Orcrist

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Zine
Title: Orcrist
Publisher: University of Wisconsin J.R.R. Tolkien Society
Editor(s): Richard C. West
Date(s): 1966-1977
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre: non-fiction
Fandom: Tolkien
Language: English
External Links: Orcrist from the Tolkien Gateway
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Orcrist is a gen Tolkien anthology of fiction, poems, art and articles. For three issues, it was a dual publication with The Tolkien Journal.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, "Niggle -- by Leaf" by Laura Haglund

Orcrist 1 Editors: Richard C. West and James B. Robinson. 1966-67, 55 pages.

Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers. First printing in plain green cover. The 4th printing (1968) has cover illustrations by Laura Haglund: the front cover is called "Niggle -- by Leaf" while the back cover is untitled but depicts three hobbits.

  • "Introduction" (editorial) (pp. i-iii)
  • "Return of the King" (poem) -- Janet Boatner (p. 1)
  • "Tolkien in the Letters of C. S. Lewis" -- Richard C. West (pp. 2-16)
  • "The Wizard and History: Saruman's Vision of a New Order" -- James Robinson (pp. 17-23)
  • "Music To Read Tolkien By: Tunes for Two Poems" -- Deborah Webster (p. 24) [musical settings for "The Elves Welcome the 14 to Rivendell" and "Lay of Beren and Luthien"]
  • "The Interlace and Professor Tolkien: Medieval Narrative Technique in The Lord of the Rings" -- R. C. West (pp. 26-47) [a revised version of this essay was later published in A Tolkien Compass, ed. Jared Lobdell]
  • "The Picnic" (parody) -- Paulette Carroll (p. 50)
  • "An Annotated Bibliography of Tolkien Criticism" -- Richard West (pp. 51-90)

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, second printing, art by Laura Haglund

Orcrist 2, 1966-1967. Editors: Richard C. West and James B. Robinson. Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers. The 1st printing has a cover with a drawing of a sword (Orcrist) by Ivor Rogers. The 2nd printing has cover illustrations by Laura Haglund: the front cover shows a two-headed dragon; the back cover shows a Gollum-like creature.

  • "Introduction" (editorial) pp. i-iv
  • "Paean to Editors" (verse: double dactyl) -- Deborah Webster (p. 1)
  • "Errata to Orcrist 1" (pp. 2-3)
  • "The Tolkinians: Some Introductory Reflections on Alan Garner, Carol Kendall, and Lloyd Alexander" -- Richard C. West (pp. 4-15)
  • "Constitution of the University of Wisconsin Tolkien Society" -- The Members (pp. 16-17)
  • "Good Guys, Bad Guys: A Clarification on Tolkien" -- Deborah C. Webster, Jr. (pp. 18-23)
  • "The Tolkien Society Meeting: a no-act play" -- Paulette Carroll (pp. 24-27)
  • "Grendel, Gollum, and the Un-Man: The Death of the Monster as an Archetype" -- Karen Corlett Winter (pp. 28-37)
  • "Sing Along With Tolkien" -- Deborah Webster, Jr. (pp. 38-39) [musical settings for "The Dwarves' Treasure Song" and "The Wind" , both from The Hobbit]
  • "An Annotated Bibliography of Tolkien Criticism, Supplement One" -- Richard West (pp. 40-54)

Issue 3

cover of issue 3, "The Hornberg in Helm's Deep" by Tim Kirk

Orcrist 3 (joint issue with Tolkien Journal v.4 no.1). It was published in Jan 1970 and contains 24 pages. Editor: Richard West, Art Editor: Glen GoodKnight, front cover: "The Hornberg in Helm's Deep" -- Tim Kirk. Dedication: For Deborah Webster: critic, composer, poet: "who has heard the horns of elfland."

  • "Introduction (editorial) pp. 2-4
  • "The Genre of The Lord of the Rings" -- Alexis Levitin (pp. 4-8, 23)
  • "Contemporary Medieval Authors" -- Richard C. West (pp. 9-10, 15) [on J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and T. H. White]
  • "Hobbits: Common Lens for Heroic Experience" -- David M. Miller (pp. 11-15)
  • "Tolkien and Coleridge" -- Clyde S. Kilby (pp. 16-19) [Rime of the Ancient Mariner]
  • "At the Back of the North Wind: George MacDonald: A Centennial Appreciation" -- Glenn E. Sadler (pp. 20-22)
  • "An Annotated Bibliography of Tolkien Criticism, Supplement Two" -- Richard West (pp. 22-23)

Illustrations

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Bilbo and giant spider -- Pete Poplaski

Orcist 4 (joint issue with Tolkien Journal v.4 n.3. It was published in 1970. Richard C. West, ed., Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers, front cover: Bilbo and giant spider -- Pete Poplaski, back cover: Nazgul in flight -- Laura Haglund. Dedication: In Memoriam: Francis Christensen: "He was gold that did not rust".

