The Road Goes Ever On and On - now available in paperback!

[bilbobaggins764]

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world for generations. He is considered the father of modern fantasy, but few understand how Tolkien's worldview impacted his mythology. The Road Goes Ever On and On is the first book of its kind to place Tolkien within his proper context, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Tolkien and Middle-earth. Smith takes us on a quest through a wide range of Tolkien's writings to unlock Tolkien's perspective--a perspective that, like the elves who have sailed into the West leaving Middle-earth, has faded away from our world.

You will gain an in-depth knowledge of Tolkien's views on politics, environmentalism, religion, and much more. From the Valar to Hobbits, the free peoples closely follow Tolkien's sentiments. In contrast, forces under the Shadow represent what Tolkien believed was immoral. Covering a wide range of topics and bringing Middle-earth to life like never before, making this the 'one book to rule them all.'

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDXWS532/re ... 8&qid=&sr=

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Sir, I would not mind the endless self-promotion if you had once replied on any of the previous threads you made to promote your book on which I asked you questions about your book.

You may be a member of this site, but you are spamming us. Your behaviour is disrespectful.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@bilbobaggins764 I know that I could click on the kickstarter.com page but given the recent amount of spam accounts I've encountered (and eaten) recently, could you give us a synopsis of your planned book?

NO REPLY

Would it be possible for you to explain to us here (using the typed word) what your book is about?

NO REPLY

bilbobaggins764, those are but two instances. You give authors a bad name by turning yourself into a spambot. As a reader, I do not appreciate it.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world for generations. He is considered the father of modern fantasy, but few understand how Tolkien's worldview impacted his mythology. The Road Goes Ever On and On is the first book of its kind to place Tolkien within his proper context, giving the reader a deeper understanding of Tolkien and Middle-earth. Smith takes us on a quest through a wide range of Tolkien's writings to unlock Tolkien's perspective--a perspective that, like the elves who have sailed into the West leaving Middle-earth, has faded away from our world.

You will gain an in-depth knowledge of Tolkien's views on politics, environmentalism, religion, and much more. From the Valar to Hobbits, the free peoples closely follow Tolkien's sentiments. In contrast, forces under the Shadow represent what Tolkien believed was immoral. Covering a wide range of topics and bringing Middle-earth to life like never before, making this the 'one book to rule them all.'

As an account of the relationship between Christianity and Tolkien's stories, this book seems to me a well-written overview. But what you mean by 'Tolkien's worldview' is his Christianity, and it would be more honest to state this outright. I quote from pp.77-78 of my kindle version of the book.

Today, we Christians do the opposite. We mix with the culture in our attempts to evangelize modern pagan and atheist America. We go to school to learn their atheistic philosophy; we watch TV shows and newscasts, read materials of a secular humanistic bent, listen to their politicians, and become surprised when so few hold to the truth. Modern schools teach anti-God philosophy, and we fund it.

Today the pagan world has converted us because we no longer, like Aragorn and the Rangers, defend a Christian world.

May I just say that what really bugs me here is nothing to do with religion but rather the making of North America into the whole world. There is a presumption that all Christians are Americans! I am not a Christian, and yet neither am I a North American, and it is for this second reason that the above offends me.

Of course, the more relevant point in a Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza discussion is that Aragorn and the Rangers did not defend a Christian world. This is a slip, but a telling one. The context of Tolkien's writing is not only his religion, and to get to the roots of it requies a sense of history that is lacking in these pages.

There are some interesting things in this book that would be worth discussing. But there is no discussion to be had with an author who has transformed himself into a social media spambot and treats our plaza with disrespect.

[VelvetineZone]

Hi @Chrysophylax Dives, am I allowed to spambot my new book: How I Badly Recreated Tolkien's Hobbit Using Playmobil.
On sale in all disreputable bookshops.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Hi @Chrysophylax Dives, am I allowed to spambot my new book: How I Badly Recreated Tolkien's Hobbit Using Playmobil.
On sale in all disreputable bookshops.

You know, VelvetineZone, the plaza has many rules and I am absolutely not the person to ask about them. My relationship with the authorities has been... shall we say, delicate. But as a general rule I reckon that if someone does something repeatedly and the site admins don't clamp down then it must be OK.

So I think the answer is YES. It is even possible your spam thread will generate a few polite replies, saying how interesting it sounds. And it is even possible that some sucker will actually buy the book - as I did with this one in the naive belief that it would be worth it to have a decent conversation about Tolkien.

