J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings stands as a benchmark in the fantasy genre, shaping the landscape for future literary endeavors. Despite its iconic status, many fans may not be aware that Tolkien contemplated a sequel to this beloved saga late in his life. This unfinished work, known as The New Shadow, was a brief manuscript that comprised only fourteen pages, capturing a narrative that diverged significantly from the original trilogy.
Eventually published by Christopher Tolkien in The Peoples of Middle-earth, a compilation of his father’s unpublished writings, The New Shadow reveals Tolkien’s less optimistic vision for the Fourth Age of Middle-earth. Although the project was never completed, the few pages written provide fascinating insights into a darker and more cynical sequel. In a letter penned shortly before his death in 1973, Tolkien expressed his dissatisfaction with the direction of this new tale, noting its bleak themes that contrasted sharply with those of The Lord of the Rings.
A Bleaker Narrative: The New Shadow
A Shift from Heroism to Suspicion
Taking place 220 years into the Fourth Age, a century after the reign of Aragorn’s son, Eldarion, The New Shadow presents a much grimmer outlook than its predecessor. The Lord of the Rings celebrates the triumph of ordinary individuals in times of darkness, while Tolkien’s unwritten sequel emphasizes a world riddled with suspicion and discontent. Reflecting on his progress, Tolkien noted in a 1972 letter:
I have written nothing beyond the first few years of the Fourth Age… Then I discovered that the King’s Peace would contain no tales worth recounting; there would be secret societies practising dark cults, and “orc-cults”among adolescents. – J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 338, dated June 6, 1972
Limited Connection to Known Characters
Characters from the Original Saga are Absent
By the time of The New Shadow, key figures from The Lord of the Rings are long gone. The sole connection to Tolkien’s original characters is Borlas, the manuscript’s protagonist, who is the son of Beregond, a minor character introduced in The Return of the King.
Absent are the elves, dwarves, and hobbits, who had all withdrawn from the affairs of men. Legolas departed Middle-earth shortly after Aragorn’s death, while the fate of hobbits and dwarves during the Fourth Age remains largely undocumented. This lack of familiar faces created a sense of separation for die-hard fans who cherished the original characters.
A Time of Change: One Century After Aragorn
A New Era Under Eldarion
Set in F.A. 220, the kingdom is now ruled by Eldarion, the son of Arwen and Aragorn. With Aragorn having passed away a century earlier, his death deeply affected Arwen, who retreated into the remnants of Lothlórien, ultimately choosing to end her life in F.A. 121, overwhelmed by sorrow.
Legends of the Past: The War of the Ring
The War Becomes Myth
In The New Shadow, the War of the Ring has transformed into mere folklore for its characters, shaping their perception of history. While it’s possible characters like Borlas were alive during this monumental conflict, Tolkien intended for the stories of courage and heroism from the Third Age to be seen as myths rather than realities.
I did begin a story placed about 100 years after the Downfall, but it proved both sinister and depressing. I found that there was an outcrop of revolutionary plots… Gondorian boys were playing at being Orcs… Not worth doing. – J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 256, dated May 13, 1964
This notion that children would idolize the malevolent figures of the past as entertainment reflects a sobering truth about humanity’s tendency to forget its darkest moments, a theme that resonated deeply with Tolkien.
A More Human Source of Evil
The Nature of Darkness in The New Shadow
The overarching conflict in The New Shadow is primarily depicted through dialogues between Borlas and Saelon, a young man experiencing the growing discontent in Gondor. Their discussions suggest a lurking malevolence, described as a “dark tree,”indicating a despairing reality fueled by the human condition rather than the remnants of Sauron or Morgoth.
Tolkien hinted at an entity named Herumor as a potential source of evil; however, specific details about this character were never fully developed. Ultimately, The New Shadow was poised to explore the darker aspects of humanity, the treachery and betrayal that individuals commit against each other, rather than the cosmic battles of good versus evil that defined his earlier works.