1.
Sterling, Illinois
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Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,370 at the 2010 census, down from 15,451 in 2000, formerly nicknamed The Hardware Capital of the World, Sterling has long been associated with manufacturing and the steel industry. Sterling is located along the bank of the Rock River opposite its twin city of Rock Falls. The land immediately outside of town is almost entirely farmland, the prairie soil is part of one of the worlds most fertile growing areas. According to the 2010 census, Sterling has an area of 5.943 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 15,596 people,6,234 households, the population density was 3,307.0 people per square mile. There were 6,596 housing units at a density of 1,411.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 84. 36% White,2. 25% African American,0. 41% Native American,0. 81% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,9. 82% from other races, and 2. 35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19. 24% of the population,31. 4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14. 0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was out with 25. 1% under the age of 18,9. 5% from 18 to 24,28. 7% from 25 to 44,19. 8% from 45 to 64. The median age was 36 years, for every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males, the median income for a household in the city was $37,664, and the median income for a family was $45,531. Males had an income of $33,047 versus $21,944 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,432, about 7. 6% of families and 10. 8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17. 0% of those under age 18 and 5. 4% of those age 65 or over. In 1834, Hezekiah Brink built the first cabin in what was to become Harrisburg, two years later, William Kirkpatrick settled downstream in an area that became Chatham. In 1838, the towns of Harrisburg and Chatham combined to become the Town of Sterling in an effort to attract the county seat. The name Sterling was bestowed to the new town in honor of Major James Sterling, on February 16,1857 Sterling was incorporated as a city by state law
Sterling, Illinois
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A brick road and sidewalk in a Sterling neighborhood near the
Paul W. Dillon Home
2.
Author
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An author is narrowly defined as the originator of any written work and can thus also be described as a writer. More broadly defined, an author is the person who originated or gave existence to anything, in the copyright laws of various jurisdictions, there is a necessity for little flexibility regarding what constitutes authorship. The United States Copyright Office, for example, defines copyright as a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to authors of works of authorship. After a fixed amount of time, the copyright expires on intellectual work and it enters the public domain, however, copyright is merely the legal reassurance that one owns his/her work. Technically, someone owns their work from the time its created, an interesting aspect of authorship emerges with copyright in that, in many jurisdictions, it can be passed down to another upon ones death. The person who inherits the copyright is not the author, questions arise as to the application of copyright law. How does it, for example, apply to the issue of fan fiction. If the media responsible for the authorized production allows material from fans, what is the limit before legal constraints from actors, music. Additionally, how does copyright apply to fan-generated stories for books, what powers do the original authors, as well as the publishers, have in regulating or even stopping the fan fiction. In literary theory, critics find complications in the term author beyond what constitutes authorship in a legal setting, in the wake of postmodern literature, critics such as Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault have examined the role and relevance of authorship to the meaning or interpretation of a text. Barthes challenges the idea that a text can be attributed to any single author and he writes, in his essay Death of the Author, that it is language which speaks, not the author. The words and language of a text itself determine and expose meaning for Barthes, with this, the perspective of the author is removed from the text, and the limits formerly imposed by the idea of one authorial voice, one ultimate and universal meaning, are destroyed. The psyche, culture, fanaticism of an author can be disregarded when interpreting a text, because the words are rich enough themselves with all of the traditions of language. To expose meanings in a work without appealing to the celebrity of an author, their tastes, passions, vices, is, to Barthes, to allow language to speak. Michel Foucault argues in his essay What is an author and that all authors are writers, but not all writers are authors. He states that a letter may have a signatory—it does not have an author. For a reader to assign the title of author upon any written work is to certain standards upon the text which. Foucaults author function is the idea that an author exists only as a function of a work, a part of its structure
Author
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J. K. Rowling is a prominent British author
Author
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A copyright certificate certifying the authorship for a proof of the
Fermat theorem, issued by the State Department of Intellectual Property of Ukraine.
Author
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Mark Twain was a prominent American author in multiple genres including fiction and journalism during the 19th century.
Author
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Ezra Pound (pictured as a young man in 1913) made significant editing suggestions to
T.S. Eliot 's "
The Waste Land," helping transform the original drafts into the work known today.
3.
Lawyer
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A lawyer is a person who practices law, as an advocate, barrister, attorney, counselor or solicitor or chartered legal executive. The role of the lawyer varies greatly across legal jurisdictions, in practice, legal jurisdictions exercise their right to determine who is recognized as being a lawyer. As a result, the meaning of the lawyer may vary from place to place. In Australia, the lawyer is used to refer to both barristers and solicitors. In Canada, the word lawyer refers to individuals who have been called to the bar or. Common law lawyers in Canada are formally and properly called barristers and solicitors, however, in Quebec, civil law advocates often call themselves attorney and sometimes barrister and solicitor in English. The Legal Services Act 2007 defines the activities that may only be performed by a person who is entitled to do so pursuant to the Act. Lawyer is not a protected title, in India, the term lawyer is often colloquially used, but the official term is advocate as prescribed under the Advocates Act,1961. In Scotland, the word refers to a more specific group of legally trained people. It specifically includes advocates and solicitors, in a generic sense, it may also include judges and law-trained support staff. In the United States, the term refers to attorneys who may practice law. It is never used to refer to patent agents or paralegals, in fact, there are regulatory restrictions on non-lawyers like paralegals practicing law. Other nations tend to have terms for the analogous concept. In most countries, particularly civil law countries, there has been a tradition of giving many legal tasks to a variety of civil law notaries, clerks, and scriveners. Several countries that originally had two or more legal professions have since fused or united their professions into a type of lawyer. Most countries in this category are common law countries, though France, in countries with fused professions, a lawyer is usually permitted to carry out all or nearly all the responsibilities listed below. Arguing a clients case before a judge or jury in a court of law is the province of the barrister in England. However, the boundary between barristers and solicitors has evolved, in England today, the barrister monopoly covers only appellate courts, and barristers must compete directly with solicitors in many trial courts
Lawyer
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Dr Alberico Gentili (1552-1608), one of the best known lawyers.
Lawyer
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A French lawyer
Lawyer
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Law Faculty of
Comenius University in
Bratislava (Slovakia).
Lawyer
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U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is a famous example of a lawyer who became a politician.
4.
High fantasy
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High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting in a fictional universe or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot. The term high fantasy was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, High Fantasy, High fantasy is defined as fantasy set in an alternative, fictional world, rather than the real, or primary world. The secondary world is usually consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set in the primary, or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world, with the inclusion of magical elements. The romances of William Morris, such as The Well at the Worlds End, the works of J. R. R. Tolkien—especially The Lord of the Rings—are regarded as archetypal works of high fantasy. Stephen R. Donaldsons The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is another example of a fantasy series. Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero, often, much of the plot revolves around his or her heritage or mysterious nature. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling and he or she begins the story young, if not as an actual child. In other works the hero is a completely developed individual with a unique character, the hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a huge gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way. The plot of the story depicts the heros fight against the evil forces as a Bildungsroman. In many books there is a knowing, mystical mentor/teacher and this character is often a formidable wizard or warrior, who provides the main character with advice and help. In some books, there is also a mysterious Dark Lord, often obsessed with taking over the world and this character is an evil wizard or sorcerer, or sometimes a kind of god or demon. This character commands an army and a group of highly feared servants. In some works the villain may have had a predecessor/s who might have been superior or inferior to them, the progress of the story leads to the character learning the nature of the unknown forces against him, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The good versus evil fighting against each other is a concept in high fantasy. Indeed, the importance of the concepts of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery. Many early video game developers played Dungeons and Dragons in their free time, some developers were influenced by its pre-made worlds instead, the most popular of which were high fantasy settings. As a result, one game series such as Warcraft are included in the high fantasy
High fantasy
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Siegfried kills
Fafner, by
Arthur Rackham
5.
