A Tolkien Fandom History Manifesto

This is my interpretation of snowflake_challenge's prompt for Day 2: Write a Fandom Manifesto:

Seems like we all spend a considerable chunk of our fandom time trying to convince loved ones, friends and total randos alike that our fave is in fact the best. This can take shape of anything from watch parties/read-alongs to capslock squee in DMs to relentless gifsets to PhD dissertations.

One of my favourite forms of this is the "fandom manifesto" or "fandom primer," wherein one writes up an outline of what their fave is, why it's great, and links to where one can find more (with more or less detail and formality, depending on the venue).

This isn't about the typical character, pairing, or fandom, and it's more aimed at existing Tolkien fans than people who have never heard of Tolkien or the fandom, but I think it's close enough in spirit to count so here goes.

Why Tolkien Fandom History Matters

I spend a lot of time on fandom history. If I start typing "fa" in my browser, it doesn't suggest "facebook.com" but "fanlore.org." The universe as it should be!

This might seem an odd thing to spend time on. I don't write a lot of fanfiction anymore, and wouldn't this be a better contribution? Certainly more entertaining! Who even cares about "fan history" (whatever that is!)

I think it's perilously easy, in the moment, to think that what you're doing every day, what is important to your life, won't matter long-term. Or, it will be around and like this forever. Fandom, especially, can feel frivolous. It's a hobby for nearly everyone. It's often very personal. It's often, let's face it, very silly—by design.

I think it's the opposite. I think it's part of a moment—and an important part of that moment—similar to when cultures transition from oral to written traditions, or when cultures that have developed writing transition between scribal and print production. ( Read more... )