[VelvetineZone]

It's not really a book as such. More of a concept.

Shocked to hear that you're not a rule follower @Chrysophylax Dives. Dry humour emoji.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

I am a reformed character, @VelvetineZone. After a bad start to the new year that got worse, I have now performed a pinkie shake and committed myself to perpetual peace with the administration. This was a good thing because (a) they are actually all very decent people - dare I say it, but I like them a lot, and (b) the battles I wish to wage atm are outside the plaza, and I really need this place as a safe haven.

I still say that you should feel free to spam Lore with your concept. Lore is a bit lacking in concepts.

That is the paradox of this place, at least for me. I only came here because of this Lore section because I wanted to engage with the people who know everything about Tolkien and I never noticed all the storytelling and role playing. But this last year I realized what everyone else here has know for years - Lore is inherently a bit crap and the fun is to be had lower down.

[VelvetineZone]

It's very important to have safe havens.
I'm glad you have peace with the administration.
I'll stop burbling on this thread in a sleepy manner.
Thank you administration and all for letting me creep in and wander around exploring the plaza.

[Arnyn]

@bilbobaggins764 Congratulations on this book. It isn’t the first one, so looks like you are on a roll!

I do request you to keep the promotion of your book(s) to one thread per book from now on. We don't need 4+ threads about one book. You can share and celebrate with us, even promote your book in that one thread, but this site is not the locale for self-promotion through additional new threads on the topic. You may use this thread for The Road Goes Ever On and On.
Thanks!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@bilbobaggins764 Congratulations on this book. It isn’t the first one, so looks like you are on a roll!

There are two books? Are you sure of this? From what I can make out there is one book, which I purchased a year ago in the kindle version, followed by a kickstarter campaign to publish this ebook as a physical book, followed by the release of the physical book as advertised in this thread.

It is not so important but I would like to know if there are actually two books. Because the book that I have has one idea only, namely that Tolkien was a Christian and Middle-earth is Christian. So I am very curious about the author having a second idea. Two ideas are usually better than one because they interact with each other and may fuse into something new, generating three ideas! And three ideas is what you need to actually write a decent book, imo.

[Arnyn]

Thought the title of the other one wasn't 'The Road goes ever on and on'? But that it was 'Middle-earth Lore : Tolkien's Legends Revealed'?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@Arnyn, you are completely correct. The Amazon page in fact shows 3 titles, the third perhaps most curious, and titled Missing Monarchy.

When you think of democracy, what comes to mind? Comparing democracy to monarchy, are you thankful to be living free rather than suffering oppression under a medieval tyrant? What if you could be evidentially shown that the democracy you hold so dear is not only less ideal than you’ve been taught, but is actually inferior to the kingdoms of the Middle Ages?

Get ready for a real history lesson you won’t soon forget. In Jeb Smith’s latest work Missing Monarchy, he uncovers eye-opening facts about the Medieval period, kingship, democracy, and more. When you learn how societies of our past addressed their governmental needs, you may begin to perceive that our current system isn't the utopia it is commonly portrayed as. And as you come to understand how power is wielded under our democracy, you just might start missing monarchy too.

I kind of feel that this third one might speak to us here on the plaza more than the two Tolkien titles. Something on the lines of:


As you come to understand how power is wielded under our democratically elected admins, you just might start missing absolute monarchy too.

[Hanasian]

Sir, I would not mind the endless self-promotion if you had once replied on any of the previous threads you made to promote your book on which I asked you questions about your book.

You may be a member of this site, but you are spamming us. Your behaviour is disrespectful.

This is the reason I will not even consider paying money for this book.
This I would think is more fitting to the 'Cottage of Lost Play' than 'Lore'.

<Eowyn edit: Agreed. Moved it.>

[Arnyn]

I kind of feel that this third one might speak to us here on the plaza more than the two Tolkien titles. Something on the lines of:


As you come to understand how power is wielded under our democratically elected admins, you just might start missing absolute monarchy too.

Is that how you feel?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Absolutely, and you know it. But I am also opposed to nostalgia on ideological grounds, which is why I look to modern constitutional monarchy. The Morning Star and the Evening Star as the face of the Leviathan (the plaza, I mean), and elected and accountable admins to actually run the show. Something like that would be my ideal.

Just to be clear, @Arnyn, if we ever get to vote on all this, I'm voting for you as one of those two stars (but I will not say which one for fear of knives and such). Until that day, however, I'm voting for you as admin.