Urban fantasy
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Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy defined by place, the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Urban fantasy exists on one side of a spectrum, opposite high fantasy, many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, the prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city. Urban fantasy describes a work that is set primarily in the real world, author Marie Brennan has set urban fantasy in Elizabethan London, while author Charles de Lint has featured the genre in the fictional city of Newford. Laurell K. Hamiltons Anita Blake series—which follows the investigations of a supernatural Federal Marshal during paranormal cases—has been called a substantial and influential work of the genre, Kim Harrisons Rachel Morgan novels, also regarded as inspirational works, feature a bounty-hunting witch-born demon who battles numerous supernatural foes. The Charlie Madigan series, by Kelly Gay, explores the challenges a police officer faces while trying to balance her paranormal cases with life as a single mother. In addition to books which present largely independent characters, certain stories feature men and women who are regularly partnered on adventures—often with a romantic element. The Jaz Parks series, by Jennifer Rardin, follows the titular CIA operative, jocelynn Drakes Dark Days novels follow a vampire named Mira and a vampire hunter named Danaus, who work together to protect their people from a mutual enemy. Night Huntress, a series by Jeaniene Frost, centers on a half-vampire named Catherine and a bounty hunter called Bones. While several adult stories focus on heroes, many teen urban-fantasy novels follow inexperienced protagonists who are unexpectedly drawn into paranormal struggles. Amidst these conflicts, characters often gain allies, find romance, in Kelley Armstrongs The Darkest Powers series, a group of teens with paranormal talents go on the run while fleeing from a persistent band of scientists. Gone, by Michael Grant, follows a town in which adults have mysteriously disappeared. In Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand, a girl discovers that she is part angel and gifted with superhuman abilities, leading her to seek out her purpose on Earth. The Immortals series, by Alyson Noël, follows a girl who gains special abilities after recovering from an accident, in addition, love triangles play a prominent part in these and several other urban-fantasy novels. In certain books, a school or similar institution holds a significant role in the story. Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund, follows a group of women at a cloisters as they train to fight killer unicorns. Claudia Grays Evernight novels center on an academy, where a romantic bond develops between a girl born to vampires, and a boy who hunts them. Fallen, by Lauren Kate, revolves around a student named Luce who finds herself drawn to a boy named Daniel, other series, such as Carrie Joness Need, have characters moving to new locations but attending public schools while discovering mysterious occurrences elsewhere in their towns
Urban fantasy
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Fantasy
6.
Fantasy fiction
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Fantasy is a fiction genre set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Most fantasy uses magic or other elements as a main plot element, theme. Magic and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds, in popular culture, the fantasy genre is predominantly of the medievalist form. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy works by many writers, artists, filmmakers. Fantasy is studied in a number of disciplines including English and other studies, cultural studies, comparative literature, history. The identifying trait of fantasy is the reliance on imagination to create narrative elements that do not have to rely on history or nature to be coherent. This differs from realistic fiction in that whereas realistic fiction has to attend to the history and natural laws of reality, an author applies his or her imagination to come up with characters, plots, and settings that are impossible in reality. Fantasy has often compared with science fiction and horror because they are the major categories of speculative fiction. Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by the plausibility of the narrative elements, a science fiction narrative is unlikely, though seeming possible through logical scientific and/or technological extrapolation, whereas fantasy narratives do not need to be scientifically possible. The imagined elements of fantasy do not need an explanation to be narratively functional. Authors have to rely on the suspension of disbelief, an acceptance of the unbelievable or impossible for the sake of enjoyment. Despite both genres heavy reliance on the supernatural, fantasy and horror are distinguishable, horror primarily evokes fear through the protagonists weaknesses or inability to deal with the antagonists. Beginning perhaps with the earliest written documents, mythic and other elements that would come to define fantasy. MacDonald was an influence on both J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. The other major fantasy author of this era was William Morris, lord Dunsany established the genres popularity in both the novel and the short story form. Many popular mainstream authors also began to write fantasy at this time, including H. Rider Haggard, Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Indeed, juvenile fantasy was considered more acceptable than fantasy intended for adults, nathaniel Hawthorne wrote fantasy in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, intended for children, though works for adults only verged on fantasy. Political and social trends can affect a societys reception towards fantasy, in the early 20th century, the New Culture Movements enthusiasm for Westernization and science in China compelled them to condemn the fantastical shenmo genre of traditional Chinese literature
Fantasy fiction
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Fairy tales and legends, such as
Dobrynya Nikitich 's rescue of Zabava Putyatichna from the dragon
Gorynych, have been an important source for fantasy.
Fantasy fiction
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Many works are unclear as to the belief of the authors in the marvels they contain, as in the enchanted garden from the
Decameron.
7.
Hamilton College (New York)
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Hamilton College is a private, nonsectarian, liberal arts college located in the village of Clinton, New York, in the Mohawk Valley region of the Eastern United States. Founded as a school in 1793, it was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812. It has been coeducational since 1978, when it merged with its sister school Kirkland College, Hamiltons student body is 52% female and 48% male, and comes from 49 U. S. states and 45 countries. Hamilton College is ranked 12th among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2017 U. S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Hamilton began in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, a seminary founded by Rev. Samuel Kirkland, the seminary admitted both white and Oneida boys. Kirkland named it in honor of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who was a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. The Academy became Hamilton College in 1812, making it the third oldest college in New York after Columbia and Union, after it expanded to a four-year college curriculum. By the end of the century, its colorful ninth President M. Woolsey Stryker distanced Hamilton from the Presbyterian Church. In 1978, the all-male Hamilton College merged with the womens Kirkland College, the merger provoked controversy, particularly since Hamilton refused to provide assistance with Kirklands debt burden. Hamilton publicly justified the merger as prompted by its desire for co-education, the merger took nearly 7 years to complete, women could still receive a Kirkland diploma instead of a Hamilton diploma until 1979. The original Hamilton campus is called the light side or north side of campus. The original side of campus was once called Stryker Campus after its former president, on the other side of College Hill Road, the original Kirkland campus is called the dark side or the south side. Since the 1970s, Hamilton has been a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference and this conference also includes Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams. Rivalries with many of schools, Middlebury in particular, predate the conference. During the summer of 2006, the school completed a new science building, the art department has separate studios for each of the studio arts taught, most of which are being renovated. Hamiltons athletic facilities include an ice rink, swimming pool, several fields, a golf course, a three-story climbing wall. The Kirner-Johnson Building, or KJ, is home to Hamiltons social science departments, the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center, the Nesbitt-Johnson Writing Center, the building has a large, naturally-lit, two-story commons that is a popular gathering place for students to study or socialize between classes. In 2004, planning for the renovation and expansion of the Kirner-Johnson building received an Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects, the project was completed in 2008
Hamilton College (New York)
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Hamilton College as painted from a hot-air balloon by watercolor artist Richard Rummell in the early 1900s.
