Jeff LaSala
@jlasala.bsky.social
Writer / Sr. Prod. Editor (Macmillan/Tor) | Husband | Dad | *Mere* Christian | RUSH fan | Gamer | Tolkien nerd | D&D dork | Eberron geek | Raveloft dweeb | WotC novelist/gamer | https://jefflasala.online/
🎶 "Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom! Can you hear him singing?" 🎶
Sorry, folks. This stuff just creeps into my head. I have to get it out. #tolkienchristmas
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom! Can you hear him singing?" 🎶
Sorry, folks. This stuff just creeps into my head. I have to get it out. #tolkienchristmas
December 6, 2025 at 2:38 PM
🎶 "Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom! Can you hear him singing?" 🎶
Sorry, folks. This stuff just creeps into my head. I have to get it out. #tolkienchristmas
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom! Can you hear him singing?" 🎶
Sorry, folks. This stuff just creeps into my head. I have to get it out. #tolkienchristmas
Got any gamebooks? Endless Quest™? Choose Your Own Adventure®?
Adventure Gamebooks
Turn to page 17.
substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Got any gamebooks? Endless Quest™? Choose Your Own Adventure®?
I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but I'm at least trying it out. Substack, I mean. (The free stuff. I don't see doing the paywall stuff.)
substack.com/@jlasala
substack.com/@jlasala
Jeff LaSala | Substack
Writer / Sr. Prod. Editor (Macmillan/Tor) | Husband | Dad | *Mere* Christian | RUSH fan | Gamer | Tolkien nerd | D&D dork | Eberron geek | Raveloft dweeb | WotC novelist/gamer
substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but I'm at least trying it out. Substack, I mean. (The free stuff. I don't see doing the paywall stuff.)
substack.com/@jlasala
substack.com/@jlasala
I wasn't done getting my #Frankenstein thoughts out. But this is a different take, and one not related to a particular adaptation. Or, if anything, it's about ALL of them. Just my little pet theory concerning Frank's appearance and the manner of his creation.
jefflasala.online/2025/11/17/f...
jefflasala.online/2025/11/17/f...
Frankenstein’s Monster Has Not a Stitch On!
With Frankenstein fresh on the brain and in a lot of online media discourse, this seems like as good a time as any to float my pet theory that I’ve never heard anyone else discuss. Maybe it&#…
jefflasala.online
November 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I wasn't done getting my #Frankenstein thoughts out. But this is a different take, and one not related to a particular adaptation. Or, if anything, it's about ALL of them. Just my little pet theory concerning Frank's appearance and the manner of his creation.
jefflasala.online/2025/11/17/f...
jefflasala.online/2025/11/17/f...
I finally got around to writing about this adaptation of one of my favorite books! #Frankenstein
jefflasala.online/2025/11/15/i...
jefflasala.online/2025/11/15/i...
“I expected this reception,” said the daemon. | A short review of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
I admit, I’m a bit surprised at how polarizing Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein seems to be. It’s revealed how many book fans are out there, I guess, which is great. If there was…
jefflasala.online
November 15, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I finally got around to writing about this adaptation of one of my favorite books! #Frankenstein
jefflasala.online/2025/11/15/i...
jefflasala.online/2025/11/15/i...
A short digression based on a single line of text from "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife" from Unfinished Tales.
The Uinendili and Political Branding in Tolkien
Although J.R.R. Tolkien famously disliked allegory, he admitted there is always applicability to be found. Anyone who reads his work with any bit of care or critical thinking can find a thousand ap…
jefflasala.online
November 7, 2025 at 3:52 PM
A short digression based on a single line of text from "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife" from Unfinished Tales.
Keep a close eye out.
October 31, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Keep a close eye out.
Happy #Halloween from #Ravenloft. And with apologies to artist Stephen Fabian, may he rest in peace.
October 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Happy #Halloween from #Ravenloft. And with apologies to artist Stephen Fabian, may he rest in peace.
