A new edition of The Silmarillion is coming, with artwork by J.R.R. Tolkien

When people hear the name J.R.R Tolkien, they probably think of one of two books: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both classic works of fantasy literature. But there’s a third Tolkien masterwork out there, one he never finished in his lifetime: The Silmarillion.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set during the end of the Third Age of Middle-earth, when the Dark Lord Sauron again casts his shadow over the land. The Silmarillion, as envisioned by Tolkien, is mainly about the First Age, deep in the distant past when the elves of Middle-earth were dealing with a different Dark Lord: Morgoth, of whom Sauron was merely a servant. Tolkien died before he finish the book, but his son Christopher later organized and published it.

And now, fans are getting a new edition of The Silmarillion, at least in the UK. According to Tolkien Collector’s Guide, the book — which comes out on October 27 — includes a 1951 letter written by Tolkien where he lays out what happened in the earlier ages. Most importantly, the book will include paintings and drawings made by the author himself, giving us a direct line to his imagination.

Is The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power based on The Silmarillion?

It makes sense that there’s a new edition of The Silmarillion coming out this year, because there’s likely to be more interest in the book once Amazon releases its new Lord of the Rings show, The Rings of Power.

The Rings of Power comes out on September 2. It’s set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, between (most of) the events of The Silmarillion and the events of The Lord of the Rings. That said, The Silmarillion does have a section all about the Second Age, but the bulk of the book is about the first.

Technically, The Rings of Power is based on the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, not The Silmarillion, but because they cover a lot of the same material, that may be a distinction without a difference. In any case, fans will have a lot of chances to return to Middle-earth in the latter half of this year.

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