Hamilton College (New York)
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Hamilton College
Hamilton College (New York)
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Elihu Root House
8.
Juris Doctor
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The Juris Doctor degree, also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. It is earned by completing law school in Australia, Canada and the United States and it has the academic standing of a second-entry, professional baccalaureate degree in Canada, a masters degree in Australia and a professional doctorate in the United States. The degree was first awarded in the United States in the early 20th century and was created as a version of the old European doctor of law degree. Originating from the 19th century Harvard movement for the study of law. It involves a program in most jurisdictions. To be authorized to practice law in the courts of a state in the United States. Lawyers must, however, be admitted to the bar of the court before they are authorized to practice in that court. Admission to the bar of a district court includes admission to the bar of the related bankruptcy court. In the United States, the doctorate in law may be conferred in Latin or in English, as Juris Doctor and at some law schools Doctor of Law. Juris Doctor literally means Teacher of Law, while the Latin for Doctor of Jurisprudence—Jurisprudentiae Doctor—literally means Teacher of Legal Knowledge, the J. D. is not to be confused with Doctor of Laws or Legum Doctor. In institutions where the latter can be earned, e. g. D, the LL. D. is invariably an honorary degree in the United States. The first university in Europe, the University of Bologna, was founded as a school of law by four famous legal scholars in the 11th century who were students of the school in that city. This served as the model for law schools of the Middle Ages. While Bologna granted only doctorates, preparatory degrees were introduced in Paris, the nature of the J. D. can be better understood by a review of the context of the history of legal education in England. The teaching of law at Cambridge and Oxford Universities was mainly for philosophical or scholarly purposes, the universities taught only civil and canon law but not the common law that applied in most jurisdictions. The original method of education at the Inns of Court was a mix of moot court-like practice and lecture, by the fifteenth century, the Inns functioned like a university akin to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, though very specialized in purpose. With the frequent absence of parties to suits during the Crusades, the importance of the role grew tremendously. The apprenticeship program for solicitors thus emerged, structured and governed by the rules as the apprenticeship programs for the trades
Juris Doctor
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Example of a diploma from
Suffolk University Law School conferring the Juris Doctor degree.
Juris Doctor
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The
Inns of Court of London served as a professional school for lawyers in England
Juris Doctor
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Tapping Reeve, founder of the first law school in North America, the
Litchfield Law School, in 1773
Juris Doctor
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Joseph Story, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, lecturer of law at Harvard and proponent of the scientific study of law
9.
Washington and Lee University
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Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts university in Lexington, Virginia, United States. The campus is approximately 50 miles from Roanoke, Virginia,140 miles from Richmond, Virginia, Washington and Lee was founded in 1749 as a small classical school named Augusta Academy by Scots-Irish Presbyterian pioneers, though the University has never claimed any sectarian affiliation. In 1796, George Washington endowed the academy with a gift of stock. In gratitude, the school was renamed for the first United States President, Washington and Lee is the ninth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the second-oldest in Virginia. The University consists of three units, The College, the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. The University hosts 24 intercollegiate athletic teams compete as part of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference of the NCAA Division III. The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 by Scots-Irish Presbyterian pioneers and soon named Augusta Academy, in 1776, it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of revolutionary fervor. The academy moved to Lexington in 1780, when it was chartered as Liberty Hall Academy, the academy granted its first bachelors degree in 1785. Liberty Hall is said to have admitted its first African-American student when John Chavis and he is believed to be the first black student to enroll in higher education in the United States, although he did not receive a degree. Washington and Lee enrolled its next African-American student in 1966 in the law school, in 1796, George Washington endowed the academy with $20,000 in James River Canal stock, at the time one of the largest gifts ever given to an educational institution in the United States. Washingtons gift continues to provide nearly $1.87 a year toward every students tuition, the gift rescued Liberty Hall from near-certain insolvency. In gratitude, the changed the schools name to Washington Academy. An 8-foot tall statue of George Washington, carved by Matthew Kahle, the current statue is made of bronze, the original wooden statue was restored and now resides in the universitys library. The campus took its current architectural form in the 1820s when a merchant, Jockey John Robinson. For the dedication celebration in 1824, Robinson supplied a huge barrel of whiskey, but according to a contemporary history, the rabble broke through the barriers and created pandemonium, which ended only when college officials demolished the whiskey barrel with an axe. A justice of the Virginia State Supreme Court, Alex, M. Harman, Jr. re-created the episode in 1976 for the dedication of the new law school building by having several barrels of Scotch imported. Robinson also left his estate to Washington College, the estate included between 70 and 80 slaves. Until 1852, the institution benefited from their labor and, in some cases
Washington and Lee University
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George Washington, the university's first major benefactor
Washington and Lee University
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Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
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President's House, begun in 1868 as a residence for General
Robert E. Lee and his wife.
Washington and Lee University
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Washington and Lee University Historic District
10.
Phoenix Comicon
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Phoenix Comicon is a multigenre entertainment and comic book convention held annually in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded as the Phoenix Cactus Comicon in June 2002, PCC plays host to comic related panels, programming events, art contests, and autograph signings for all ages. It is an event held during the summer at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix. On Thursday evening prior to the opening of the event, there is a preview for professionals, exhibitors. In 2016, the set a attendance record of 106,096. Phoenix Comicon has also begun to expand programming into the hotels, including the Hyatt Regency, Marriott Renaissance. It was re-branded as Phoenix Fan Fest and moved to October in 2016 at the Phoenix Convention Center, the first Phoenix Comicon was held in June 2002 as Phoenix Cactus Comicon. It was a convention for six hours held at a Best Western in Ahwatukee. Admission was $3 per person and there were 432 attendees, along with a few local creators and exhibitors, the following three years, the convention was held at the Glendale Civic Center. The size of the convention and the attendance were doubled from the year. The convention began to bring out some guests from out of state including Spider-Man artist Todd Nauck, the programming was increased to include Q&As with guests, how-to workshops, and film trailer presentations. In 2006, the convention was held at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa and it also became a two-day convention, with Friday preview night, and had guests such as voice actors Johnny Young Bosche and Greg Ayres. The exhibitor room was expanded, as was the amount of programming offered. This was the first convention to expand beyond comic books into the pop culture community, including Anime, Manga, Sci-Fi, Fantasy. Attendance was over 2,600 people for the weekend, the convention was held in January from 2007 to 2009, at the Mesa Convention Center. 2007 was considered the conventions first foray into media guests, with Feedback, in 2009, the event was expanded to 3 days, with a Thursday preview night. Beginning in 2010 the convention was held on Memorial Day weekend, at the Phoenix Convention Center and this change was due to the large increase in attendance, and the availability of funds to hold the convention in a larger venue. Bigger names, such as Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, in 2014, due to a scheduling conflict, the convention was moved to the first week of June as opposed to Memorial Day weekend
Phoenix Comicon
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The Phoenix Convention Center has hosted the annual convention since 2010.
