Albuquerque, NM -- October 19, 2000 -- Michael Martinez, popular Internet writer well-known for his expertise on J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, publishes Visualizing Middle-earth. The book explores Middle-earth as a real world historian explores true history. Visualizing Middle-earth is the first commentary in Tolkien scholarship to discard traditional themes for an in-depth look at the imaginary world itself.
Martinez provides the reader with frank, detailed discussions about controversial topics (such as whether Balrogs have wings or how Medieval Tolkien truly intended Middle-earth to seem). He also touches on lighter subjects, comments on the upcoming movies Peter Jackson is producing in New Zealand, and covers in a massive composition the nature of magic as Tolkien used it in his stories.
Visualizing Middle-earth does not index names, analyze literary sources, or heap glib praise upon J.R.R. Tolkien, who has been acclaimed one of the 20th century's greatest authors. Instead, the reader is treated to a resourcful tour of places, people, and events in Tolkien's imaginary history. Martinez assembles clues from more than a dozen books to portray Middle-earth unlike any previously published book. But faithfulness to the original sources does not prevent Martinez from engaging in some speculation and extrapolation, and he asks many questions even he cannot answer.
Michael Martinez writes a weekly Tolkien and Middle-earth column for Suite101.Com (http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/tolkien). He also oversees the Web's oldest Tolkien news site (http://www.xenite.org/faqs/lotr_movie/), established in February 1998. Martinez has advised several companies on Tolkien-related projects, and he has received media attention around the world. He is also the director for Dragoncon's Tolkien and Middle-earth programming track. Dragoncon is North America's largest fan-run science fiction convention. Several dissertations and master's level theses and many high school and college student projects around the world have cited Martinez' Web sites about Middle-earth. He will publish a detailed history book covering Tolkien's mythical ages of Middle-earth in 2001.
Visualizing Middle-earth is available from Xlibris (http://www.xlibris.com/VisualizingMiddleearth.html) for $16.00 in trade paperback and $10.00 in electronic format. The book is expected to appear in listings for major online booksellers in November.
Return to Press Releases
|
|
Michael Martinez
|
Contact Michael
|
