 2001, 2002 and 2003. Those films also gave specifically LoTR the book a good sales boost. When, finally (so far) PJ's three TH films came out, the genre produced quite a bumper crop of books (including some reissues from around 1992 and 2004). Except for the original 1992 "After The King" book, all others that I have are in German, though compilations very close to ATK also have quite a few translations from other languages.

As I mentioned above about ATK, the stories compiled range widely, the two (later) German-language (meanig often translated) ones that I have even more widely than ATK itself. Various imaginary pasts, quite a few species (humanoid and non- ) not found in Middle-earth, occasionally in "our present" (that "present" spanning several decades in our recent past as seen from the end of 2018 ), representing other fantasy genres than JRRT's High Fantasy (dark fantasy, sometimes not to be recommended for younger readers), and even crossing the "pure" fantasy border (a large fuzzy area for certain) into other branches of the fantastic, as Tom Shippey calls things including science fiction, allegory (!) and parable, fairy-tale (?), horror (Frankenstein & Dacula & Co., I suppose), modern ghost story and medieval romance.

The stories are so wide-ranging that it would probably take something close to a miracle for any given reader not to find one to be annoyed about. At least at a first reading, because - as mentioned by others above - we may be expecting "something", whatever that is, and when our expectations are not fulfilled, we can be annoyed. A later re-reading without those expectations can alter one's reaction.

[Edited on 12/28/2018 by Gandolorin]
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