Phoenix Comicon
–
Phoenix Comicon Logo
11.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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He was at one time a close friend of C. S. Lewis—they were both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972, after Tolkiens death, his son Christopher published a series of works based on his fathers extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including The Silmarillion. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term legendarium to the part of these writings. While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien and this has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the father of modern fantasy literature—or, more precisely, of high fantasy. In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on a list of The 50 greatest British writers since 1945, forbes ranked him the 5th top-earning dead celebrity in 2009. Tolkiens paternal ancestors were middle-class craftsmen who made and sold clocks, watches and pianos in London, the Tolkien family had emigrated from Germany in the 18th century but had become quickly intensely English. According to the tradition, the Tolkiens had arrived in England in 1756. Several families with the surname Tolkien or similar spelling live in northwestern Germany, mainly in Lower Saxony, however, this origin of the name has not been proven. A German writer has suggested that the name is likely to derive from the village of Tolkynen near Rastenburg. Although that village is far from Lower Saxony, its name is derived from the now-extinct Old Prussian language. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State to Arthur Reuel Tolkien, an English bank manager, the couple had left England when Arthur was promoted to head the Bloemfontein office of the British bank for which he worked. Tolkien had one sibling, his brother, Hilary Arthur Reuel. In another incident, a family servant, who thought Tolkien a beautiful child, took the baby to his kraal to show him off. When he was three, he went to England with his mother and brother on what was intended to be a family visit. His father, however, died in South Africa of rheumatic fever before he could join them and this left the family without an income, so Tolkiens mother took him to live with her parents in Kings Heath, Birmingham. Soon after, in 1896, they moved to Sarehole, then a Worcestershire village, Mabel Tolkien taught her two children at home. Ronald, as he was known in the family, was a keen pupil and she taught him a great deal of botany and awakened in him the enjoyment of the look and feel of plants. Young Tolkien liked to draw landscapes and trees, but his lessons were those concerning languages
J. R. R. Tolkien
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Tolkien, aged 24 in 1916
J. R. R. Tolkien
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1892 Christmas card with a coloured photo of the Tolkien family in Bloemfontein, sent to relatives in Birmingham, England
J. R. R. Tolkien
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Birmingham Oratory, where Tolkien was a parishioner and altar boy, (1902–1911)
J. R. R. Tolkien
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King Edward's School in Birmingham, where Tolkien was a student (1900–1902, 1903–1911)
12.
The Lord of the Rings
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The Lord of the Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkiens 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. The work was intended by Tolkien to be one volume of a two-volume set, the other to be The Silmarillion. For economic reasons The Lord of the Rings was published in three volumes over the course of a year from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955, the three volumes were titled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Structurally, the novel is divided internally into six books, two per volume, with appendices of background material included at the end of the third volume. Some editions combine the work into a single volume. The Lord of the Rings has since been reprinted numerous times, Tolkiens work has been the subject of extensive analysis of its themes and origins. Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger epic Tolkien had worked on since 1917 and these inspirations and themes have often been denied by Tolkien himself. The Lord of the Rings has inspired, and continues to inspire, artwork, music, films and television, video games, award-winning adaptations of The Lord of the Rings have been made for radio, theatre, and film. In 2003, it was named Britains best-loved novel of all time in the BBCs The Big Read, Sauron was defeated by an alliance of Elves and Men led by Gil-galad and Elendil, respectively. Isildur, son of Elendil, cut the One Ring from Saurons finger, Isildur claimed the Ring as an heirloom for his line, but when he was later ambushed and killed by the Orcs, the Ring was lost in the River Anduin at Gladden Fields. Over two thousand years later, the Ring was found by one of the river-folk called Déagol and his friend Sméagol fell under the Rings influence and strangled Déagol to acquire it. Sméagol was banished and hid under the Misty Mountains, the Ring gave him long life and changed him over hundreds of years into a twisted, corrupted creature called Gollum. Gollum lost the Ring, his precious, and as told in The Hobbit, meanwhile, Sauron assumed a new form and took back his old realm of Mordor. When Gollum set out in search of the Ring, he was captured and tortured by Sauron, Sauron learned from Gollum that Baggins of the Shire had taken the Ring. Sauron, who needed the Ring to regain his power, sent forth his powerful servants. The story begins in the Shire, where the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits the Ring from Bilbo Baggins, his cousin, neither hobbit is aware of the Rings nature, but Gandalf the Grey, a wizard and an old friend of Bilbo, suspects it to be Saurons Ring. After Gandalf confirms his suspicions, he tells Frodo the history of the Ring, Frodo leaves the Shire, in the company of his gardener and friend, Samwise Gamgee, and two cousins, Meriadoc Brandybuck, called Merry, and Peregrin Took, called Pippin
The Lord of the Rings
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First editions of the series
The Lord of the Rings
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Mentioned at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, the Ivy Bush is the closest public house to
Birmingham Oratory which Tolkien attended while living near
Edgbaston Reservoir.
Perrott's Folly is nearby.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
13.
William Faulkner
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William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer and Nobel Prize laureate from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and he is primarily known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where he spent most of his life. Faulkner is one of the most celebrated writers in American literature generally, two of his works, A Fable and his last novel The Reivers, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Absalom, Absalom. is often included on similar lists, Faulkner was born William Cuthbert Falkner in New Albany, Mississippi, the first of four sons of Murry Cuthbert Falkner and Maud Butler. He had three brothers, Murry Charles Jack Falkner, author John Faulkner, and Dean Swift Falkner. Soon after his first birthday, his family moved to Ripley, Mississippi, Murry hoped to inherit the railroad from his father, John Wesley Thompson Falkner, but John had little confidence in Murrys ability to run a business and sold it for $75,000. Following the sale of the business, Murry became disappointed and planned a new start for his family by moving to Texas. Maud, however, disagreed with this proposition, and it was decided that they would move to Oxford, Mississippi, where Murrys father owned several businesses, making it easy for Murry to find work. Thus, four days prior to Williams fifth birthday on September 21,1902, the Falkner family settled in Oxford and his family, particularly his mother Maud, his maternal grandmother Lelia Butler, and Caroline Callie Barr crucially influenced the development of Faulkners artistic imagination. Both his mother and grandmother were avid readers and also painters and photographers, while Murry enjoyed the outdoors and encouraged his sons to hunt, track, and fish, Maud valued education and took pleasure in reading and going to church. She taught her sons to read before sending them to school and exposed them to classics such as Charles Dickens. Faulkners lifelong education by Callie Barr is central to his novels preoccupations with the politics of sexuality, as a schoolchild, Faulkner had much success early on. He excelled in the first grade, skipped the second, and continued doing well through the third, however, beginning somewhere in the fourth and fifth grades of his schooling, Faulkner became a much more quiet and withdrawn child. He began to play hooky occasionally and became indifferent to his schoolwork. The decline of his performance in school continued, and Faulkner wound up repeating the eleventh, and then final grade, Faulkner also spent much of his boyhood listening to stories told to him by his elders. These included war stories shared by the old men of Oxford and stories told by Barr of the Civil War, slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Falkner family. Faulkners grandfather would tell him of the exploits of Williams great-grandfather, after whom he was named, William Clark Falkner, who was a successful businessman, writer. Telling stories about William Clark Falkner, whom the family called Old Colonel, had become something of a family pastime when Faulkner was a boy
William Faulkner
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Faulkner in 1954
William Faulkner
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William Faulkner's
Underwood Universal Portable typewriter in his office at
Rowan Oak, which is now maintained by the
University of Mississippi in
Oxford as a museum
14.
