Who wrote The Last Ringbearer and when was it published?
The Last Ringbearer was written by Kirill Yeskov, a Russian paleontologist, and first published in Russian by ACT of Moscow in 1999. It was reprinted in Russian in 2002 and again in 2015.
Questions about The Last Ringbearer
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the premise of The Last Ringbearer?
The Last Ringbearer is based on the premise that Tolkien's account of The Lord of the Rings is "history written by the victors." In Yeskov's version, Mordor is a civilization of scientists, philosophers, and physicians, while Gandalf and the Elves are the warmongering aggressors.
Why has The Last Ringbearer never been published in English?
The book has not had a commercial English release because publishers fear legal action from the Tolkien Estate. Yisroel Markov's 2010 translation, approved by Yeskov, exists only as a free non-commercial ebook. Mark Le Fanu of the Society of Authors has stated the book constitutes copyright infringement even in non-commercial form.
How have scholars described The Last Ringbearer?
Scholars have called it a parody, a paraquel, and a critique of totalitarianism. Catherine Coker described it as "transparent revisionism" that becomes "emphatically, a work in its own right." Mark Wolf coined the term paraquel to describe its parallel-timeline structure.
What award did The Last Ringbearer win?
In 2001, The Last Ringbearer won recognition in the "Sword in the Stone" fantasy category, two years after its initial Russian publication.
What languages has The Last Ringbearer been translated into?
The novel has been translated into Czech (2003), Estonian (2010), French (2018), German (2024), Polish (1999), Portuguese (2008), Spanish (2011), and English (2010-2011). The English translation by Yisroel Markov is available only as a free ebook and has not been commercially printed.