Issue 5

cover of issue #5, "Mirkwood" by George D. Asdell

Orcrist 5 Joint issue with Tolkien Journal v.4 v.4. It was published in 1971. Richard C. West, ed., Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers, front cover: "Mirkwood" -- etching by George D. Asdell, back cover: "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" -- illustration by Deborah Webster, Sr. Dedication: For Duane and Peggy Jo Dobry: "Shire-folk from the science culture."

  • "Errata to Orcrist no. 4" -- The Editor (p. 2)
  • "Introduction" (editorial) (p. 2)
  • "Eschata for Charles Williams" -- Jared Lobdell (p. 3)
  • "The Critics, and Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis: Reviews" -- Richard C. West (pp. 4-9) [reviews of:
    • "William Ready, The Tolkien Relation (Regnery, 1968)
    • "Lin Carter, Tolkien: A Look Behind THE LORD OF THE RINGS (Ballantine, 1969)
    • "Gracia Fay Ellwood, Good News from Tolkien's Middle Earth: Two Essays on the "Applicability" of THE LORD OF THE RINGS (Eerdmans, 1970)
    • "Neil D. Isaacs and Rose A. Zimbardo, eds. Tolkien and the Critics: Essays on J. R. R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS (University of Notre Dame Press, 1969)
    • "Mark R. Hillegas, Shadows of Imagination: The Fantasies of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams (Southern Illinois University Press, 1969)
    • "Catharine R. Stimpson, J. R. R. Tolkien (Columbia University Press, 1969)
    • "Peter Kreeft, C. S. Lewis: A Critical Essay (Eerdmans, 1969)
    • "Nathan Comfort Starr, C. S. Lewis's TILL WE HAVE FACES: Introduction and Commentary (Seabury Press, 1968)
    • "William Luther White, The Image of Man in C. S. Lewis (Abingdon Press, 1969)
    • "Clyde S. Kilby, A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis (Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1969)
    • "C. S. Lewis, Narrative Poems, ed. Walter Hooper (Geoffrey Bles, 1969)
    • "C. S. Lewis, Selected Literary Essays, ed. Walter Hooper (Cambridge University Press, 1969) ]
  • "The Lay of Beren and Luthien" -- musical setting by Laura Haglund (p. 10)
  • "An Interpretation of Gollum" -- Stephen A. Gottlieb (pp. 11-12)
  • "Moot Point" -- letter from Edward Felipe (5 March 1971) (p. 13)
  • "An Annotated Bibliography of Tolkien Criticism, Supplement Three" -- Richard C. West (pp. 14-15)
  • Other, untitled illustrations by:

Issue 6

cover of issue #6

Orcrist 6 was published in 1972. "Special C.S. Lewis issue". Richard C. West, ed., Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers, front cover: photograph of C.S. Lewis, courtesy of William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Dedication: "For Bill Orr: Learned in the Three R's".

  • "Introduction" (editorial) (p. 2)
  • "Letters of C. S. Lewis to E. Vinaver"—ed. Richard C. West (pp. 3–6; facsimile on p. 24)
  • "An Interpretation of Till We Have Faces" -- Clyde S. Kilby (pp. 7–10)
  • "Petty Curry: Salvation by a Taste for Tripe and Onions" -- Jared Lobdell (pp. 11–13)
  • "Venus Redeemed"—Eugene Warren (pp. 14–16) [on That Hideous Strength]
  • "A Study of C. S. Lewis's Dymer"—J. R. Christopher (pp. 17–19)
  • "In Review"—Richard C. West (p. 19)
    • "Monster's Advocate" : John Gardner, Grendel (Knopf, 1971)
    • "Wizards Are People, Too" : John Bellairs, The Face in the Frost (Macmillan, 1969)
  • "C. S. Lewis, Distributist: His Economics as Seen in That Hideous Strength"—Jared C. Lobdell (p. 20-21)
  • Double dactyls by Sharyn Lawler (pp. 21, 24), John Leland (p. 16) , Deborah Rogers (p. 21), Ivor Rogers (p. 16), and Richard West (p. 16)
  • "Moot Point" (pp. 22–23) [letters from L. Sprague de Camp (1 October 1971), Glen GoodKnight (11 June 1971), Sharyn Lawler (12 September 1971), Sandra Miesel (16 November 1971), Nan C. Scott (9 June 1971)
  • "The Hunting of the Hnakra"—Karen Rockow (pp. 23–24)

Issue 7

cover of issue #7, untitled illustration by M. Cannito

Orcrist 7 Summer 1973. "Medieval Tradition in Modern Literature issue". Richard C. West, ed., Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers, front cover: untitled illustration by M. Cannito. Dedication: "For Carl Carroll: un homme tant preux que nus plus". 32 pages. 8.5 x 11 in.