The Sword of Shannara
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The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, followed by The Elfstones of Shannara, Brooks was heavily influenced by J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings and began writing The Sword of Shannara in 1967 and it took him seven years to complete, as he was writing the novel while attending law school. Ballantine Books used it to launch the new subsidiary Del Rey Books. Its success boosted the commercial expansion of the fantasy genre, the novel interweaves two major plots into a fictional world called the Four Lands. One follows the protagonist Shea Ohmsford on his quest to obtain the Sword of Shannara, throughout the novel, underlying themes appear of mundane heroism and nuclear holocaust. Critics have derided the novel for being derivative of J. R. R, Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. Some have accused Brooks of lifting the plot and many of his characters directly from Lord of the Rings. The Sword of Shannaras events take place 2000 years after the Great Wars and these wars rearranged the planets geography and wiped out most human life on Earth. Only traces of technological artifacts have been found, most advanced technology has been lost, during this time, Mankind mutates into several distinct races, Men, Dwarves, Gnomes and Trolls, all named after creatures from age-old myths. Also, the Elves begin to emerge after having been in seclusion and they name themselves the First Druid Council. Brona, a rogue Druid, and his followers leave, taking the Ildatch with them,250 years later, Brona begins the First War of the Races when he convinces all Men to attack the other races. He almost succeeds in seizing rule of the Four Lands, but the turns. The Druids divide the Four Lands among the races and become reclusive, two and a half centuries after the First War of the Races, Brona returns as the Warlock Lord, now with Skull Bearers as his servants. Chronicled in the prequel novel First King of Shannara, the Second War of the Races begins with the destruction of the Druid Order, a lone Druid, Bremen, forges a magical talisman to destroy the Warlock Lord, it is given to the Elven King, Jerle Shannara. As it takes the form of a blade, the talisman is named the Sword of Shannara and it succeeds in banishing the Warlock Lord. He is not killed, but his army is defeated by the armies of the Elves and Dwarves. Peace comes at a price, interracial tension is renewed
The Sword of Shannara
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First hardcover edition (Random House)
The Sword of Shannara
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Depiction of the quest party by
The Brothers Hildebrandt. Left to right:
Menion,
Dayel and Durin, Hendel (foreground),
Balinor (background),
Allanon (background),
Shea,
Flick.
15.
Magic Kingdom of Landover
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The location of the novels centers in a fictional world known as Landover that is populated with numerous magical and fairy creatures. It takes its name from a reference to The Wizard of Oz. It is a world, surrounded on all sides by fairy mists which connect it to many other worlds. Their rulers, while answerable to the king, are allowed a degree of autonomy. Also inhabiting the land are the dragon Strabo and the witch Nightshade, Landover is protected by the Paladin, a magical knight who is a projection of its rulers. In the absence of a ruler, the Paladin disappears and Landover falls prey to a physical decay known as the Tarnish. The Paladins is one of the few magics in the land that can stand up against that of Strabo or Nightshade, the first novel is about the main character, Ben Holiday, and his discovery of an ad offering the kingship of a magic kingdom named Landover. He is soon crowned king, but must deal with a host of problems to solidify his throne, in the second novel, Holiday is disguised, supposedly by magic used by the evil wizard Meeks. He must figure out how to restore himself to the throne, Abernathy is accidentally transported to Earth by one of Questors ill-conceived spells. Meanwhile, an imp is unleashed upon Landover, Ben and his friends must find a way to get back Abernathy. An inept conjurer/conman, Horris Kew, accidentally releases upon Landover an evil creature called the Gorse, the creature soon imprisons Ben, the dragon Strabo, and the witch Nightshade in a device known as the Tangle Box. They must find a way out while Bens allies find a way to handle the new threat from the Gorse, a usurper who claims to be from another world calls for Bens abdication from the throne, and begins to send evil, magic creatures against him. Meanwhile, Nightshade kidnaps Ben and Willows daughter, Mistaya, in a attempt to subvert her. Meanwhile, Questor and Abernathy are stuck back in Earth to meet up with an old friend, leaving Ben, Ben Holiday, Chicago lawyer and mere mortal turned monarch of enchanted Landover, has grappled with scheming barons, fire-breathing beasts, diabolical conjurers, and extremely wicked witches. None of whom have prepared him for the most daunting of challengers, sent by Ben and his beloved sylph bride, Willow, to an exclusive girls prep school, headstrong Mistaya Holiday has found life in the natural world a less-than-perfect fit. A seventh novel is planned that will be the novel in the series. As of 2015 it is untitled, once a successful trial lawyer in Chicago, Bens life takes a dramatic change when his wife Annie and their unborn child are killed in a traffic accident. Ben sinks into depression and no longer gains fulfillment through the law firm he established with his best friend, seeing a Christmas catalog advertising a fairytale kingdom for sale, he purchases it for $1,000,000 in a desperate hope to find something meaningful again
Magic Kingdom of Landover
–
The first edition cover to
Magic Kingdom for Sale -- SOLD!, the first novel in the Landover Series
16.
The Heritage of Shannara
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The Heritage of Shannara is a series of four fantasy novels by Terry Brooks, set hundreds of years after the original Shannara trilogy. Unlike the original trilogy, however, this series is all one, cohesive story and it is set in a future Four Lands in which the Federation of the Southland has driven off the Elves, enslaved the Dwarves, and outlawed magic. Only the rebel Free-born, led by Padishar Creel, dare to resist, the series begins with The Scions of Shannara, when the Ohmsford descendants are summoned by the shade of Allanon to combat the Shadowen that have been poisoning the land. The story continues with The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, the second novel follows Walker Boh, as he reluctantly searches for the Black Elfstone, which has the power to restore the Druids and their keep, Paranor. The third novel chronicles Wren Ohmsfords travels beyond the shores of the Westland in search of the lost Elven race, the last novel details the final conflict between the Ohmsfords and the Shadowen monsters that have overtaken the Four Lands
The Heritage of Shannara
–
The Heritage of Shannara book cover
17.
