My Science School

Get ready to return to Middle-earth – the fictional setting of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Amazon Studies is coming up with a new prequel series set thousands of year before the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. One of the most expensive television shows in history, it  will be based on Tolkien’s seminal series that regaled generations with books and later through Peter jackson’s iconic film adaptations. The billion-dollar project hopes to fill in the shoes of these giants by bringing to life new storylines around the franchise.

Orcs, trolls and wargs will return, but the series will not feature our beloved hobbits nor their faithful friends.

Instead, it will focus on the Second Age of the Middle-earth, much before Bilbo and Frado. The prequel is expected to chronicle the forging of the rings, Sauron’s rise to power and the destruction of Numenor, all of which occur during that era.

Here’s how the saga will continue….

The Second Age

There are four ages in Tolkien’s works. The new prequel series will take place in the Second Age, preceding “the Lord of the Ring” and “The Hobbit”, which were set in the Third Age.

Going to the source

Thought Tolkien’s did not write prequel series, he has written copiously about the history of Middle-earth, the world where the franchise is set. And the new prequel will use it as the source material.

Sticking to the canon

Part of the deal with Amazon includes a rider by the Tolkien estate to veto over any content in the series that doesn’t correspond with the author’s vision for the saga. The Tolkien estate retains the rights for the First and Third Ages.

No rangers and hobbits

Fans looking forward to seeing a young Aragorn, the dashing Ranger of the North, will be disappointed. The  King of Gondor, who played a major role in the ‘The Lord of the Rings” trilogy wasn’t born till the Third Age. It will also not feature hobbits.

The rise and fall of Numenor

Amazon released interactive maps of Middle-earth at the time when the series is set. They show Numenor, a mythical island akin to Atlantis. The island was home to the Dunedain, a race of man, some of whom fled before its destruction and established the kingdoms of Amor and Gondor.

Did you Know?

How Amazon upped the ante

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was personally involved in acquiring the rights to Tolkien’s series. After a bidding war with Netflix in 2017, Amazon finally obtained the rights for $250 million, making it perhaps the most expensive show in television history. The deal included a commitment for five seasons and a potential spin-off series. The collective budget amounts to more that $1 billion.

Previous adaptations

Warner Bros and its sister studio New Line have already made Peter Jackson-directed, “The Lord of the Rings” and its prequel “Hobbit” films, even though the latter trilogy was not as much liked by critics as the former.

About Tolkien

Hohn Ronals Reuel Tolkien was English writer and poet best known for his “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series. A philologist, he loved making up new languages. Tolkien coined over 15 Elvish languages for his  “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series Among them two enough words and grammar to be considered functional. Tolkien died on September 2, 1973.

The Fellowship:

The first two episodes will be directed by J.A. Bayona of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” fame. Actor Robert Aramayo, who played Eddard Starck in “Game of Thrones” will be the young hero of the series. His character is named Beldor. Morfydd Clark will play a young version of Galadriel, the royal Elf of both Noldor and Teleri. What’s more, Peter Jackson might also be involved in the series.

 

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When Dan Brown was growing up, his parents decided not to keep a television in the house. So he spent his childhood playing the piano, reading and solving puzzles. He started writing piano pieces when he was five, and aspired to become a musician before turning to writing. Brown's first children's book "Wild Symphony", which released in September, is a combination of his love for music and his passion for storytelling and mysteries.

What's the book about?

"Wild Symphony" is about a musical conductor-it’s a mouse named Maestro. At the beginning of the book, you learn that Maestro mouse is preparing to put on a musical concert with a motley team of wild animals from blue whales and kangaroos to ostriches and cheetahs. Each animal has a special secret, and readers have to guess what it is by decoding the jumbled letters hidden throughout the stunning illustrations in the book.

Accompanied by music

Scanning the QR code given in the book will lead you to a free, augmented reality app. You can listen to music by pointing your phone camera towards each page. The music has been composed by Brown himself. Each animal is accompanied by a musical score, which reflects its special personality - whether it is upbeat and fun like bouncing kangaroos or quirky like the buzzing bees. All the 21 musical pieces are performed by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra, Croatia.

Life lessons

In addition to playing a musical instrument, the animals offer a valuable life lesson to the readers don't be afraid to be yourself and failure is a stepping stone towards success. This interactive musical picture book is a delight for the eyes and ears!

Did you know?

Like Brown, many famous authors have dabbled in children's books. Here are some examples:

• Salman Rushdie - "Haroun and The Sea of Other Stories


• Ernest Hemingway-"The Faithful Bull"


• Gertrude Stein - "The World Is Round"


• Margaret Atwood - "Up In The Tree


• James Joyce - "The Cat And The Devil"

 

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Stories of divine beings with supernatural powers, and of epic clashes between good and evil forces have been a source of entertainment for generations. Rooted in religion and mythology, these tales were often narrated by doting grandmother to their grandchildren over multiple cups of afternoon tea. Today, these folk tales and lores have donned new avatars with modern twists and an international flavour.

Welcome to mythopoeia. It is a world ruled by mighty Greek gods, fierce Viking warriors, and brave witches and wizards. Mythopoeia is a genre in which a fictional mythology is created by the author. If you like reading stories about fantastical creatures and imaginary worlds, you will love it here.

New universes

Books written under this genre contains entirely unique fictional universes, which may have elements of existing mythology. Writers create complex worlds with well-detailed histories chronicling the past and intricate geographies along with the unique laws of nature that govern their fictional worlds.

Who coined the term?

The term is derived from Greek words 'muthos and 'poein', which means "myth making." R. R. Tolkien was the first to use the word as the title of a poem dedicated to C.S. Lewis. It was published in 1931.

