The Far Side of the World by SurgicalSteel

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Fanwork Notes

Special thanks to Pandemonium for encouraging me in this particular bit of heresy.

Most Delightful HeresyMost Delightful Heresy

Fanwork Information

Summary:

During the reign of Tar-Ancalimë, a group of Númenórean mariners find something that surprises and alarms them in their explorations.

Major Characters:

Major Relationships:

Genre: Adventure

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 2, 434
Posted on 8 March 2009 Updated on 8 March 2009

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Comments on The Far Side of the World

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Oh what a magnificent fic, it felt like a short movie that I was able to see through your male characters eyes. The ponderings, the rocking of the boat, the excitement to go ashore, but also the missing of his wife. Then I already had an inkling of an idea that they must have stumbled upon something which has Nienna's mark and just the whole conversation that followed, the not willing to speak out that they might have violated the ban (that reminded me of sailors or pirates who were so superstitious that even speaking a name of a curse might bring it upon them). The last line is just precious, I think if they noticed it, they would have been pleased by the respect they showed and that they left as soon as possible so that none else would find out that whoops, one can sail east hehe.

This is fantastic.  I absolutely love the story of their circumnavigation; it's so very well done.  You manage accomplish a great deal in a relatively short piece. I do have the sense that they've travelled a very long ways, seen many unusual things and met many different peoples.  I also can sense the excitement from the adventure and discoveries they made as well as the feeling of uncertainty that would have accomplished such a voyage.  

Also,  I love it that the ban does not account for sailing East rather than West (I assume that it does not account for the fact that Man or a man might have known it was a round world.) and/or that the Valar simply might not have known.  Brilliant.

Hello,

I read your story last night and I just wanted to say I thought it was such an original topic, with so many questions to explore in it, and you did a marvelous job with it. I loved your naturalist, Cullasso, (Maturin was my favorite character too!) and how glimpses of his life show within the fabric of the story at hand. The whole situation you set up was a fabulous topic of exploration. Thanks for such a great story!

I followed the discussion thread that spawned (or encouraged?) this concept. I was so delighted to see you actually wrote it. If the incorporation of geekish canon elements (combined with heresy) weren’t enough to hook me, you adding all of the wonderful nods to Patrick O’Brian would surely have finished the job. (I’m a huge fan of his, sea stories in general and C. S. Forester as well.) I loved the part of Cullasso gathering up his sketch book and his broad-brimmed straw hat (that elf, of course, will forever resemble my image of Stephen Maturin—who, over time, has grown to look a great deal like Paul Bettany in my mind--very nice piece of casting IMHO). I adored the references to medicine and the scientific method. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am pretty ignorant about hard science, but I do adore popularizations. Thanks so much for sharing this story. It pushed all my buttons.

I'll confess I haven't read O'Brian's books, but the movie adaptation of Master and Commander was vastly entertaining, and Maturin was my favorite character in the movie. :)

That discussion thread was more encouragement than anything - when I first read the Silmarillion, my thirteen year old self didn't quite figure out that the world was flat and thought that the wording of the Ban was silly, because the Numenoreans could sail east and make it to Valinor. I mentioned the notion offhand to Pandemonium, and then on that one LJ thread - and then I just had to write it.

I'm so glad you enjoyed this!

I love this. I adore round earth tales, and don't think there's enough of them. I also love the bits of science you wove in-- too many people forget Middle-earth is our world.

And then another thought had occurred to Cullasso, another notion for which neither man had an answer. “Do you think the Valar even noticed that we were there?”

*snickers* This is my favorite line. I think that if they did, they were amused that someone managed to figure out the loophole and glad they didn't stay.

Wonderful story!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see this heresy come to fruition and furthermore, how it sets a foundation -- carved in smooth basalt -- for more tales which I dearly hope to see.  I have fallen hard and fast for your Middle-earth equivalents of Aubrey and Maturin (such a natural fit) and the historical underpinnings for Dol Amroth and -- most intriguingly -- Umbar.

The sly nods to BoLTI are fantastic, e.g., the abandoned caves (and concepts) of Ve Mandos and Fui Nienna, as are the beach of jasper stone and the salty rain, both, well, odd.  And the animals of every kind.  Heh.  That should be a tip-off, Cullasso!

Love the tie-ins to your 'verse!

...the notes taken by Tar-Aldarion’s naturalist.

I'm hoping Gandalf's Apprentice and I can bring this naturalist  to life later this year.  Stay tuned for more heresy! :^)

Tolkien knew that his later writings on the round earth concept (which, as you well know, I embrace) would require reconfiguration of his mythology.  He didn't pursue this extensively, but the essays in "Myths Transformed" provide fertile ground for the imaginative fan fic writer to address the consequences of an earth that is, in an imaginary sense, our own.  You have taken this concept and planted your creativity into it like Captain Hendinaer planted the laurinquë tree in Umbar.  May this story arc with M-e's history (with the Steel spin :^D), and its characters flourish just as much as the tree did!  Oh, and speaking of the laurinquë tree, what a cool concept as a defiant symbolic counterpoint to Gondor's White Tree. >:^)

The rather cool thing on the basalt and the jasper beach - there are natural formations like that in the real world. With basalt pillars, the Giant's Causeway off the coast of Northern Ireland springs to mind, and there's a real beach that's very heavy on jasper stones just outside of Machias, Maine.

The laurinquë - apparently many Numenoreans thought they were derived from Laurelin just as the White Tree was from Telperion (which I suspect you knew), so yep, that'd be a rather cool 'official' emblem of Umbar, wouldn't it? >;)

This was so much fun to write that I can't even tell you, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this!

Thank you so very much!

When I first read the Silm at around age 13, I didn't quite catch that the world was supposed to be flat. So my younger brattier self was puzzled by the Ban on sailing West from Numenor - silly Valar, all the Numenoreans would have to do is sail East! Nearly 30 years later, after bouncing ideas off of Pandemonium (and having her encourage the heresy), this emerged.

I'm really pleased that people have enjoyed this!

This was brilliant! :D The describtion of Aman is fantastic - very alien and exotic. But also the characters and of course the round earth. I've always had trouble imagining middle-earth as actually having been flat because it's is...well, just imagine what those Numenorean explorers would encounter then! The actual edge of the world. Which works in Pratchett's work, but is harder to imagine with less comical, more realistic characters and cultures. This was wonderfully done.

When I first read the Silmarillion in junior high school, I didn't quite catch the fact that the world was supposed to be flat, and I thought the ban on sailing west from Numenor made zero sense - because everyone knows that they could've just sailed east! I was really delighted when I found canon justification for a round world in 'Myths Transformed,' and knew I had to write this. I'm really glad you liked it!