Beyond the Tolkien Estate - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mister Underhill*** · 12-29-2004, 05:34 PM

In a sense there already is a "library" of Middle-earth -- it exists here in the RPG section, in the fan-fiction forum, in countless other places across the web where fans have applied fingers to keyboard to create new tales of Middle-earth (all of which are technically in violation of copyright).

I'm merely suggesting that licensing would provide an opportunity for professional writers to try their hand at Middle-earth. It does not necessarily follow that this must be a rigid paint-by-numbers approach.

Tolkien was a genius, no argument there, but he's not the only capable writer ever to have drawn breath. I'm only saying maybe such action would produce worthy new tales of Middle-earth. Maybe. It's possible.

And unless Tolkien's heirs can figure a way to extend their copyright indefinitely, I wager there will be sequels by other writers, though neither you nor I may live to see them. In any case I don't think that works by other hands and minds would diminish the greatness of Tolkien's core works, any more than reams of fan fiction or three flawed movies have.

12-29-2004, 05:34 PM	#21
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	In a sense there already is a "library" of Middle-earth -- it exists here in the RPG section, in the fan-fiction forum, in countless other places across the web where fans have applied fingers to keyboard to create new tales of Middle-earth (all of which are technically in violation of copyright). I'm merely suggesting that licensing would provide an opportunity for professional writers to try their hand at Middle-earth. It does not necessarily follow that this must be a rigid paint-by-numbers approach. Tolkien was a genius, no argument there, but he's not the only capable writer ever to have drawn breath. I'm only saying maybe such action would produce worthy new tales of Middle-earth. Maybe. It's possible. And unless Tolkien's heirs can figure a way to extend their copyright indefinitely, I wager there will be sequels by other writers, though neither you nor I may live to see them. In any case I don't think that works by other hands and minds would diminish the greatness of Tolkien's core works, any more than reams of fan fiction or three flawed movies have.