#11: 11 Flames a’ Flaring From, “Return of the King” – J.R.R. Tolkien Today’s theme reflects epic fantasy at its best. Tales of warring kingdoms, exiled princes, powerful wizards, swashbuckling warriors, as well as a host of heroic, tragic, and mystical characters. Often the stories are so large and so detailed that they can’t fit into a single book. In order to appreciate the tremendous imprint Tolkien has left on this genre, you’ll need to understand the grand depth and diversity of his Middle Earth. To understand the beauty of his prose, you may also need a linguist, a genealogist, and perhaps even a taxonomist. This scene captures a pivotal moment in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. The Nazgul have breached the defenses of Minas Tirith, with the intent of slaughtering the city’s residents and reducing it to charred rubble. Their captain, the Witch King of Angmar, dares to challenge even the power of the wizard Gandalf, as he leads an army of orcs, trolls, and other nasty creatures into the burning city. Is this the end of Gondor? Is a new terrible reign of Sauron about to begin? And what about the One Ring? Hey—if you’ve never read the book trilogy (!) or seen the movie trilogy (!!), I’m not gonna spoil it for you. BTW: I highly recommend “Bored of the Rings,” a parody of Tolkien’s masterpiece which was published by the Harvard Lampoon and has became a literary classic in its own right. “Props” to Archive3D (dragon), Baument (rubble), peemot (flames), ivan3d (Witch King helmet), PhilC (cape), titou (orc), and anyone I may have missed. Selections from the same shelf: “The Illiad,” Homer “Arthur Rex,” Thomas Berger “Dune,” Frank Herbert