Mismeasure of Orcs

Despite its well-earned reputation as the richest world in fantasy, there exists a notable, troubling problem in Tolkien''s legendarium: the existence of a sentient, rational being for whom no sympathy or moral feeling is ever shown. Examining the origin stories of the orc, which changed over time according to Tolkien''s own worries about whether orcs were "redeemable," this book endeavors to s...