conventions even though the tone of the novels is
relentlessly serious. Farren’s most recent novel,
Kindling(2004), is an alternate world fantasy con-
siderably less interesting than the Renquist series.
The Return of the KingJ. R. R. Tolkien
(1955)
The concluding volume of the Lord of the Rings
trilogy finds the various members of THE FELLOW-
SHIP OF THE RINGscattered and all facing death
and destruction. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee
are on their way toward the heart of Mordor, de-
termined to destroy the magical ring of evil by
throwing it into the molten lava of Mount Doom,
thereby thwarting Sauron’s plans to rule the world.
They are accompanied by Gollum, who alternates
between slavishly following Frodo’s instructions
and malevolently plotting to kill both of the hob-
bits in order to recover the ring for himself. Frodo
is mindful of the fact that Gandalf indicated that
even Gollum has a part to play in the unfolding
story and is sympathetic to the damage Gollum has
suffered because of his obsession.
Gandalf and the remaining two hobbits are on
their way to Minas Tirith in an effort to forge an
alliance between the major human nations to op-
pose the legions that Sauron has assembled.
Aragorn and Legolas are with the king of Rohan,
although their paths will soon diverge. Aragorn
eventually turns the tide of battle and lifts the
siege of Minas Tirith by enlisting the aid of an
army of the dead, a narrative turn that is dramati-
cally effective although perhaps somewhat too
convenient. This is a stopgap measure, however, as
the forces at Sauron’s disposal seem inexhaustible,
and the real heroism is that of Frodo and Sam,
who overcome one hardship after another before
finally achieving their goal.
The film version made a number of changes,
including moving incidents back and forth among
the three volumes, and it concentrates primarily on
the battle scenes. The prolonged anticlimactic end-
ing in the novel becomes even more obvious on the
screen as we discover that Frodo can no longer be
content in the Shire after all he has seen and done.
He leaves Middle Earth forever with Gandalf,
Bilbo, and the last of the elves. Despite this small
dramatic flaw, the trilogy is still the finest example
of the quest story, although in this case the object is
to destroy the magical artifact rather than recover
it, and is set in perhaps the most fully realized and
detailed imaginary world in all of literature.Rice, Anne(1941– )
Prior to the 1970s most vampire fiction made no
effort to render undead characters as sympathetic.
Vampires were evil, dangerous, and often disgust-
ing creatures. Stories describing them in other
terms, usually troubled by their bloodthirsty com-
pulsions, were novelties. That all began to change
in dramatic fashion with Interview with the Vampire
(1976) by Anne Rice, the first in her lengthy and
ongoing series of vampire novels, most of which in-
volve one particular vampire and his line, Lestat.
Rice has also written historical fiction and mild
erotica, and there are elements of both of these in
her supernatural fiction.
The first novel, cast in the form of a series of
conversations, is still the best. It describes the com-
plex relationship among three vampires, the older
Lestat, the younger protagonist, and a third, an age-
less vampire child. The interactions among these
three are complex and fascinating, and the novel is
an extraordinary achievement much more satisfying
than the 1994 film version. Lestat becomes a rock
star in The Vampire Lestat(1984) and is somewhat
reformed, preying only on people who deserve to
die. During this novel and the next, Queen of the
Damned(1988), Rice develops the folklore of vam-
pires quite elaborately and portrays it as a society
just as diverse and divided as our own.
Rice attempted to switch themes for her next
novel, The Mummy(1989), an uneven story about
a mummy brought back to life in contemporary
times with predictable mayhem ensuing. The
Witching Hour (1990), the first in the Mayfair
Witches series, uses ghosts and other supernatural
phenomena mixed into a very complex family
saga set in New Orleans. Lasher(1993) and Taltos
(1994) continue this story in ever-increasing
complexity. Servant of the Bones (1996) also
stands alone, although it has the feel of a Lestat
novel. A man is turned into a genie and interacts
with a number of humans during the course ofRice, Anne 289