What do you wish Tolkien....

[goldfinger]

would have elaborated more on or had been more in depth in?

For me I would have liked to have known the names of the other Six Father of the Dwarves, who they were, and the history of their houses.

Better figures given in battles, populations, and so forth.

More about the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Who the commanders were, other battles, strength and casualty reports...

Maps of Eastern ME. Who the people, were their cultures, history...

the names of some different cities of the Dwarves in the Grey Mts, Blue Mts, and the Iron Hills.

A history of the wandering Dunedain.

And so much more.

[McCaber]

A full version of the battle of Gondolin.

[Sauron the White]

I would be extremely happy if when I look at the multi-volume HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH sitting upon my shelves , that it truly lived up to its title and not be the HISTORY OF THE WRITING ABOUT MIDDLE EARTH which it is. Of course, if you gave it the proper title that actually fits the contents they would have sold even less copies than what they did. 12 volumes indeed!

[zxcvbn]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

I would be extremely happy if when I look at the multi-volume HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH sitting upon my shelves , that it truly lived up to its title and not be the HISTORY OF THE WRITING ABOUT MIDDLE EARTH which it is. Of course, if you gave it the proper title that actually fits the contents they would have sold even less copies than what they did. 12 volumes indeed!

Heh heh. Yes, it's a very misleading title. When I first read the title 'History of Middle-Earth' in the list of Tolkien books I was overjoyed that I'd get to learn more in depth knowledge of Middle Earth history. Then I got hold of the Book of Lost Tales and read a bunch of half-finished narratives that had the same stories as the Silmarillion, albeit seriously inconsistent and with some commentary at the end. And i was like ***?

I would have wished for Tolkien to write a detailed history of the many Kingdoms of Men that existed in the Dark Years of the Second Age and were totally forgotten later, such as Dunharrow.

[mormegil]

I would like to learn more about the Entwives and Tom Bombadil. Also, do Balrogs have wings?

I would love to know in more detail what happens to men, dwarves hobbit, orcs...basically all non-elves when they die.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

More about hobbits in general, more about Frodo's parents indeed.
Herblore of the Shire by:Meriadoc Brandybuck
Galadriel
The History of Doriath and Lembas
Merry's Children
Sam's children
Frodo and Bilbo after they get to Valinor

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by McCaber

A full version of the battle of Gondolin.

On a similar topic, I would like a lot more on Idril, far more interesting and admirable than Luthien to my mind.

I also like more on the house of Dol Amroth and why exactly Celeborn and his grandsons lingered at Rivendell.

And of course lots of herblore and botany, information on gondorian architecture and costumes everywhere. Lots more elvish and of courses the zooology of Middle Earth so we can finally resolve the question on the colour of Legolas's hare and Isildur's hare...

[Volo]

A longer Valaquenta.

[Aiwendil]

My wish-list is:

1. A full Tale of Earendil - this is the one major story in the Legendarium for which we have nothing even approaching a 'full version'.

2. A large-scale telling of the Fall of Numenor and the Last Alliance - this strikes me as being capable of sustaining much more than a short work like the Akallabeth. I think that Amandil, Elendil, Isildur, Anarion, Ar-Pharazon and the rest would make great characters in a novel-length version.

3. Maglor's Noldolante - a full telling of the flight of the Noldor. Like the Fall of Numenor, I think this story has everything needed for a great novel.

4. The Lost Road - I found this really intriguing, and I wish we had more than four chapters of it. I'd love to read some of the intermediate chapters, between the modern ones and the Numenorean - some of the ideas in the outline sounded very interesting.

5. Tal-Elmar - for some reason, this fragment really drew me in. I'm not sure whether it was really going anywhere, but I think it could have gone somewhere good.

[Lindale]

the histories of the "little" peoples: More on the Hobbits and the Druadan, and the Ents and how they lost the Entwives, the Wild Men that the Rohirrim encountered, and the "uncivilized" men that the Numenoreans found. And of course, on the "Big" folk, more stories on Numenor and how Maglor fared after the short bit telling how the Silmaril he had he threw on the sea.

[ecthelion]

Originally Posted by McCaber

A full version of the battle of Gondolin.

I agree! The battle described in the book of lost tales is amazing, but if Tolkien could have published it with all the new ideas he had late in his life it would have easily been my favorite story of the silmarillian.

[Galadriel]

I am quite content with his works, but since this is just a dream:

1. I would have liked to know what became of Maglor after Maedhros died.
2. More stories with Tom Bombadil. His episode in LotR seemed so fleeting.
3. A little more elaboration on the lineage of Thranduil. I know Oropher was his father, but other than that I have no clue.
4. I wish Tolkien would specify a little more on hair and eye colour. It was rather irritating to read about characters who were nothing but a blob. Eg: Legolas, Ecthelion, Fingolfin, Frodo, etc.
5. A little more women in the stories. They seem to exist mostly as 'prizes' for the male heroes, even if they are strong.
6. More detail with deaths and other scenes. It seems very rushed when Tolkien says 'and hence he died, fighting a werewolf' etc.

That's all I can think of for now, but maybe I'll post more later...

[Tuor in Gondolin]

1. I agree about the Blue Wizards. It's intriguing to read
that they were "missionaries" in the East. Even if they
"failed" as such, their overall influence could have been
ameliorartive (sp.?) towards the Easterners and Southerners
Sauron influence.
Related, how many of the wizards were allowed back into
Valinor, and on what conditions? I'd imagine Radagast was,
if perhaps demoted a peg or two for scatterbrainness ,
but what of the Blue Wizards- sent to much more trying
and challenging situations then the other three?

2. The tale of Aragorn's journeys- including into Far Harad where the
stars are strange, perhaps attenuated like Tuor's in Unfinished Tales.

3. As was done with Eowyn, more stronger/assertive women in
Beleriand and Numenor. Picture Finduilas taking on a dragon or
(being rescued by the Brethil lads while being taken north) becoming
a lady Robin Hood in the forest, and not too forgiving towards her ex-
boyfriend, that hot-head Turin.

And speaking of Queen Beruthiel...What of her story. Perhaps she
and her shipmates survived.

[Archaic Elf]

If we could have one thing, a full novel of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin would be the way to go. I haven't read "The Children of Hurin" yet, but I would trade that for a full account of the fall of Gondolin in a heartbeat. I like both stories, but Turin's tale is describe to a satisfying extent in the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

I'll agree that the story of the Blue Wizards would be phenomenal to read. If we could have a history of the East, the origin and history of man, and detailed maps of the entire Earth (beyond Valinor and Middle Earth), then that would add even more depth to an already massive world. You would have to take seminars in school to be able to get a handle on it all.

Other than that, maybe just more details here and there, like more information about the rangers. Too bad Tolkien didn't have a few laptop computers...

[narfforc]

I would like to have seen his continuation of The New Shadow.

[Pitchwife]

To borrow an answer from Pippin:
"The names of all the stars, and of all living things, and the whole history of Middle-earth and Over-heaven and of the Sundering Seas [...] Of course! What less?"