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!

[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.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

A completed Notion Club Papers. And the Farmer Giles sequel.

[Folwren]

More stuff - stories and history - about Hobbits. That'd be wonderful.

[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

I wish that there was more about Celebrian,
her relationship with Elrond, and the founding
of Rivendell.

I just feel that she is a key character with ties to
so many other characters, that I am sad that there
is more stories about her.

I keep hoping they will find a lost manuscript!

[Alfirin]

A definitve answer to what actually did happen to Alatar and Pallando (the two blue wizards who went into the east with Saruman)

[MatthewM]

A lot of things!

-I would love to have a full description of Boromir's journey from Minas Tirith to Rivendell.

-What happened to Elladan and Elrohir?

-How did Tolkien come to a final vision after the process that is read in HoMe?

I have a lot of appearance questions...appearance questions that most people probably do not care about!

-I would like incredibly detailed physical appearances on each member of The Fellowship. I would love an answer to my questions on beards- most likely they did not, but I would love to know whether or not Tolkien pictured Boromir and Aragorn with beards of any kind. I know the canon leans towards no, but it is never mentioned that they do not. For my part I see them as beardless...which leads me to my next question...

-Were all Numenoreans beardless until old age? When did they start growing beards? Were they unable to or did they choose not to in fashion after the Elves?

-Were there dark-haired Rohirrim?

-The hair color of Legolas?

Of course there are more that I might post later.

[Morwen]

I would like more detail about the elven refugee community at Sirion and more info on what Gondor was like under the rule of Aragorn.

[Inziladun]

I'd wish for:

1. More information on the Men of Harad and Rhûn

2. Details of Minas Morgul, and what day-to-day life was like for the Orcs serving there next to the Nazgûl.

3. A look at the surviving remnants of Beleriand after the War of Wrath, such as Himling, Tol Fuin, and Tol Morwen.

4. A better description of Dol Guldur.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I think I would like to know the real story about the Blue Wizards and what happened to them — but maybe not. There have been times when an author did write about little things I'd wondered about, and I found the "official" version disappointing.

[Sardy]

I'd love to know more about the Blue Wizards---their mission(s) and their fate(s), as well as Radagast's doings about Middle-earth... Would also love to learn more about Dol Guldur and the Necromancer... Some of the more obscure creatures of Middle-Earth (like Old Man Willow, Bilbo's Trolls and Giants, etc...)

[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?"

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Of course, had Tolkien been an elf he might have
gotten around to much of the above. Another
400-500 years and he'd really have gotten going.

[Firefoot]

The origins of the Nazgul... who were they before they were Ring-Wraiths?

Same with the Mouth of Sauron.

And what about the Haradrim, the Easterlings, and the Southrons? All we really know about them is that they rode Oliphaunts...

More about Hobbits, though that's already been said. More about Gollum's race. Just more about other settlements of people in general... like who were the people whose babies Gollum was stealing and eating (very poorly paraphrased...).

[doug*platypus]

Oh, so many things!! The first thing that came to my mind however was the Istari, in particular the Blue Wizards. Having said that, though, perhaps it's better in a way that they remain mysterious!

[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.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

More information on the Men of Harad and Rhûn.

This. I'd love to hear about the different cultures of men and not just have them described by Northerners.

Like to know more about the Witch-Realm of Angmar - seems like a very creepy place.

[Rumil]

"I wish the Prof had time", I said,
"To talk of many things:
Of Elves--and Dwarves--and ME maps--
Of Dunedain--and Kings--
And why dragon breath is boiling hot--
And if Balrogs have wings."

Oh, Tuor in Gondolin, I heard that JRRT wrote a story about the Travels of Aragorn but the manuscript was subsequently lost .

I've wanted more info on Lindon and the Grey Havens. Imagine a biography of Cirdan - he'd been in Middle Earth right through (possibly even from Cuivienen), I bet he had a good tale or two!

[mark12_30]

I want a house on the shores of Annuminas.

[Flame of Udûn]

I wish he had published complete works on all his languages especially the Elvish languages and Khuzdul would have been brilliant if there was a total vocabulary for them available and they could have been used as actual languages especially Quenya which was his attempt to form a perfect language

[Elemmakil]

Originally Posted by Flame of Udûn

I wish he had published complete works on all his languages especially the Elvish languages and Khuzdul would have been brilliant if there was a total vocabulary for them available and they could have been used as actual languages especially Quenya which was his attempt to form a perfect language

Ditto. At least for Khuzdul. Though appararently there are some notes that may, someday, if one possesses Elven (or at least Dunedain) longevity, get published in Vinyar Tengwar...

