Anyone who thinks J.R.R. Tolkien had a black-and-white view of good vs. evil in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit has probably not understood Saruman well. The leader of the Istari (wizards ...

Palantir Technologies is named for Tolkien’s palantíri, ... When the good wizard Saruman uses one to spy on the peoples of Middle-earth, ...

Saruman used a Palantir to communicate with Sauron. ... Rings of Power, we have witnessed how a Palantir shows the destruction of Númenor, one of the most important events in Tolkien's work.

The palantir plays a huge role in the corruption of Saruman the White and almost paralyzes Peregrin Took. In the Tolkien books, a seeing stone is what drives Denethor to suicide.

Austen Goslin (he/him) is an entertainment editor. He writes about the latest TV shows and movies, and particularly loves all things horror. Lore changes to Tolkien’s world are nothing new for ...

Like much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore, the history of Istari during the Second Age is a muddled mess of conflicting tales, timelines, and monikers. In some accounts he wrote the Valar sent Istari ...

It is absolutely true that Vance and Thiel are fans of The Lord of the Rings, the fantasy series by J.R.R. Tolkien. Many arch-conservative and probably alt-right figures are as well. Moderates ...