The UNM Hobbit Society is a student-founded organization on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
The purpose of our group is to meet and associate with others interested in Tolkien, and to learn more about the author, his written works, and his sources through discussion, guest lectures and academically-oriented activities.
If you would like to be added to the UNM Hobbit Society listserv to be informed of meetings and other events, please use our Contact page to contact the faculty advisor or current president.
We now have a Facebook page! Just search for UNM Hobbit Society and you will find us.
Even if you cannot attend our meetings, you can discuss the works of J.R.R. Tolkien any time on our Green Dragon blog.
News and Events
● Intellectual Hooliganism
Saturday, April 14 from 5:00-8:00 pm in the UHP Forum
(ground floor, Student Health Center, UNM campus)
This is our annual sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture UNM student colloquium. It is a great opportunity for UNM students to present their scholarly work on topics.of their choice. This year's colloquium scheduel is below:
Keynote Speaker: Ty Franck, co-author of Leviathan Wakes
“Does plot still matter in modern genre fiction?”
Does plot still matter in modern genre fiction? Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy famously said of The Lord of the Rings, “this tale grew in the telling." Bruce Sterling, writer and critic of modern speculative fiction once wrote, "science fiction would be better off abandoning narrative and character entirely, rather than debasing the enormous majesty of SF's natural thematics with outworn narrative kitsch borrowed from pulp thrillers, bastardized fairy tales, and outworn pre-industrial myths." Does narrative still have a place in speculative and fantastic fiction? What does the success of The Lord of the Rings tell us about the value of plot and narrative even in works with powerful moral and philosophical themes?
Ty Franck is the best selling author (with Daniel Abraham) of Leviathan Wakes,which was an American Library Association pick for best Science Fiction Novel of 2011, and one of Amazon's 10 best of the year. He has published short stories in both science fiction and horror. His second novel, Caliban's War, will be published in June of 2012.
Student Presentations
Session 1
“Who Watches the Watchmen?”……………………………...Kayla Saldana
“Fear is Insidious: Becoming the Uncanny”……………………..Kaitlyn Arndt
“Tolkien’s Quenya”…………………..………………………….Calvary Zender
Session 2
“Commedia del’arte and the Comic Book Form……………………..Stav Gold
“Who are the Cybermen of Modern-Day America?”……...Katherine Weinberg
“Pink Floyd and The Wizard of Oz”…...…………..………Bethany Abrahamson
Join us for this exciting glimpse into popular culture studies! This event is FREE and open to the public! Refreshments provided.
Click here for the event flyer.
● April Hobbit Moot
Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the UHP Forum
(ground floor, Student Health Center, UNM campus)
Topic TBA
● T-Shirts for Sale
For $10 each, you can purchase your own lovely, cardinal red (a nice red, not fire engine red), T-shirt that features the Hobbit Society tree logo (look on the left of this page) in white. Come by Dr. Donovan's office in Room 20 of the Honors Center to get yours now before your size is gone!
About — Contact — Affiliations