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The Science of Middle-Earth: Explaining The Science Behind The Greatest Fantasy Epic Ever Told! Paperback – November 2, 2004

by Henry Gee (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 53 ratings
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Henry Gee, Senior editor for what many have called the most important magazine in science today - Nature - has written a spellbinding, fun, and accessible book explaining the scientific basis for how all that wizardy, sorcery, and magic really works in JRR Tolkien's fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings and his other fictional books featuring Middle-earth. The author explores just how elves might be able to see much further than humans, why Frodo's sword turns blue at the sight of evil orcs, how the rings of power do their thing, and just about every other conundrum or piece of 'elvish magic' that have puzzled and delighted Tolkien fans for years. Throughout, Gee makes the point that science, fantasy , and nature are really more similar than one might think. Gee writes in a popular tone and style, fully explaining all science concepts and convincingly demonstrating how Tolkien's world of fantasy makes sense in a very real - scientific - way.
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Cold Spring Press
  4. Publication date
    November 2, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1593600232
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1593600235
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

How did Frodo's mithril coat ward off the fatal blow of an orc? How was Legolas able to count the number of riders crossing the plains of Rohan from five leagues away? Could Balrogs fly? Gee, a senior editor at Nature (who says he read The Lord of the Rings about once a year between the ages of 10 and 25), elucidates and expands on the scientific aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien's world in this fascinating book. Many commentators have noted Tolkien's use of philology and cultural history to create believable languages for his elves and orcs. Now Gee shows how scientific precepts can make the wonders of Middle-earth even richer. In a closing essay, he argues that "Tolkien's own worldview was closer to the true spirit of science than that held by many who propose to promote the public understanding of science."

Editors of Scientific American

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cold Spring Press (November 2, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593600232
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593600235
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 53 ratings

About the author

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Henry Gee

Henry Gee

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Henry Gee is the award-winning author of 'A (Very) Short History of Life On Earth'. His next book 'The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire' will be published in March 2025, and 'The Wonder of Life on Earth' (illustrated by Raxenne Manquiz) will follow in 2026. His other books include 'The Accidental Species' and 'The Science of Middle-earth'. He is a Senior Editor at the science journal Nature, and lives in a small seaside town in England with his family and numerous pets.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
53 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the thoughtfulness and seriousness of the science presented, with logical theories and facts. Readers describe it as a decent, fun read that provides good value for money.

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Thought provokingReadabilityValue for money
5 customers mention "Thought provoking"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and entertaining. They appreciate the thoughtfulness and serious science presented in an enjoyable manner. The theories and facts make sense, and the writing style is engaging without being overly technical.

"...I purchased this book and ate it up -- Science is a beautiful, beautiful vessel of creativity and discovery within the circles of the world...." Read more

"...shows Gee's loving enthusiasm for both topics, and it never bogs down in unnecessary details on either...." Read more

"...Henry writes with joy, humor and a love of the genre. This is worth every penny you pay for this book and I am on a hunt for more books by Henry Gee." Read more

"...Written with a lot of humor and whimsy and thoughtfulness as well as serious science. Love this." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable. They say it's a decent and fun read.

"I found this to be a fun read, and not a very difficult one for somebody who is not a science wonk...." Read more

"Terrific book for anyone who is both a Tolkien and science nerd. Even non-science-y types will be able to follow his often detailed descriptions...." Read more

"Decent read." Read more

"EXCELLENT BOOK! Science of LOTR!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They say it's worth every penny and are looking for more.

"...Well worth it. Would buy again, will with certainty read again." Read more

"...Henry writes with joy, humor and a love of the genre. This is worth every penny you pay for this book and I am on a hunt for more books by Henry Gee." Read more

"...The final essay, "Science and Fantasy," is worth the price of the book by itself." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Elvishmouse
5.0 out of 5 stars The keener and clearer is the Reason, the better fantasy it will make.
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
The above is from J.R.R Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories", and nowhere is his point better proven than in this book. I purchased this book and ate it up -- Science is a beautiful, beautiful vessel of creativity and discovery within the circles of the world. I actually stopped reading a few times to just announce to the world how much I loved what I was reading.

I liked it because all of his theories and facts made sense, but he did not say 'This is what Tolkien was talking about'. Gee discusses real science and scientific possibility, and the nature of science itself. The final essay does not address any specific issue [the nature of dragonfire, the creation of palantiri] but the entire issue: the mingling of fantasy and science and how they are not fundamentally at odds with each other whatsoever.

