Few if any books come close to being as beloved—or as ubiquitous—as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Best-sellers for decades, they became even more popular on the heels of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning film adaptations. And throughout, fans have not only read the books, they’ve engaged with them, building one of the most active and creative fan communities in the world.
This entry in the Fan Phenomena series offers the best look we’ve had yet at the fan culture surrounding The Lord of the Rings. Academically informed, but written for the general reader, the book delves into such topics as the philosophy of the series and its fans, the distinctions between the films’ fans and the books’ fans, the process of adaptation, the role of New Zealand in the translation of words to images (and the resulting Lord of the Rings tourism), and much, much more. Lavishly illustrated, it is guaranteed to appeal to anyone who has ever closed the last page of The Return of the King and wished the journey didn't have to end.
By:
Lorna Piatti-Farnell
Imprint: Intellectual Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 24mm,
Width: 17mm,
Spine: 1mm
Weight: 312g
ISBN: 9781783205158
ISBN 10: 1783205156
Series: Fan Phenomena
Pages: 156
Publication Date: 15 December 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Lorna Piatti-Farnell Making Fantasy Matter: The Lord of the Rings and the Legitimization of Fantasy Cinema Alexander Sergeant The Lord of the Rings: One Digital Fandom to Initiate Them All Maggie Parke Reforging the Rings: Fan Edits and the Cinematic Middle-earth Joshua Wille Walking Between Two Lands, or How Double Canon Works in The Lord of the Rings Fan Films Miguel Àngel Pérez-Gómez On Party Business: True-fan Celebrations in New Zealand’s Middle-earth Lorna Piatti-Farnell There, Here and Back Again: The Search for Middle-earth in Birmingham Emily M. Gray Looking for Lothiriel: The Presence of Women in Tolkien Fandom Cait Coker and Karen Viars Lord of the Franchise: The Lord of the Rings, IP Rights and Policing Appropriation Paul Mountfort Writing the Star: The Lord of the Rings and the Production of Star Narratives Anna Martin Understanding Fans’ ‘Precious’: The Impact of the Lord of the Rings Films on the Hobbit Movies Abigail G. Scheg
Lorna Piatti-Farnell is director of the Popular Culture Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.
Reviews for Fan Phenomena: Lord of the Rings
Fan Phenomena reflects the boom in university media studies in fantasy and related cultural topics. In this case, Tolkien rather than Dickens rules. Piatti-Farnell has brought together ten academics to examine the fan phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings. They examine its impact in a variety of forms, but especially in print and film. The essays range over such topics as fan social media, the impact of Peter Jackson's films on New Zealand tourism, intellectual property controversies, and gender portrayals. Numerous color photographs supplement an interesting, if varied, coverage. --Sydney Morning Herald
