As Thorin and company finally reach the Lonely Mountain, reality sets in—and it doesn’t smell so pleasant. We examine Tolkien’s skillful prose and worldbuilding as the company confront the desolation left by Smaug and realize they really have no plan–just the map they carry.

We also look at:

• Why are the dwarves so quick to lose hope?
• Is Bilbo the real leader of this quest?
• How do Tolkien’s maps shape the story?
• Dragon desolation: does Smaug’s evil actually change the land?

In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

• Our guilty pleasure reads—what fantasy and sci-fi books do we binge when we’re not in Middle Earth?
• 3D printing, wargaming, and hobbies we nerd out over when we’re not podcasting.

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Images in Episode
The Front Gate – Original
The Front Gate – Colored
The Lonely Mountain – Early Sketch
The Lonely Mountain