West of the Moon (Hobbit archive)
| Archive | |
|---|---|
| Name: | West of the Moon |
| Date(s): | February 15, 2003 - February 18th, 2008 (last update[1]); site remained online through 2018; Import to AO3 completed June 2023. |
| Archivist: | Shadowfax8 |
| Founder: | Shadowfax8 |
| Type: | |
| Fandom: | Lord of the Rings FPF, especially Hobbits |
| URL: | http://www.west-of-the-moon.net (defunct); archive link; AO3 Collection |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
West of the Moon is a hobbit-centric story archive for gen and slash fan fiction, poetry, and filk that was most active from 2003 to 2005.
WotM was famous for hosting the Golden Mushroom Awards with categories such as Most Inappropriate Use of Human/Elf/Dwarf, Best Hobbit Origami, Most Frustrating Fade to Black, and The Cue the Orchestra Award for WIPs.[2]
From the slash section: "Do you consider naked, cuddly hobbits to be canon? Welcome to the slash archive!"
The archive began with a peer-review format, common to Tolkien fanfiction archives of the time, before granting approval to authors:
For the first 2 years, the archive existed in a peer-reviewed format—stories were accepted into the archive on a case-by-case basis, after review by West of the Moon staff. In 2005, the format of the archive changed to “posting by approved author”, so that all authors who met West of the Moon’s standards were free to post what they wished.[1]
The archive's About page state that, "The archive was “frozen in time” on February 18th, 2008 –almost 5 years to the day from its birth. At the time of freezing, West of the Moon was home to 216 authors, and a total of 1505 stories (789 Gen and 716 Slash) as well as 68 poems."[1]
In April 2021, it was announced that West of the Moon would be moving to the Archive of Our Own as an Open Doors Project[3]. The import was completed in June 2023 with final details in September 2024.
History
- 2003-2005 with peer-reviewed fic
- 2005-2008 with posting by approved authors
- February 2008 - archive open for reading
About
Greetings! Welcome to West of the Moon! West of the Moon is, quite simply, a haven for all things concerning hobbits. The archive opened on February 15th, 2003, accepting hobbit-centric Gen and Slash stories, as well as poetry and filks.
For the first 2 years, the archive existed in a peer-reviewed format—stories were accepted into the archive on a case-by-case basis, after review by West of the Moon staff. In 2005, the format of the archive changed to “posting by approved author”, so that all authors who met West of the Moon’s standards were free to post what they wished.
The archive was “frozen in time” on February 18th, 2008 –almost 5 years to the day from its birth. At the time of freezing, West of the Moon was home to 216 authors, and a total of 1505 stories (789 Gen and 716 Slash) as well as 68 poems.
Come, pull up a comfy chair beside the fire, and settle yourself in for hours of fun and adventure, and tales both so joyful and heartbreaking that they will change forever your vision of these humble inhabitants of the Shire, and perhaps your perceptions of life as well. I do hope you enjoy this place as much as I have. Namárië!
-Shadow [4]
Recommendations and Reviews
- West of the Moon, which has been around for 7 years (but frozen for the last 2) is (1) HOBBIT CENTRIC with both (2) GEN AND SLASH and, to a great extent (3) PEER REVIEWED. (As to that last, I have to say that personally, I appreciate not having to dig through all the bad fanfic that you can find at some sites to find the gems. ... and (4) THE GOLDEN MUSHROOM AWARDS. The Golden Mushroom Awards were some of the most fun awards in the fandom, avoiding a lot of the trauma and drama of other award programs and it was often even more entertaining to read the acceptance speeches. ... / The Archive is a wonderful tribute to the hobbit-centric fanfic created during the "heyday" of the fandom. Thanks Shadow!! (Elanor Gardner)[5]
- [In response to Elanor Gardner] Oh, I definitely second this! I was quite sorry to see it "frozen", but am very glad that it remains available for reading. I think it's really the only hobbit-centric archive that did not focus on only one or two particular hobbits. I really liked the division of the gen and slash sides, making it easier to find what one was looking for, and the clear and easily readable layout! (Dreamflower)[5]
References
- ^ a b c About West of the Moon, Wayback capture 1 May 2017.
- ^ Golden Mushrooms, Accessed Oct. 26, 2008.
- ^ West of the Moon is Moving to the AO3 (Accessed 17 April 2021)
- ^ About West of the Moon
- ^ a b lotr_fic_recs: REC THE SITES (accessed 1 September 2012)