Triangle Tolkienists

We’ve had some interesting conversations about the origins of the Orcs. A few of us have attended some of Robert Tally’s conference presentations. And there has been some discussion around the way the Orcs are portrayed in the Rings of Power tv show. Clearly, we’ve got some thoughts on this subject. Let’s take this opportunity to read The Mismeasure of Orcs.

From the publisher:

Despite its well-earned reputation as the richest world in fantasy, there exists a notable, troubling problem in Tolkien’s legendarium: the existence of a sentient, rational being for whom no sympathy or moral feeling is ever shown. Examining the origin stories of the orc, which changed over time according to Tolkien’s own worries about whether orcs were “redeemable,” this book endeavors to show that these “inhuman” creatures are, in fact, among the most human (perhaps “all-too-human”) to be found in The Lord of the Rings.

This work discusses racism and class hierarchies in Tolkien’s writings, contexts in which the characterization of orcs is particularly noticeable. But Tolkien’s own writings reveal the nature of orcs to be worthy of sympathy, despite their often dehumanized or demonized depictions. Focusing on key scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, this study uncovers the richly diverse cultures, as well as the distinctive personalities of various orcs, who turn out to be a far cry from the monsters they are taken to be in the popular imagination. A revised understanding of the orcs as a people presents Middle-earth’s history, geopolitics, and cultural anthropology in a new light.

If you’d like to hear a bit more about the book, Nick Polk recently interviewed Robert Tally for Tolkien Pop! – this was a fantastic episode, and I strongly recommend giving it a listen if you’ve got the time!

We’ll discuss the full book on Sunday, September 20th, at 7:00pm eastern.

Click here to add this meeting to your Google Calendar (you must be signed in).

Quick rundown of how our virtual book club meetings work:

We meet on Discord – click here to join.

Before or during the meeting, submit your questions or topics for discussion in the designated Discord thread (which is separate from the discussion channel). Throughout the meeting, the moderator will pull from the submitted questions and invite attendees to ask their own questions.

You don’t need a camera or a microphone to participate – most of us prefer to type. If you want to hop into voice chat during the meeting, you are welcome to do so, but the voice channel will not be moderated.

Looking for more opportunities for discussion?

Join us at our monthly academic event watch parties, during which we catch up on or revisit presentations from events like Oxonmoot, Westmoot, Tolkien Society Seminars, MythCon, etc.; the next watch party is on Wednesday, August 12.

Several of us are also participating in the Tolkien Society’s Big Read, which meets every other Monday. The next meeting is on August 10, and we’ll be discussing The Two Towers, Book 3, chapters 6-11.

Oxonmoot 2026 is also fast approaching (September 3-6) – watch this space for news!