*Fan Fiction Information and Recommendations*

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Many members of the Downs enjoy reading fan fiction and some have asked for information and recommendations. Newcomers to the forum are often not aware that the Barrow-Downs also has a fan fiction forum located here. However, there are also numerous other sites with fan fiction, of wildly varying quality. This thread is for your recommendations - please give links and tell us what it is that you particularly like (or don't like!) about the stories you mention. You may also mention your own stories; members here may not always check out the fan fiction site regularly, so it will hopefully be helpful to remind them of new developments elsewhere.

Here are two recommendations of mine, written by two of our administrators:

Mithadan's Tales of Tol Eressëa, continued here , here , and here

Gilthalion's THE HOBBITS


Please do not give complete reviews or differentiated comments here - you may do that on the fan fiction site.

[Morthoron]

Might I make a suggestion regarding the Fan-fic forum? Considering I have the technological capabilities of a 9th century Northumbrian woodcutter, and have no idea the labor involved, would it be possible to redesign the Fan-fic forum so that it emulates the main Discussion forum as far as editing abilities and interface? It just doesn't seem as user-friendly as the main boards.

I realize this may be due to my own ineptitude (my 7 year-old daughter assists me with complicated television remotes and other such technological oddities), so I will defer to experts in the field. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Morthoron, the BD fan fiction forum is actually our old discussion forum site, with a different server base. (UBB instead of vBulletin) Therefore, it doesn't have the same features and organisation - not due to our administration, but to the nature of the server.

We upgraded to vBulletin a couple of years ago (you can tell by some of the smiley codes in posts that predate that time) and decided to utilize the "old" forum for fan fiction. Since this server has additional features that the UBB site does not, there are differences in things you noticed, such as editing, links, etc. Just think of it as a separate site - kind of like the difference between LotR books and movies!

[Morthoron]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Estelyn.

[Sauron the White]

Estelyn -- thank you for making this easy.

[Guinevere]

I can highly recommend all the stories by Marnie to be found on her Celeborn homepage. here

Particularly Oak and Willow is a wonderful (and long!) story which I enjoyed thoroughly and have read several times over.
(The story of Celeborn and Galadriel, with a difference - this time it's from the Sindar POV. Features Daeron, Elu Thingol, Luthien, Beren, Angrod, Finrod and many others.)
The story fits perfectly into”canon” and yet it is totally thrilling to read. All the characters are spot-on and “alive” – and Celeborn is just adorable!
I love Marnie's style – not a single word is out of place (or time). And there is so much depth to it, too.

"Those who remain" is also a marvellous story, sad and hopeful at the same time, it made the tears rise in my eyes. It's about Celeborn coming to see Sam, after the end of LotR. Both have been left by the person they loved, and so have something in common. (Features also Rosie) In my opinion, Marnie's style comes here very close to Tolkien!

[Galadriel]

Has anyone read Fanfiction by Ivanneth? And has anyone seen her(his) artwork? I think she's brilliant. She captured Fëanor, Maedhros and Fingon perfectly.

Here's the link for her FF:
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/283154/Ivanneth

Here's her homepage with all her artwork:
http://ivanneth.com/

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Here's her homepage with all her artwork:
http://ivanneth.com/

That's pretty good! She doesn't leave much for the imagination though, does she?

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by skip spence

That's pretty good! She doesn't leave much for the imagination though, does she?

Hmm. She doesn't, but I still love her

Also, take a look at this one:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4899822/..._and_Starlight

[Guinevere]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Has anyone read Fanfiction by Ivanneth? And has anyone seen her(his) artwork?

I read Ivanneth's stories "The Follower" and "Ill chance or Strange Fates" years ago (more than once) and still find them some of the best Silmarillion Fanfictions.
Her artwork is also very beautiful. (Though her Feanorians look a bit too feminine for my taste. But her Finrod is exactly as I imagine him. And "Seven little Feanorians" is very amusing!)

Btw did you know Galadriel, that Kasiopea has drawn some lovely Illustrations for "The Follower"? You'll find them on her homepage under "Sketches".

Kasiopea's Tolkien Illustrations are wonderful and her comic strips about Boromir as a kid are hilarious!

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I read Ivanneth's stories "The Follower" and "Ill chance or Strange Fates" years ago (more than once) and still find them some of the best Silmarillion Fanfictions.
Her artwork is also very beautiful. (Though her Feanorians look a bit too feminine for my taste. But her Finrod is exactly as I imagine him. And "Seven little Feanorians" is very amusing!)

Btw did you know Galadriel, that Kasiopea has drawn some lovely Illustrations for "The Follower"? You'll find them on her homepage under "Sketches".

Kasiopea's Tolkien Illustrations are wonderful and her comic strips about Boromir as a kid are hilarious!

Really? I'll get right to them!

[Glorthelion]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=309601

I thought the ending was weird though and men returning from the dead was something that should not have happened in Middle earth. But I thought it was a bloody good read if you would ignore some stuff like dead kings returning (e.g. Elessar), resurrected beasts and overwhelming numbers of both armies, which would be nigh on impossible for the plains of Dagorlad and Mordor to contain. Long story ahead.

Glorthelion