  • "Songs of Gurre"—Jens Peter Jacobsen, translated from the Danish by Poul Anderson (pp. 4–7)
  • "No Man Can Escape His Weird"—Sandra Miesel (pp. 9–12) [mostly on Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword]
  • "Malory and T. H. White"—Richard C. West (pp. 13–15)
  • "Moot Point" (p. 15) [letters from Tim Kirk (30 April 1972) and Eugene Vinaver (12 May 1972) ]
  • "Tolkien's Creative Technique: Beowulf and The Hobbit"—Bonniejean Christensen (pp. 16–20)
  • "Farmer Giles of Ham: What Is It?"—J. A. Johnson (pp. 21–24)
  • "Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain and the Welsh Tradition"—Elizabeth Lane (pp. 25–29)
  • In Review" (p. 29)
    • "Solid Gold Guide" : Robert Foster, A Guide to Middle-earth (Mirage Press, 1971) -- reviewed by Deborah Rogers
  • "Brief Mentions" by Richard West of:
    • James D. Allan, A Glossary of the Eldarin Tongues (self-published, 1972)
    • Thomas D. Clareson, ed. SF: The Other Side of Realism (Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1971)
    • Charles H. Huttar, ed. Imagination and the Spirit: Essays in Literature and the Christian Faith presented to Clyde S. Kilby (Eerdmans, 1971)
    • Carolyn Keefe, ed. C. S. Lewis: Speaker and Teacher (Zondervan, 1971)
    • C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, ed. Walter Hooper (Eerdmans, 1970)
    • Sam J. Lundwall, Science Fiction: What It's All About (Ace, 1971)
    • Jeremy Potter, A Trail of Blood (McCall, 1971)
    • William Ready, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit Notes (Coles Publishing Co., Ltd., 1971)
    • R.J. Reilly, Romantic Religion: A Study of Barfield, Lewis, Williams, and Tolkien (University of Georgia Press, 1971)
    • Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave (Morrow, 1970)
    • Gunnar Urang, Shadows of Heaven: Religion and Fantasy in the Writing of C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien (Pilgrim Press, 1971)
  • On The Hunting of the Snark as a Romantic Ballad" -- J. R. Christopher (pp. 30–32)
  • Verse: L. Sprague de Camp (p. 12); William Linden (pp. 12, 15); John and Kathryn Lindskoog (p. 3); William F. Orr (p. 12); Deborah Webster Rogers (p. 24)
  • Back cover: untitled [toad and toadstool] illustration by M. Cannito

Issue 8

cover of issue #8, "Mordor Where the Shadows Lie" by S. Chavez.

Orcrist 8 was published in 1977. Richard C. West, ed., Art Editor: Ivor A. Rogers. Associate editors: Deborah Rogers and Perri West, front cover: "Mordor Where the Shadows Lie" by S. Chavez.

  • Introduction" (editorial) (p. 2)
  • "The Loss of a Son"—translated by Poul Anderson (pp. 3–4) [based on "Sonatorrek" by medieval Icelandic skald, Egill Skalla-Grimsson]
  • "Beren and Tiniuviel"—illustrated by Robin Wood (p. 4)
  • "'Her Strong Enchantments Failing': A Study of Poul Anderson's Queen of Air and Darkness"—Patrick L. McGuire (pp. 5–13)
  • "For John Sommerfeldt" (poem) -- Deborah Rogers (p. 13)
  • "Old Dragon to Young Hero" (poem) -- Anne Etkin (p. 13)
  • Other, untitled verse by Mary Kay Bond (p. 25), Arthur Winfield Knight (p. 16), Glee Knight (p. 16), Deborah Rogers (p. 25)
  • "Color Symbolism in The Lord of the Rings"—Robert A. Bunda (pp. 14–16)
  • "King Arthur in Alabama"—review by Roger Schlobin of Sanders Anne Laubenthal, Excalibur (Ballantine, 1973, 1977) (p. 16)
  • "The Conservatism of J.R.R. Tolkien"—Michael J. Ehling (pp. 17–22)
  • "Fanzine of Excellence, When Does It Come?"—double dactyl by Anne Etkin (p. 22)
  • "Moot Point" (pp. 22–25) [letters from James Allan (21 May 1972), Henry Noel (19 July 1972), Mary Kay Bond (3 August 1972), Lois Newman (21 August 1972), Maureen W. Mills (27 September 1972), Nan C. Scott (10 November 1972)
  • "What Are Ents Made Of?"—John Leland (p. 25)
  • Other, untitled illustrations by Jim Cawthorn (pp. 22, 25); John Chambers (p. 23); Michael Wm. Kaluta (p. 13)
  • Back cover: "Where Gollum Lives" illustrated by Carmal Palmer.

References