First King of Shannara
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The First King of Shannara is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. Horrified by the consequences of the First War of the Races, most of the Druids at Paranor stopped studying the arcane arts, Brona, now known as the Warlock Lord, had been behind the First War of the Races, and was thought to have died during it. But he had survived, and now has come to make a new war upon the Races. He is now stronger than ever, gathering spirits from the netherworld, bronas first target is Paranor, the home of the Druids who defeated him during the First War of the Races. He easily wipes out the Druid order, the only survivors are the followers of Bremen, an outcast Druid who continued to study the mystic arts and tried to warn the council before it was too late. Bremen had been cast from the Druid Council because he had an interest in magic, as a result, the council didnt trust him. Along with Tay Trefenwyd and Risca, who are the only Druids who believe Bremen and leave with him, later, the three are joined by Mareth, an apprentice Druid with innate magic, as well as empathic powers. After reaching the Hadeshorn and summoning the shade of Galaphile, Bremen is given four visions, Bremen learns that the Warlock Lord seeks the Black Elfstone, which would grant him tremendous power. Bremen sends Tay Trefenwyd to recover the Black Elfstone before the Warlock Lord can, Tay Trefenwyd, along with his best friend Jerle Shannara go to the king to seek his aid. However, the royal family is destroyed by the Warlock Lords minions, all. However, Tay never even speaks of his love for her, Tay eventually comes upon where the Black Elfstone is hidden, with an ancient race called the Chew Magna, who have been subverted by the magic of the Black Elfstone. Cloaking himself in magic that makes him one of them, Tay manages to recover the Black Elfstone, however, upon leaving the Chew Magna, they are discovered by the Warlock Lords minions, and Tay has no magic left, having spent it all recovering the elfstone. Although he had been warned by Bremen on what would happen if the Black Elfstone is used and he destroys all the enemies, but is forced to sacrifice himself, drawing the air from his lungs rather than be subverted by the Black Elfstone. Meanwhile, Bremen, Kinson Ravenlock, and Mareth travel back to Paranor, on reaching Paranor, every Druid who remained is dead, and Bremen manages to recover the Eilt Druin, which he saw as pivotal in the creating of a weapon that can defeat the Warlock Lord. Bremen knows that only magic can fight magic, so he devises a plan to create a weapon to destroy the Warlock Lord. Bremen learns how to make a stronger than iron from Cogline. Upon finding a smith skilled enough to create the sword, the reader discovers that the smith is the ancestor of Panamon Creel. Bremen also discovers his successor as a Druid, the boy who is revealed to be Allanon, and possesses incredibly penetrating eyes, an intelligence
First King of Shannara
–
1997 paperback edition cover
18.
A Princess of Landover
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A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks is the sixth novel of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series. A Princess of Landover was published in hardcover in the United States on August 18,2009 It was published in hardcover in the United Kingdom on September 3,2009. The book began a prologue on the witch Nightshade still trapped in the form of a crow in a cage in Woodland Park Zoo, apart from having mysteriously appeared in the cage, her red eyes marked her different from other birds and elicited brief interest from animal experts. They gave up trying to study her after failing repeatedly to capture her, the school was informed that her parents were away most of the time and all correspondence to be made via Miles Bennett, Bens former law partner. The headmistress Harriet Appleton was with Misty, recounting the girls previous visits to the same office, the first was when Misty organized a school protest and shut down classes for three days when the school tried to remove a two-hundred-year-old tree from the school grounds. Besides, Misty thought it should not be a problem as the scarring was done in places that werent normally exposed to the light of day. The third and current visit came about because Misty had done something to terrify fellow student Rhonda Masterson to the point of hysterics and had to be sedated by a nurse. Rhonda and other blue-blooded East Coast snots had been bullying Misty until the latter was pushed too far by being called a name Misty refused to repeat, in retaliation, Misty conjured up an image of Strabo, the last dragon of Landover. Misty was only too glad to leave and decided to do so instead of waiting for the Christmas break. Taking a flight to Dulles, the Waynesboro, she returned to Landover through a portal located in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and her next encounter was much more pleasant, with the mud puppy Haltwhistle coming to greet her. The third encounter before she reached home was a tied-up Ghome Gnome Poggwydd, once at home in Sterling Silver, Ben was informed to his dismay the reason of Mistys return. After a heated argument with Misty, Ben discussed with his advisors, the project stalled and the library fell into neglect. Questor proposed fixing the library and reopening it would be a project for Misty. It was revealed that Questor and Abernathy also withheld something from Ben about the libiris, before Ben could approach Mistaya about the project, he was presented with a proposal of marriage to his daughter from Laphroig, lord of Rhyndweir, the largest of the Greensward baronies. Personally repulsed, Ben diplomatically avoided giving a direct answer, however, Laphroig chose to interpret it as tacit approval to woo the girl, and sprung himself upon Misty who had not been informed. Aghast, Misty rebelled and refused to accept Bens explanation, nor his idea of her going to the Libiris and she chose to run away from home to her grandfather and enlisted the aid of Poggwydd to hide some of the packings she would need. Unfortunately, it resulted in her becoming stuck with the Gnome as a travelling companion. When Misty arrived at her grandfathers domain of the country, he allowed her to stay
A Princess of Landover
–
First edition US book cover
19.
Indomitable (short story)
–
Indomitable is a fantasy short story by Terry Brooks in his Shannara series, and takes place two years after the events in The Wishsong of Shannara. It was first published in the 2003 collection Legends II, two years after the events chronicled in The Wishsong of Shannara, Kimber Boh finds Jair Ohmsford working in his parents inn while they are away. Jair is unconvinced, but agrees to travel to Hearthstone with Kimber, the three companions journey to Dun Fee Aran, and along the way encounter a peddler who warns them against going there. Jair struggles with his own fears of going back to that place where he was once imprisoned by the lizard-like Mwellrets. Once they arrive, Jair slips medication into Cogline and Kimber Boh’s ale, which causes them to fall into a sleep, so that he may enter the fortress alone. Jair uses his Wishsong to disguise himself and gain entry to the fortress and he conjures up an illusion of Allanon which sends the Mwellrets into a panic, then follows one to the chamber where the remaining Ildatch page is guarded. He then tries to pick up the page, but it burns him and he howls, the Mwellrets begin searching for him, but cannot find him as he is hidden by the Wishsong. This endows him with Garet Jaxs fighting abilities, allowing him to slaughter the Mwellrets and he then returns to himself and escapes the fortress, realizing that his Wishsong is much more powerful than he had realized. He can not only conjure up illusions, but he can inhabit those illusions, Jair Ohmsford is the son of Wil Ohmsford and born with the magic of the wishsong. Kimber Boh is the daughter of Cogline. Cogline is an old man who was part of the Druid order. Allanon is a Druid shade killed in The Wishsong of Shannara, brin Ohmsford, is the daughter of Wil Ohmsford and born with the magic of the wishsong. Garet Jax is a renowned Weapons Master and skilled in every weapon known to man, Terry Brooks - Website of author Terry Brooks
Indomitable (short story)
–
2012
Subterranean Press edition cover
20.
The Wishsong of Shannara
–
The Wishsong of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the novel in the Original Shannara Trilogy, with the other two being The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara. The story revolves around Jair and Brin Ohmsford, the children of the characters from The Elfstones of Shannara, Wil Ohmsford. The siblings, each possessing a magic, must save the Four Lands from the evil magic within a tome called the Ildatch. Before the dawn of mankind, Demons created a book of dark magic and this book was so full of their dark essence that it became a living thing, with a will of its own. When the Druids gathered all knowledge and lore of the Old World to themselves in the aftermath of the Great Wars and it remained harmless until the Druid Brona found it in the halls of Paranor and began to read and unlock its terrible secrets. Brona was eventually subverted by the power he sought to control. Allanon returned to the due to the presence of a new evil. It is revealed that the Ildatch possessed a new generation of mortals, from their stronghold in the Eastland, the Mord Wraiths enslaved many Gnomes and sent them against the Dwarves. Allanon needed Brins magic, the Wishsong, to him to enter the Maelmord, which is a living jungle that kills anyone who sets foot in it. Helping her is Rone Leah, who is the great-grandson of Menion Leah and he wields the Sword of Leah, which is an ordinary sword until Allanon dips it into the waters of the Hadeshorn to help him to protect Brin. Jair was left at home, despite his pleas to go with his older sister, Allanon explains that Jairs command of the Wishsong only lies in illusion, where Brins command of the Wishsong lies in reality. Jair was left at home to watch over the Ohmsford house, not long after, however, he found himself in some trouble of his own when he stumbled across the gnome, Slanter, who was tracking the druid for the Mord Wraiths. After leaving Slanter unconscious and sneaking back into his house to retrieve the elfstones, hoping to defeat the Wraiths, Slanter soon caught up with him, though. He was captured and was given over to the patrol for whom Slanter was tracking. He freed Jair along with an assistance from Slanter. The small company decided to head east to Culhaven, home of the dwarves, hoping to find word of Allanon, Jair met the King of the Silver River here, the ancient faerie creature informed him that unless he went to the Eastland, Brin would die. He gave Jair 3 magics for Jairs three Elfstones and then said to him that Garet Jax would protect him on his way to Brin
The Wishsong of Shannara
–
The mass-market paperback edition cover.
The Wishsong of Shannara
–
US first edition cover
21.
Running with the Demon
–
Running with the Demon is the first book in the Word & Void fantasy series, written by Terry Brooks. It was first published in 1997 by Ballantines Del Rey division, the story takes place in a fictional town named Hopewell, Illinois, but is actually based on the authors hometown of Sterling, Illinois around the Fourth of July in 1997. It is followed by the novel A Knight of the Word, Nest Freemark is a fourteen-year-old girl of Hopewell, Illinois, who has inherited magical powers from her mothers lineage. She lives with her grandmother Evelyn and grandfather Bob, as her mother committed suicide at a young age. She is one of a few in the world who can see the spiritual warfare underlying the events in the real world. She can see feeders - small shadowy creatures that feed on human emotion, influence thoughts, Nest is enlisted to guard the nearby park and wilderness, a regional feeding ground for feeders, as many generations of Freemark women before her. On July first, Nest is awakened by Pick and informed that a local girl. She rescues the girl and is almost overrun by feeders when Wraith appears to fend them off, meanwhile, a demon of the Void has come to the town of Hopewell. Once a human, this demon now possesses magical powers including the ability to blend in easily among other people and influence their thoughts. He befriends Derry Howe, a less intelligent resident of Hopewell, since the display is sponsored by the company that owns the factory, Derry is fooled into believing that the company will have to end a town-crippling strike in apology for the injuries at the show. The following morning, Nest meets up with her friends, including Bennetts older brother Jared and they run into a teen bully named Danny Abbot, and Nest uses magic to knock him to the ground to protect her friends. Later that day, an alarmed Pick leads Nest deep into the park forest, the tree is actually a prison for a maentwrog - a powerful magic beast known for devouring multitudes of people. The demon has weakened the tree and the maentwrog is threatening to break free, at dinner, Nest is introduced by her grandfather to a traveler named John Ross, who has recently come to town. He claims to have known Nests mother, but his purpose for being in Hopewell is to track. John is a Knight of the Word, charged with helping preserve the balance between the Word and the Void, after his post-graduate work, John traveled to Wales and happened upon a glade called Fairy Glen in the country around Betws-y-Coed. He is met by the Lady and learns that he is the descendant of Owain Glyndŵr, John was then charged by the Lady to embrace the Word and fight against the Void whenever he is called on. After returning to America, he is visited by a Native American named Oolish Amaneh, upon taking the staff, Johns leg is crippled as a reminder that he is dependent upon the staff, and through it, the Word. John fights the Void in both the present, and a future where demons are beginning to enslave humanity
Running with the Demon
–
Running with the Demon
22.
A Knight of the Word
–
A Knight of the Word is the second novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1998 by Ballantines Del Rey division, the setting is primarily Seattle, Washington around Halloween in 2002, five years after the events of Running with the Demon. The story follows John Ross as he attempts to leave his life in service to the Word and it is followed by the novel Angel Fire East. John Ross, having failed on a mission from the Word in which fourteen school children were killed in San Sobel, California, tries to leave his life as a Knight of the Word behind him. Frustrated, John returns to America, where in Boston he meets and instantly falls in love with the beautiful Stefanie, who seems to amply reciprocate his feelings. Deliriously happy, he together with her on a long trek across the United States. He ignores the infrequent dreams of a future, including one in which he kills his much-beloved boss. This demon is a changeling - during the day it works to subvert, Nest Freemark, now a 19-year-old college student, has returned to Hopewell, Illinois for the weekend before Halloween. She has not used her magic in years and is if she has it any longer. She travels with her twiggy sylvan companion, Pick, through the park and has an encounter with the tatterdemalion Ariel, Nest learns that John Ross is in need of her help and reluctantly agrees to fly to Seattle to talk to him. She is disturbed to learn that John is now vulnerable to falling to the side of the Void. This resounds with Nest, as she recalls that John admitting that he would have killed her five years ago if she had turned to the Void. Arriving in Seattle, Nest takes a walk at night with Ariel, they hear the demon hunting and killing people in the underground city, but Ariel will not let her pursue it. She meets with John the next day, but cannot convince him to return to his duties as a Knight, however, she does cause changes in his dreams - now John also dreams about killing her. Nest also runs into Oolish Amaneh, the Word-serving Native American that she met five years before and that night, Ariel informs Nest that Boot, a sylvan in a local park, has seen the demon. Just as theyre getting crucial information from Boot, the demon attacks them in its form and kills Boot, his owl Audrey. It chases Nest through a residential area, but she narrowly escapes on a bus. Later that same night, the demon sets fire to the shelter and John and Stefanie rescue many tenants
A Knight of the Word
–
A Knight of the Word
23.
Angel Fire East
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Angel Fire East is the third and final novel in the Word & Void series by Terry Brooks, written as a prequel to his Shannara series. It was first published in 1999 by Ballantines Del Rey division, the novel takes place around Christmas in 2012, ten years after the events of A Knight of the Word. The story returns to the town of Hopewell, Illinois as Nest Freemark, Brooks The Genesis of Shannara trilogy, beginning with Armageddons Children, follows this book chronologically. John Ross has a vision of the future where a crucified Knight of the Word tells him that a Gypsy morph is about to be created in the present. The creation of a Gypsy morph is a rare event - it is a convergence of magic that can become a tool for either the Void or the Word depending on who unlocks its secret. The morph, however, will dissipate within a month if the secret remains hidden, John manages to catch the morph in the Pacific Northwest and escape his demon pursuers. The morph changes from creature to creature before settling on the appearance of a four-year-old boy. The only word the boy says is Nest, prompting John to head back to Hopewell, Illinois to find out if Nest Freemark, however a resourceful demon named Findo Gask has been tracking John. He has recruited three other demons - Penny Dreadful, Twitch, and an urdroch, Findo has heard the Gypsy morphs words in the ether and knows where to go to intercept John Ross. He and the three other demons arrive in town before him, Nest, now a 29-year-old divorcee, had won several Olympic track gold medals, but had to retire from running because she nearly turned into the ghost-wolf Wraith during an event. She still lives in her house near the park and tends to the area with the sylvan, four days before Christmas, she is visited by Findo Gask and immediately recognizes him as a demon. He threatens her but does not harm her and she also meets Penny at church, but does not realize she is a demon. Later that day, Bennett Scott, whom Nest saved from falling off a cliff when Bennett was a preschooler fifteen years earlier, Bennett is now a single mother of a young girl, Harper, and trying to get clean from a drug addiction. Nest naturally invites her to stay with her and that night, while Christmas caroling, Nest and her church group are attacked by Twitch. Nest nearly has to call on Wraith when Penny appears, calls him off and pretends that he is a mentally disabled relative, later that night, John Ross arrives with the Gypsy morph boy, whom they decide to call Little John. The next morning Nest and John fill each other in on recent events, Bennett and Harper go for a walk in the park where they meet Penny. Penny offers Bennett drugs, but before she can accept, Oolish Amaneh appears and he also tells her that soon he may never see her again as he plans to return to his ancestors. He then mysteriously disappears, as usual, Nest takes his advice and tries to talk to Little John, but no progress is made
Angel Fire East
–
1st edition cover
24.
The Elves of Cintra
–
The Elves of Cintra is the second novel in Terry Brookss epic fantasy trilogy The Genesis of Shannara. The series bridges the events of Brooks Word & Void series with his acclaimed novel The Sword of Shannara and it immediately follows the novel Armageddons Children. It details events during the Great Wars, a historical conflict referenced frequently in the Shannara books, the conclusion to the trilogy and the sequel to The Elves of Cintra is The Gypsy Morph, which was released in August 2008. Beginning where Armageddons Children ended, Knight of the Word Logan Tom races to save the gypsy morph Hawk and he is too late but learns that a brilliant white light enveloped the two as they fell, apparently saved by an unknown magic. Logan doesnt know where they have gone, but sees a demon invasion force preparing to land at Seattles waterfront, meanwhile, the Ghosts head toward the agreed upon rendezvous point and Logan Tom goes to find them. While evacuating the city, Panther and Sparrow are separated from the Ghost tribe, the Ghosts encounter a group of mutant children on the freeway, and escape them but not before Squirrel is killed. Logan runs into Panther and Sparrow, helping fight off Croaks. They leave the city in Logans all-terrain vehicle as they see the demon hordes besiege Safeco Field, owl realizes their dog Cheney has gone missing. The Lady of the Word appears to Logan and tells him to head south to the Columbia River where Hawk will meet them with many followers and he is also told that another Knight of the Word will bring the Elves and their magic, upon which humankinds future depends. She tasks him with protecting them all, no matter the cost, as he and the Ghosts travel south, the Weatherman succumbs to plague, and they pick up two new companions, a partially mutated Lizard named Cat and her pet cat named Rabbit. They also have a run-in with killer robots at Oronyx Experimental Robotics Systems, later they are ambushed by followers of Krilka Koos, a rogue Knight of the Word that Logan had once heard about. In exchange for the safety, Logan agrees to go with them to meet Krilka. Krilka, having fallen from the Word, asks Logan to join his own crusade, Logan refuses and is forced to fight the Knight of the Word surrounded by Krilkas army. Logan Tom narrowly wins, but refuses to kill Krilka, who vows to hunt down and kill Logan and he then plunges a poison dart into Logans leg. Delirious, Logan shoots fire from his staff at the crowd, causing them to panic, the ghosts manage to extricate Logan and escape in the ATV. In the Elven city of Arborlon, Kirisin and Erisha are caught in the library by Culph, Culph offers to help them find the seeking Elfstones, revealing that they were buried with the powerful Elven Queen Pancea Rolt Cruer. However, they are unable to find her grave, the Knight of the Word Angel Perez and the tatterdemalion Ailie arrive in the Cintra shortly afterward, escorted by a group of Elven Trackers, including Kirisins sister Simralin. Angel and Ailie are given an audience with the High Council, Angel and Ailie tell the Council that they have been sent by the Word to help them take the elves and the Ellcrys to a safe place
The Elves of Cintra
–
Cover art of The Elves of Cintra
25.
The Gypsy Morph
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The Gypsy Morph is the third novel in Terry Brooks fantasy trilogy entitled The Genesis of Shannara, which bridges the events of Brooks Word & Void series with his Shannara series. It takes place in a world around the year 2100. It details events during the Great Wars, a historical conflict referenced frequently in the Shannara books and it debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers Fiction List. The novels title is a play on the Gipsy Moth light aircraft, Angel Perez is found by Kirisin and Simralin, and brought to the blind elven tracker Larkin Quill for healing. Leaving Angel, Kirisin and Simralin use a balloon to travel to the elven city of Arborlon where they discover a demon army hiding outside the city. The two manage to evade the demon army and enter the city where they gain an audience with the elven High Council, the King is still skeptical about the danger awaiting Arborlon until it is violently revealed in the Council that the elven tracker Tragen is a demon in disguise. Tragen is killed and the elven King is finally convinced that the Arborlon and its guardian tree, meanwhile, the Ghost tribe is reunited with Hawk, Tessa, and Cheney. Hawk uses his magic to heal the comatose Logan Tom who has a vision in which he is instructed to help the elves bring the Loden to safety, Logan leaves the ghosts and, with the help of an Owl named Trim, finds Arborlon. There, he meets, and falls in love with, Simralin, Kirisin then uses the magic of the Loden to encase the entire city and most of its inhabitants within the small stone. Simralin, the King, and a contingent of elves hold off the demon attackers so that Logan can help Kirisin escape with the stone. Simralin and her companions are separated from Logan and Kirisin, Kirisin is later captured by flying demons called Skrails, but manages to drop the Loden before he is taken to the demon camp. After a frightening interrogation by the commander, Findo Gask. They then make their way to the camp of refugees led by Helen Rice, after being healed by Larkin Quill, Angel and Larkin encounter a monstrous demon called the Klee which was sent by Findo Gask. The demon kills Larkin then suddenly flees, Angel leaves and travels towards the refugee camp. As the Ghosts move eastward Tessa reveals that she is pregnant with Hawks child, after a skirmish with some militia, they are then attacked by the Klee. Hawk finds he can use his magic to make himself invisible, and after a struggle with the ghosts, the Ghosts eventually return to the refugee camp, with the Klee secretly following. Logan, Angel, and the Ghosts are reunited at the camp, Logan and Angel leave in search of the Loden, which they find in the grasp of a fallen elf comrade. They return to the camp and make preparations to defend the bridge across the Columbia River against the advancing demon army
The Gypsy Morph
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First edition cover
