It's a pretty great time to be a fan of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The Illustrated Edition of the Lord of the Rings saga, featuring original Tolkien illustrations in and among the story, is releasing later this year. If you prefer to eschew all those words and want to get right into the pictures, the new edition of Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien is for you. I'll be honest, I'm probably going to buy both, but that's just me, a man who cannot resist shiny things.
Where to Buy Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien
If you preorder from Amazon, you can save 10% off the MSRP for the hardcover edition.
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien was originally published in the 1970s and contains original art by the Lord of the Rings author himself. This updated version in hardcover contains the same illustrations, but now comes in a very nice little slipcover case.
Where to Buy the Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition
Right now, you can get the regular hardcover Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition at Amazon, and better yet, it's on sale for 40% off its cover price.
If you want to get the deluxe version, well… that's not quite as easy.
The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Deluxe Edition is limited to just 5,000 copies worldwide, and it's only coming out in the UK and Canada. Featuring "raised ribs on the spine and stamped in two foils," the pages of this massive tome are "are edged in gold," and the entire thing is "quarterbound in cloth and leather."
It comes in a slipcase and contains the Tolkien illustrations found in the regular Illustrated Edition, as well as "two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Middle-earth."
The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest book series ever created, and the non-deluxe hardcover Lord of the Rings Illustrated edition is coming out October 19, 2021. The edition includes original JRR Tolkien illustrations for the first time in any edition of the series since 1954.
The 1954 edition only features two illustrations from Tolkien, but this latest Lord of the Rings illustrated version has "30 other sketches, illustrations, and maps."
The art by Tolkien has appeared in print before, most notably the hardcover "Pictures by JRR Tolkien" first published in 1979, the book itself a collection of illustrations printed in "a series of calendars" printed earlier in the 1970s.
It's a good time to be a Lord of the Rings fan. The upcoming Gollum game "puts the spotlight on an unlikely hero," and looks to be another solid entry into the pantheon of Lord of the Rings games.
The hardcover Lord of the Rings: Illustrated Edition has an MSRP of $75, but it's currently marked down 40%.
If you already preordered it at $75, you'll be charged the lower price. In fact, Amazon will honor whatever the lowest price is during a preorder period, provided you preorder on or before it hits that low price.
Seth Macy is IGN's Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend.