Alternate LOTR....needs help to be written

[Flame Fried Ent]

Hi there all,

I’m not much of a fiction writer....tend to be better at writing long research papers and stuff for work.

But anyways.....

I lurk on another forum dealing with alternate history, both real life and fictional (which includes both published stuff like Turtledove and spinoffs of other novels like ASOIAF etc).

One thread that I posted on was about timelines that we’d love to write about but don’t have the knowledge or time or whatever to actually do.

My contribution? Alternate takes on Tolkien.

For instance..scenario 1 is that Arthur Tolkien does not die in 1896. After a long holiday, Mabel Tolkien, JRR and Hilary return to South Africa and stay there. So JRR grows up in South Africa. He sees the Boer War first hand, as they lived in one of the Boer states. He might have served in the SA forces in WW1, which mostly fought in Africa, not Europe.

Assuming he still becomes a writer/professor, how would that change LOTR? I’m trying to picture a mythology based on the British experience in South Africa.

Anybody want to help me develop this? It keeps popping into my mind since the Plaza came back.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

I like Turtledove's work, though I've not read much of it.

I have no idea what this take might look like, but it seems like a fun thought project. Though I'll admit I have next to know knowledge on the Boer War.

[Flame Fried Ent]

Turtledove is one of my favourites.

I thought so too, so thanks for confirming. I can do Boer War part...will take some research, but at least I have some knowledge. :)