Book cover of The Mirror Crack'd: Fear and Horror in JRR Tolkien's Major Works

Book description

Fear and horror are an inextricable part of Tolkien's great mythology and his use of medieval sources for his evocations of fear and horror contribute to the distinctive tone of his work. This collection of essays shows how his masterly narrative techniques transform his sources, both familiar and unfamiliar, so…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Mirror Crack'd as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love a good, solid, chewy book of critical essays around a specific theme—I know, it’s a specialized taste. This is a good one.

Yes, I’d love to tramp peacefully around Middle-earth with the field guide I reviewed above, but there are horrors there as well, and this collection gives Tolkien’s dragons, wolves, spiders, and other monsters their due.

From Janet's list on adventure in the Tolkien criticism.

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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

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