J.R.R. Tolkien: Celebrating the Professor's Greatest Creations

Topix Media Lab Special #108

by Newsweek (Editor), Shaun Gunner (Introduction), Tim Baker (Issue Editor)

This Special Newsweek Edition on J. R. R. Tolkien reviews and reveals the films based on his work, the art behind said films, and his more recent and/or obscure stories set in Middle-Earth.

Features a first look at The Fall of Gondolin — a new First Age tale, and an introduction from Tolkien Society chair Shaun Gunner.

99 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

For three years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019), Newsweek published special-edition magazines about Tolkien. This issue (2018) is much of the same content that Newsweek also used in two similar special editions. The layout and design of all three magazines are really good, and I wish they would put together all of the unique content pieces they’ve created into one larger special edition. This particular issue feels a bit lighter than the others, because a number of pages present either summaries of the major Middle-earth books or lists of memorable quotes from each book. I do like the idea of explaining Tolkien’s work book by book (I’m always in favor of an approach to Tolkien that foregrounds the books rather than the films), but the concept didn’t translate into anything of depth here. I appreciated that one of this issue’s original pieces is a profile of Ted Nasmith, who has long been one of my favorite Tolkien illustrators.

Of the three Newsweek special editions, the 2017 issue ("J. R. R. Tolkien: The Mind of a Genius") has my vote for the best. Of all the Tolkien magazines I've read from the past several years, that's the one I'll buy extra copies of to give as gifts to students.

As a side note: It’s always fun to go back and read predictions that turned out to be completely wrong. This issue includes one page that confidently states that Amazon’s Middle-earth TV series will focus on a young Aragorn.

[Jonny Parshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read, accompanied by beautiful art and photography. Some might consider this book's content as "filler" or "fluff," but I consider it "primer." It is an excellent way to "prime one's pump" toward binge reading Tolkien-penned and Tolkienesque works of literature, which is my winter-long goal.