J.R.R. Tolkien, the celebrated author of The Lord of the Rings, actually began work on a sequel that he ultimately abandoned after just thirteen pages. The unfinished novel, titled ‘The New Shadow,’ would have been set roughly a century after the events of the War of the Ring.
A Lost Chapter in Middle-earth
Discover the intriguing premise of Tolkien’s abandoned sequel and the reasons he shelved it.
- ‘The New Shadow’ was conceived as a continuation of the Lord of the Rings saga, taking place in the Fourth Age.
- The story centered on the innocent games of boys who playfully acted out roles as orcs.
- Tolkien discontinued the project because he found the narrative lacked significance and didn’t meet his own high standards.
Chronologically, ‘The New Shadow’ would have unfolded during the reign of Eldarion in the Fourth Age of the Sun. According to a letter Tolkien penned to Douglas Carter, he envisioned the story as exploring the decline of Eldarion’s kingdom approximately 100 years following Aragorn’s death. The initial thirteen pages detailed the seemingly harmless pastime of boys pretending to be orcs during a period of peace.
Why Was the Novel Abandoned?
Tolkien’s decision to halt work on ‘The New Shadow’ stemmed from his own critical assessment of the narrative. He determined that the story lacked substantial narrative relevance and didn’t possess the depth or importance he sought in his writing. He also found the tone too dark and sinister, prompting him to shift his focus to other projects.
What was the central idea behind ‘The New Shadow’? The novel explored the restlessness and boredom of boys who engaged in mock battles as orcs during a time of peace and prosperity in Middle-earth.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, only those thirteen pages of the incomplete work remain. Christopher Tolkien, his third son, included the fragments in his compilation, ‘The People of Middle-earth,’ offering a glimpse into a story that might have been. While fans continue to revisit and cherish the existing tales of Middle-earth, ‘The New Shadow’ remains a tantalizing “what if” in Tolkien’s vast literary legacy.
