The time for the publication of a large-format work on John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's Fantasy world of Middle-earth could not be better chosen: The television series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" told in the first season published in 2022. Prehistory of the success books "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" and thus sparks the enthusiasm for Tolkia again. However, the French authors did not know the series when they wrote their contributions: the French original edition of "The Science of Middle -earth" was already published in 2019; The German translation followed in September 2022. The books published by Tolkien and all films based on these works until 2019 have been incorporated into the book.
Destruction of nature as a hallmark of evil
In the preface, the three editors – an astrophysicist, a paleontologist and the deputy editor–in-chief of the French science magazine "Pour la science" - refer to Tolkien as the Lord of Sciences. Tolkien, who was born in South Africa in 1892 and grew up in the rural surroundings of Birmingham, was not necessarily tech-savvy as a linguist with a penchant for myths and fairy tales. The nature–loving Tolkien was largely opposed to the emerging industrialization and many of its technical achievements - also recognising that the destruction of nature as a sign of evil was repeatedly included in his work.
An analysis of Tolkien's works nevertheless shows that the author had acquired a profound knowledge in many scientific disciplines and used it to create a plausible fantasy world. Science does not only refer to natural sciences, but includes humanities and social sciences, including Tolkien's passions, linguistics and genealogy. Geography and geology and geology, especially volcanology, mineralogy and the hut system, also play an important role in "The Science of Middle -earth". In one chapter, the climate of Middle -earth is even modeled.
A large part of the book is devoted to biological questions, especially the characteristics of Tolkien's mythical creatures. What would the eyes of elves have to be like to perform the feat attributed to them in the books? Why do the hobbits have big, hairy feet? Are the Uruk-sharks bred by Saruman from orcs genetically modified organisms, and are Ents plants that behave like animals, or animals that look like plants? How can the dragon Smaug be classified biologically, and what did Tolkien use as inspiration for the Warge, the mounts of the orcs?
Of course, much of the book, such as the climate modeling, the mapping of the vegetation zones of Middle-earth or the reconstruction of the continental plates, is pure fiction. Nevertheless, the authors always remain on the basis of natural laws and reliable knowledge in their speculations. In the process, they discover that some of what Tolkien describes would not be possible without magic. For example, in order to be able to see a group of riders clearly at a distance of 30 kilometers, elves would have to have unnaturally large heads and eyes. Although hobbit feet could be caused by changes in the homeobox genes, the changes would also have to be expressed in the hands, because they are subject to the control of the same genes.
"The science of Middle -earth" is not a book that you read on the side. A certain knowledge of the figures and stories of Tolkien is certainly a prerequisite for having fun reading. You should also take your time to be able to get involved in the sometimes deep considerations. However, the high-quality and lovingly illustrated book is just the right thing for everyone who wants to deepen themselves in Tolkien's fantasy world.