Books and films

• J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion" series.


• C. S. Lewis "The Chronicles of Narnia"


• Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series, "Trials of the Apollo" and "The Kane Chronicles".


• J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter' series and "The Ickabog"


• Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series,


• Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series and "The Book of Dust" trilogy.


• Cornelia Funke "Inkheart" trilogy.


• Christopher Paolini "The Inheritance Cycle".


• Marvel's comics and films - "Thor", "Avengers" and "Doctor Strange".

 

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Self-isolation, quarantine, work from home and social distancing have become the new normal due to the coronavirus pandemic. The global health scare and the unforeseen circumstances it presented have been a completely new experience for everyone. It has altered not just the way we live but also our vocabulary.

In a very short period of time, words such as COVID-19, a shortening of coronavirus disease 2019, sanitization and social distancing came to dominate our conservations. Some of these words are new coinages and others, previously less-known.

Noticing this, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the world’s biggest English language dictionary, updated its record of English language in April to include COVID-19 and terms related to it.

The April update was a rare move as the OED usually updates its record only four times a year.

Did you know?

Previous pandemics have also given rise to new vocabulary. Words such as “pestilence” a fatal epidemic or disease – came into use after the bubonic plague swept Europe between 1347 and 1351.

The adjective “self-quarantined” was first used in 1878 to describe the actions of the villagers of Eyam in the 17th Century, who isolated themselves to prevent the second wave of “Black Death” from spreading to surrounding villages.

Some others words that were added to the dictionary during the pandemic:

Social distancing

Social distancing was originally an attitude rather than a physical term. Now we all understand it as keeping a physical distance between ourselves and others to avoid infection.

Self-isolation

Self-imposed isolation to prevent catching or transmitting an infectious disease has become a popular term. But back in the 1800s, the term referred to countries that chose to detach themselves politically and economically from the rest of the world.

WFH

“Working (or work) from home, wither as a regular or permanent alternative to office work or on an occasional or temporary basis.”

Elbow bump

A gesture (usually of greeting or farewell) in which two people lightly tap their elbows together as an alternative to a handshake or embrace, in order to reduce the risk of spreading or catching an infectious disease.

PPE

Personal protection equipment is designed to provide the wearer or user protection against hazardous substances or environments, or to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. Formerly, the abbreviation was used only by healthcare and emergency professionals.

Infodemic

Infodemic (a portmanteau word from information and epidemic) is the outpouring of often unsubstantiated media and online information relating to a crisis.

 

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Lives of children around the world have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were suddenly forced to reckon with virtual classrooms. Social distancing norms have demanded that they stay home, away from friends, loved ones and playgrounds. And it is books that have helped them make sense of these difficult times.

J.K. Rowling

One of the first to announce a slew of initiatives for her readers was J.K. Rowling. The best-selling author started publishing her new children’s novel “Ickabog” in a serialised manner online. The initial chapters were free to read. What’s more, Rowling asked readers to send in their drawings of the Ickabog and acknowledged the best entries on her Twitter handle. Rowling even offered free access to the first book in the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”.

Stephenie Meyer

Young adult readers too had something to cheer for. Stephenie Meyer released “Midnight Sun” – a companion book to the bestselling “Twilight” series. The book narrated the love story between Bella Swan and the vampire Edward Cullen for the first time from his point of view.

Jeff Kinney

Not to be left behind, Jeff Kinney, author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, visited bookstores across the U.S. in August to hand out signed copies of his new book, “Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure”, in a safe, fun, socially distant way – via a custom-made 96-inch trident.

Oh really?

Numerous children’s books and picture books have been published over the last few months in response to the global health crisis. Freely available online, these books teach children about coronavirus, and encourage them to protect themselves and others.

Our top picks include “My Hero is You! How Kids Can Fight COVID-19”, which is based on a global survey on children and adults coping with the virus, and “From My Window”, a book by United Nations about the joys of being house-bound.

 

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Over the last six months, our lives became reminiscent of the plots from science fiction books. A deadly virus is wreaking havoc across the globe. Earlier, streets wore a deserted look, people hid behind masks. Washing, sanitizing, social distancing were the only weapons we could wield against it. Life appeared to have taken a leaf out of a thriller…with things getting stranger each passing day! As the fear of the virus gripped the world, readers turned to books on pandemics to make sense of the new normal. Many books written on pandemics began trending. Some of these books even accurately predicted the coronavirus pandemic and came into the spotlight.

Dean Kootnz turns soothsayer

In a 1981 crime-thriller novel titled “The Eyes of the Darkness”, suspense author Dean Koontz wrote about a virus called Wuhan-400, which the capability to wipe out an entire city or country. The bizarre coincidence sent waves of shocks across the globe and people began to draw parallels between the fictional and the real scenarios. People were quick to share the excerpt from the book online, which seemingly predicted the coronavirus almost 40 years ago.

Predictions and prophecies

Another book, Twitter users claimed, predicted the highly infectious coronavirus in the year 2008. It was a book titled “End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the End of the World” by author Sylvia Browne, who claimed to be a medium with psychic abilities.

Based on true events?

In 2011, a film about a deadly virus released in the theatres. It did not receive much attention at the box office and quietly faded from the screens. Nine years later, “Contagion” became one of the most searched and downloaded films. The reason? Its plot is eerily similar to the current coronavirus outbreak. The film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, is about a fictional virus outbreak that starts in Hong Kong. The virus called MEV-1 kills most people affected with it. The film seems all too familiar in the current scenario, as it also shows the impact of misinformation and myths that can be easily spread through technology.

 

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