NOMINATED FOR THE 2002 HUGO AND LOCUS AWARDWhen J.R.R. Tolkien created the extraordinary world of Middle-earth and populated it with fantastic, archetypal denizens, reinventing the heroic quest, the world hardly noticed. Sales of The Lord of the Rings languished for the better part of two decades, until the Ballantine editions were published here in America. By late 1950s, however, the books were selling well and beginning to change the face of fantasy. . . . forever.A generation of students and aspiring writers had their hearts and imaginations captured by the rich tapestry of the Middle-earth mythos, the larger-than-life heroic characters, the extraordinary and exquisite nature of Tolkien's prose, and the unending quest to balance evil with good. These young readers grew up to become the successful writers of modern fantasy. They created their own worlds and universes, in some cases their own languages, and their own epic heroic quests. And all of them owe a debt of gratitude to the works and the author who first set them on the path.In Meditations on Middle-earth, sixteen bestselling fantasy authors share details of their personal relationships with Tolkien's mythos, for it inspired them all. Had there been no Lord of the Rings, there would also have been no Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin; no Song of Ice and Fire saga from George R. R. Martin; no Tales of Discworld from Terry Pratchett; no Legends of Alvin Maker from Orson Scott Card. Each of them was influenced by the master mythmaker, and now each reveals the nature of that influence and their personal relationships with the greatest fantasy novels ever written in the English language.If you've never read the Tolkien books, read these essays and discover the depthy and beauty of his work. If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, the candid comments of these modern mythmakers will give you new insight into the subtlety, power, and majesty of Tolkien's tales and how he told them.

Finally, after years of struggle, mutants are being accepted into the mainstream of human society. But just as things seem to be settling down rumors of strange happenings in the New Mexican desert start raising questions about mutants once again. Rick Akimura, the long-sought supermutant, has established a cult-like base in the desert and once again threatens the fragile peace between mutants and normal humans. But Joachim Metzger, leader of the mutants, is determined to maintain the hard earned peace with the help of Rick’s own brother, the brilliant therapist Julian Akimura.

The world is on the threshold of major changes as mutants come out of hiding and start taking their rightful place among normal humans. But can these powerful mutants really overcome the fear and suspicions of non-mutants to be able to co-exist peacefully? And what of the problems when a “null” mutant starts to change?  Rick was born with no mutant abilities but has suddenly started developing them in an unheard of combination of strength and versatility. His struggle to cope with these new-found powers threatens to destroy Rick as well as all those around him.