Silmarillion Writers' Guild

Tolkien's canon is complicated. That's an understatement. There are dozens of books presenting multiple versions—some of them contradictory, difficult to date, and sometimes hard to even read—and that's before one considers the many adaptations, fanworks and fan interpretations, scholarship, and myriad other "takes" on Middle-earth.

This month's Cultus Dispatches column is one of our Fandom Voices columns, where we present a question or two to the community in an attempt to capture a range of fan experiences with a topic. We asked participants how they define canon and, if they make fanworks, how they use that canon in their fanworks. We received a record number of responses, many of them going into great depth, and so will be dividing this iteration of Fandom Voices into two columns, beginning with how fans define Tolkien's canon. However, you can read all of the responses now.

How Tolkien fans define canon mirrors the complexity of the canon itself. We agree on very little (although many people noted the value of different approaches and the importance of tolerance), but the result is a decades-strong fandom where vibrant discussion and creative interpretation of the legendarium have lulled but never completely ceased. Respondents wrangled with how to handle the canon's many contradictions, the place of Christopher Tolkien's editorial work, the historical and mythical framework of the legendarium and the impact of that approach, and where adaptations and fanworks belong in terms of canon, among many other issues raised and discussed.

You can read the first part of "Fandom Voices: Defining Canon and Using Canon in Fanworks" here.

Also note that our Fandom Voices surveys never close. If you didn't get a chance to share your views and want to, it is not too late! We will continue to add new responses to the collection as they come in (including pulling from new responses for the second part of the article. You can respond to the "Defining Canon" survey here.

Finally, we are in the midst of a series of Cultus Dispatches articles focusing on canon in the Tolkien fandom. Cultus Dispatches is always open to contributions from all members of the fandom, so if you know of a creator or fanwork that takes an interesting approach to canon, or if you have another idea related to canon and fandom, contact our moderators and pitch your idea! Our reference editors will support new researchers and writers through the process, so don't let unfamiliarity with research writing dissuade you from sharing your ideas with us.

Tolkien's legendarium presents a challenging landscape for fanworks about women. The lack of women characters, the missing names and details, and the sexist leanings of some of his writings can all act as barriers to creating women-centric fanworks.

This month's Cultus Dispatches column is one of our Fandom Voices columns, where we present a question or two to the community in an attempt to capture a range of fan experiences with a topic. For this round, we focused on the experience of creating (and reading/viewing) fanworks about women. What is it like to make fanworks about women in the Tolkien fandom, we wondered, and how has this changed (or not) in the decades of the fandom's existence?

We received twenty-two responses by the time we compiled the article, which highlights some of those responses with light analysis (and includes the entire collection so that you can draw your own conclusions). Participants highlighted the challenges of writing about women in the fandom, a major part of which was the fandom itself. While not a universal experience, many observed that the Tolkien fanworks fandom was overtly hostile to writing about women in the first decade of the 2000s, a status quo that fans have worked to change, resulting in a climate that is more openminded today. However, the lingering effects of that hostile history continues to impact some creators, and many respondents see ample work that still needs to be done.

You can read "Fandom Voices: Women in Fanworks" here.

Also note that our Fandom Voices surveys never close. If you didn't get a chance to share your experiences and want to, it is not too late! We will continue to add new responses to the collection as they come in. You can respond to the "Women in Fanworks" survey here.

"Fandom Voices" is a sub-project of our Cultus Dispatches column, a monthly column about Tolkien fandom cultures and history, where we invite Tolkien fans to share their experiences around a topic. As we continue to explore the impact of the two Jackson film trilogies on the Tolkien fandom, we are looking for "film-first fans" who would be willing to share their experiences with joining the Tolkien fandom in part or entirely due to the films.

Note that we are defining "film-first" very loosely. Did you pick up Tolkien's books because of the films? Did you join the Tolkien fandom because of the films? Maybe you'd read the books but never felt like you wanted to be part of fandom (or never knew fandom existed!) until the films came out. You count too!

Responses will be published on the SWG site, and some will be selected for an upcoming article based this project. You are welcome to respond with as few or as many words as you'd like, and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.

If you'd like to share your experiences of joining fandom during the films, you can find the response form here.

While we are a Silmarillion fanfiction group, all Tolkien fans who participate in Tolkien fandom in all ways are welcome. Please signal boost to other fans and fandom groups, as we want diverse fans to respond.