The formatting of it means that [however difficult] it IS possible to put it down between chapters, so I would easily recommend it to anyone interested in either science or the Lord of the Rings, regardless of how much or little time they had to read it.

Well worth it. Would buy again, will with certainty read again.
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Nano Man
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT BOOK! Science of LOTR!
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2011
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I read this book through and I have to say, I have no complaints at all. Thank you, Mr. Gee! You did a superb job of showing how the fantasy world of LOTR could be explained to a large extent scientifically. My favorite topic, ofcourse, centered around the scientific/engineering explanations of Mithril and the use of the material called beta carbon nitride, which most people know nothing about. Beta Carbon Nitride is a diamondoid structure and is even harder than diamond, and, once nanomachine assemblers get going, there will be abundant tons of the stuff. Eventually technology will become so advanced that its outward manifestations appear magical, like our tech would appear to less advanced people.

I love this book and I recommend people purchasing several copies for friends and others.
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Troels Forchhammer
4.0 out of 5 stars What if?
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2012
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In Henry Gee's book, contemporary science and Tolkien's fictional (or, as Tolkien preferred it, sub-creational) writings mix and mingle with both being used to inform the other. The result clearly shows Gee's loving enthusiasm for both topics, and it never bogs down in unnecessary details on either. From discussion of Tolkien's view on science and Tolkien's own role as a scientist of language, the book takes the reader on a journey through Middle-earth where contemporary science is allowed to light the way. I do not agree with Henry Gee in every aspect, but the resulting desire to investigate, to argue and to expend my own creativity in explaining the inexplicable is precisely a part of Henry Gee's most important point: that science is fundamentally creative in nature, and asking such questions as "what if" is what drives science forward.
4 people found this helpful
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P. G. Wickberg
3.0 out of 5 stars Matter Over Mind?
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2008
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I found this to be a fun read, and not a very difficult one for somebody who is not a science wonk. However, in addition to the various bloopers pointed out by other reviewers, another one popped up that I found especially egregious. Gee spends a whole chapter on the question of whether or not Balrogs could fly, and seems rather proud of his mathematical proof that their wing size to weight ratio would have to be so great to render them airborne that the Balrog could never have fitted into Moria. But according to Tolkien's own writings, Balrogs were in fact Maiar (minor angels) who had been turned to evil. In other words, they were not made of "normal matter as we know it," any more than H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu, another beast who could apparently fly in spite of having small wings on a grossly corpulent body (although, admittedly, we never hear of him actually doing so). When one is assuming a being created of abnormal matter ("fire and shadow", according to Tolkien) all bets are off in terms of scientific theory. How then was Gandulf (himself a Maiar, but one who had voluntarily bound himself in a fana, or physical body) able to kill the Balrog, since chopping away with a sword at a being of alien matter might not be too useful an exercise? Presumably Gandulf killed the Balrog by using magic, the Flame of Anor he mentions possessing, using his sword as a kind of wand, rather than by wounding it with the edge of the sword, in the process taking wounds to his own (physical) body that killed it but not his spirit, which came back in a new and upgraded version (Gandulf 2.0, so to speak).
5 people found this helpful
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Ian Liberman
5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Gee creates a Mesmorizing look at Middle Earth
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013
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I have to say that never thought looking at the Tolkein books from a scientific perspective was one worthy of examining because of the fantasy nature. However, I have read books that look at science fiction books from a physics point of view and none of them are as interesting as this amazing look at middle earth through Henry Gee`s analytical and scientific perspective. I had no idea that Tolkein himself had a scientific interest and loved to read science fiction. I love how he talks about the different physical features of the characters and how quantum entanglement could apply in the use of crystal balls and sorcery. Henry writes with joy, humor and a love of the genre. This is worth every penny you pay for this book and I am on a hunt for more books by Henry Gee.
2 people found this helpful
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Martha
5.0 out of 5 stars Elvish Science
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2011
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Henry Gee's "The Science of Middle Earth" is an excellent attempt by a zoologist to explain science in terms of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," as well as the other way around. Some of his explanations seem to me improbable (for instance, how Goladriel's star-glass works) but for the most part he achieves his aims of explaining magic in scientific terms and of presenting science to a modern audience in a non-threatening and non-boring way. The final essay, "Science and Fantasy," is worth the price of the book by itself.
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Gemma
5.0 out of 5 stars Best merging of science and fantasy ever!
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2015
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Terrific book for anyone who is both a Tolkien and science nerd. Even non-science-y types will be able to follow his often detailed descriptions. Written with a lot of humor and whimsy and thoughtfulness as well as serious science. Love this.
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Top reviews from other countries

