This is one in a series of posts where the content is provided by a guest who has graciously answered five questions about their experience as a Tolkien fan.

To see the idea behind this project, or if you are interested in sharing your own, visit the project homepage. If you enjoy this series, please consider helping us fund the project using the support page.

I want to thank Donato Giancola for allowing me to use his artwork for this project. Prints are available on his website!

Now, on to James Roberts’s responses:

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1. How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?

I was introduced to Lord of the Rings, the movies, as a child. The moment they were out of theaters, my parents brought home the DVDs, and little 4 or 5 year old me was hooked.

2. What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?

My favorite part of Tolkien’s work definitely has to be the books for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit. There has always been a copy of them in my home, even when I moved out on my own.

3. What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?

Playing the Lord of the Rings games. From the Two Towers game on the GameCube, to War in the North, to the Lego games, and to LOTR: Online. Being able to interact with the world just draws me in.

4. Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?

As I grew older, I’ve been able to experience more and more of Tolkien. When I was a very young kid, I just had the movies. Then the games, then the books. But now that I’m an adult, I’ve branched out past Middle-Earth. I’ve been able to get an appreciation for his writing, his world building, and the general feel of the man that he once was.

5. Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?

I’ll recommend Tolkien to my dying breath. No matter what form of media one wants to partake, Tolkien can be found. He has created stories that span generational gaps, and will go down in history as a modern master of his field.