[Galin]

Originally Posted by Flame of Udûn

I wish he had published complete works on all his languages especially the Elvish languages and Khuzdul would have been brilliant if there was a total vocabulary for them available and they could have been used as actual languages especially Quenya which was his attempt to form a perfect language

Well, as a wish there's nothing wrong with this obviously, but I'll just point out something Tolkien said in an interview:

"No. No. No. I wouldn't mind other people knowing it, and enjoying it, but I didn't really want to, like some people who have been equally inventive in languages [? desiring ?] to sort of make cults and have people speaking it all together, no, I don't desire to go and have an afternoon talking Elvish to chaps. For one thing of course Elvish is too complicated. I've never finished making it."


I think JRRT wanted to 'complete' some things about 'Elvish', maybe including a presentation of the historical relationships between the various Elvish language branches (at least in some measure), or producing consistent enough and satisfactory etymologies concerning a lot of his nomenclature, for another example, but I don't get the feeling he wanted to complete a given language in the sense of presenting it to the world as finished and 'usuable', like Esperanto for instance.

Not that anyone said otherwise in any case

[Elemmakil]

Another thing I should like to have seen more of is the rewrite of Hobbit c. 1960 that was intended to bring it more in line with the published LoTR. As I recall (too lazy to get up and go to the shelf...) he got three (?I think that's right) chapters in but abandoned the project when an unidentified friend, to whom he had shown the draft, commented something to the effect that "it was very good, but not The Hobbit".

While I respect the reason behind the decision, I rather wish he had postponed showing this friend the draft for at least another chapter or two (or three or...) as it was fascinating to watch how he tried to reconcile The Hobbit with his later works. For example, to help explain why Gandalf could not read the inscriptions on the swords found in the Troll cave (since, as is obvious from LoTR, he certainly could), Tolkien rewrote the text slightly to state that the swords were covered in dried orc blood, and would need to be cleaned and repolished to read any inscriptions.

The text cuts off at the end of "Roast Mutton" - had Tolkien gotten to at least the next chapter we might have been rewarded with, for example, a fuller description of Orcrist and Glamdring. While certainly not all would agree, I at least think it would have been very cool.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Of course we'd love to have a full account of Feanor's life, the grand events of the first battles of the Elves and Morgoth, and more about the crossing of the ice and the Kinslaying. Not to mention much more about Earendil's travels, a book like the Voyage of the Dawn Treader without all the Biblical allegory would be amazing.

[Cirdan]

I wish that J.R.R. had been given the life of the Eldar so he could have continued writing!

First and foremost, I'd like to read a completed Silmarillion fleshed out to the level of a couple of the Unfinished Tales like those of Tuor and Turin. What a monumental work the Silmarillion would have been if every chapter was a detailed saga!

I would also like alot more of the histories of Arnor and Gondor. Where exactly did the Dunedain of Rhudaur and Cardolan live? A lot more on Umbar, the Black Numenoreans, and how a few of them became Nazgul. The story of the slaying of Scatha the Worm, more about Dorwinion and life around the Sea of Rhun, and Nurnen, and what was built at Emyn Arnen?

[Galadriel55]

I wish there was more written on the life inside an Elvish society (except for the drunk guard in TH, that is ). What was family life like? How did Elves react to 'you have to serve this guy cause he's your lord', especially in the First Age?

I especially wondered about Rivendell. Elrond is no King, yet everyone accepts him as almost-such. Are all Elves happy to serve him? What kind of 'servant hierarchy' do they have?

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Rumil

I've wanted more info on Lindon and the Grey Havens. Imagine a biography of Cirdan - he'd been in Middle Earth right through (possibly even from Cuivienen), I bet he had a good tale or two!

Yeah!!! And why he, of all elves, seemed aged with a grey beard! Did he offend Illuvatar with his jokes or something?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Cirdan

Yeah!!! And why he, of all elves, seemed aged with a grey beard! Did he offend Illuvatar with his jokes or something?

Yes, that too! Cirdan is another enigma!

But still, what I'm most curious about is life withing an Elven community. We know that they got fruits and vegetables from somewhere. I doubt that Rivendell imported them from Dunlend, or something. They must have had farms. Can you imagine a proud elf weeding their vegetable garden? And we know that some Elves (*cough Thranduil's guard *cough) aren't very happy with their Lords. I wonder what Elrond's people think of their role as his servants.