Graeme Shimmin
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2018
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More of an extended essay on 'anything that struck me as a curious scientist reading Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the other works of JRR Tolkien, and fantasy in general' than an in depth scientific study. Lots of taking things from LOTR etc. and looking for natural equivalents. E.g. things like "Can birds as big as the giant eagles really exist? Well there was this extinct bird in Peru that had a similar wingspan..." Lots of stuff about elves and their technological "magic", and brave enough to admit when he has no real explanation, as in how can a ring simultaneously hold your personality, give you power over others, and make both you and anything you're holding invisible? Definitely worth reading if you're the sort of person who like to think about how fictional stuff might really work.
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Dollygrip
5.0 out of 5 stars Wit and Wisdom
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2013
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A most intriguing and inspirational examination of Tolkien 's fictional world. Like the Science of Discworld books The Science of Middle Earth uses aspects of the stories as a rich seam of mysteries to be unraveled in the light of the latest scientific understanding. It is an enjoyable and insightful read that sent me scampering off to explore particle physics and evolutionary theory again - for much has changed since I was a student and Henry Gee clearly has his finger on the pulse of all that is current in modern science. This is a witty and thought provoking read and I commend it.
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Brian Clegg
4.0 out of 5 stars An unlikely combination - Tolkien and science - made genuinely interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2014
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When I saw this book (subtitled “Explaining The Science Behind The Greatest Fantasy Epic Ever Told!” in the original US edition), I thought it was time to put my foot down. Okay, Douglas Adams’ delirious fantasy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was largely a science fiction parody, so Science of Hitchhiker’s made sense. Even Science of Discworld works, thanks to the conceit of treating it as the view of fantasy characters of Discworld observing our science. But Science of Middle Earth? Isn’t it all swords and sorcery?

What’s more, Tolkien was famously a romantic who longed for a non-existent bucolic rural past, typified by the hobbits’ Shire (while conveniently forgetting the rampant disease, infant mortality and frequent malnutrition, that were just some of the joys of the real rural past). Didn’t Tolkien attack the whole idea of science and technology as the black vision of the likes of his number II baddy, Saruman?

Henry Gee, a senior editor of the definitive science journal Nature in his day job, makes a striking case for taking a different viewpoint. He reminds us firstly that Tolkien’s own speciality, the study of words and language, a subject that is at the heart of The Lord of the Rings and his other heavy duty fiction, is a science. He also makes it clear that Tolkien wasn’t anti-science per se (apparently Isaac Asimov was a favourite of his). What he was against was the wrong attitude to science – letting it control us, rather than the other way around. In fact, Gee argues persuasively that, for instance, the Elves in LoTR don’t use magic (they say this themselves), but technology that is so in tune with nature that it’s hard to distinguish from it.

All in all this makes for a fascinating and very unusual entry in the “Science of…” league. Firstly it’s a very literary and precise book for such a subject. There’s as much about language as there is about “normal” science, and Gee’s approach has a scholarly care that may seem a little dry to the followers of more straight forward popular science, but that works surprisingly well. After the aspects of language, a lot of space is given to the biology of Middle Earth – where did orcs come from? What is the biology of ents? – all fascinating stuff.

There is one iffy bit of science. Gee suggests that the palantiri, the long distance seeing stones that feature in the book, could be linked by quantum entanglement, allowing instant communication. The trouble is, while quantum entanglement does provide an instant link across any distance, it can only provide the result of a random outcome – it can’t instantly communicate any information (This is mentioned in the notes, but not the main text.) It’s fine to come up with real world scientific solutions to oddities of fiction, but they ought to make sense with science as we know it.

Just occasionally, for instance when Gee was struggling to explain how the One Ring could make people invisible I wanted to shout “What’s the point? It’s just a story!” But that’s not the main reaction to this book. Any Tolkien fan will find fascinating insights into the man and a side of his interests that is wildly underrepresented in what has been written about him. And as an exercise in “Science of…” attached to a work of fiction it’s one of the best around.
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GS
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2015
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I've read Tolkien for decades along with books about Tolkien and his work, I found this to be very disappointing and gave up half way through.
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