The White Council

Re: Isildur Novel

Tolkien and Inklings Discussion

: I know there is some fanfiction novel out there about the fall : of Sauron at the end of the second age, but does anyone know of : a website where it is? : Thanks

I only reluctantly give you the link here since it's also archived on Dejanews and fairly easy to find anyway. Brian Crawford wrote an unauthorized novel called ISILDUR and posted it on his Compuserve Web site. You download a text file and read it on your own PC.

It is, in my opinion, a poorly written story. It does not conform to Tolkien's history and world in many respects and the writing just makes me wince. I cite here an analysis of the novel's main points which I posted to rec.arts.books.tolkien in February 1999.

Crawford's summary of the book is:

   Isildur is sent throughout the West to gather another army to   launch a surprise attack on his own city of Minas Ithil, still   under the control of the dreaded Nazgul, Sauron's most feared   lieutenants. This time, the allies will use their greatest   weapons and their greatest danger: the Great Rings of Power.   But this is exactly what Sauron has been waiting for so long. 

There is nothing like this in any of Tolkien's writings. Isildur, according to Tolkien, sailed to Arnor and marched south with Elendil and Gil-galad. He only returned to Gondor after the war.

Look at the nonsense in this summary of the story's highlights:

1) The White Fleet of Lindon battle the Corsairs of Umbar in a mighty naval battle!

Sorry -- there was no White Fleet of Lindon, no Corsairs of Umbar, and no naval battles in the War of the Last Alliance.

2) An entire nation doomed to continue as undead until their oath is fulfilled!

This comes out of Aragorn's account of the Paths of the dead. I have not read the novel, but the identification is easily enough made.

3) The origin of The Mouth of Sauron, the Dark Lord's eldritch spokesman!

Tolkien's description of the origin of the Mouth of Sauron places him in the Third Age, not the Second.

4) The great Council of the West, held under the majestic Dome of Stars in Osgiliath!

Nope. No specific councils are mentioned. However, Elendil probably met with Gil-galad in Lindon (or, possibly, in Annuminas).

5) The Three Rings battle with the Nine as the Elves attack the Nazgul in Minas Ithil!

Nope. Tolkien specifically wrote that the Three were not used in the Second Age, and that they were not made for war.

6) The final battle on the slopes of Orodruin when Sauron emerges at last!

This might be derived from LOTR, but the only details of Sauron's battle with Gil-galad and Elendil were published in THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH.

7) Isildur's fateful decision to take the One Ring for himself!

Definitely comes from LOTR.

8) How the Ring came to be lost so that it would be found again by Gollum!

Presumably this would be based on Gandalf's account of the Ring's history (and Elrond's). But given how little attention Crawford paid to non-LOTR sources, I would be surprised to learn he had been greatly influenced by "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields".

So, yes, he took characters (Isildur, Elendil, Gil-galad undoubtedly) and events (the War of the Last Alliance, although his depiction of it appears to differ considerably from Tolkien's), and the aftermath. Unquestionably. But let's not treat this story like it's ACCURATE or FAITHFUL to the original concepts.

It's not.