Be cautious out there this #Halloween, folks. And be whimsical and imaginative, too. #theneverendingstory
October 29, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Be cautious out there this #Halloween, folks. And be whimsical and imaginative, too. #theneverendingstory
Jack wants in on the gift-giving thing.
♪ "And why should they have all the fun? It should belong to anyone! Not anyone, in fact, but him!" ♫
♪ "And why should they have all the fun? It should belong to anyone! Not anyone, in fact, but him!" ♫
October 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Jack wants in on the gift-giving thing.
♪ "And why should they have all the fun? It should belong to anyone! Not anyone, in fact, but him!" ♫
♪ "And why should they have all the fun? It should belong to anyone! Not anyone, in fact, but him!" ♫
That's about right.
October 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
That's about right.
A few of the best monster-themed cartoon panels. Happy Hallowe'en, folks. #halloween
October 15, 2025 at 1:24 PM
A few of the best monster-themed cartoon panels. Happy Hallowe'en, folks. #halloween
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."
October 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."
October 8, 2025 at 4:34 PM
To all this I can only quote the late Professor himself:
♪ "Emotion transmitted
Emotion received
Music in the abstract
Positively
Elemental empathy
A change of synergy
Music making contact
Naturally" ♫
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVze...
♪ "Emotion transmitted
Emotion received
Music in the abstract
Positively
Elemental empathy
A change of synergy
Music making contact
Naturally" ♫
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVze...
October 7, 2025 at 5:52 PM
To all this I can only quote the late Professor himself:
♪ "Emotion transmitted
Emotion received
Music in the abstract
Positively
Elemental empathy
A change of synergy
Music making contact
Naturally" ♫
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVze...
♪ "Emotion transmitted
Emotion received
Music in the abstract
Positively
Elemental empathy
A change of synergy
Music making contact
Naturally" ♫
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVze...
If Queen Berúthiel's cats are sealed in a box with a device that might slay them—according to quantum rules—they are considered both alive and dead simultaneously until the box is opened and observed. I think that's how this goes? Or should this be Tevildo, in sealed halls, with hallowed mithril?
October 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
If Queen Berúthiel's cats are sealed in a box with a device that might slay them—according to quantum rules—they are considered both alive and dead simultaneously until the box is opened and observed. I think that's how this goes? Or should this be Tevildo, in sealed halls, with hallowed mithril?
If you think about Middle-earth at least once a day—or numerous times, all throughout, like me—you should allow the Roving Ranger to keep you informed!
A lot of Tolkien fans have never heard of this all things Tolkienian newsletter - the internet is huge and finding relevant, interesting, and entertaining information is getting more difficult by the day.
Help others find the "Roving Ranger" 🤩
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Here are some reasons why!
Seven reasons to subscribe and support the Roving Ranger
Let's get this newsletter to 1,000 subscribers by Frodo's & Bilbo's Birthday - September 22, 2025.
steady.page
September 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
If you think about Middle-earth at least once a day—or numerous times, all throughout, like me—you should allow the Roving Ranger to keep you informed!
There's a scene from 2000's The 6th Day that I think of sometimes when contemplating some of our real-life villains. (It's a not half-bad Schwarzenegger film with a few interesting things to say, but also riffs/steals a bit from other films in the genre, like Blade Runner and even Total Recall.)
September 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
There's a scene from 2000's The 6th Day that I think of sometimes when contemplating some of our real-life villains. (It's a not half-bad Schwarzenegger film with a few interesting things to say, but also riffs/steals a bit from other films in the genre, like Blade Runner and even Total Recall.)
This cute little hobbit-sized orc is from a desk calendar I bought in the year prior to the release of Fellowship of the Ring. To the best of my knowledge, he never appeared anywhere in the movies. And I was looking. Poor little guy. Moria-orc left on the cutting room floor, I'm pretty sure.
September 10, 2025 at 2:04 PM
This cute little hobbit-sized orc is from a desk calendar I bought in the year prior to the release of Fellowship of the Ring. To the best of my knowledge, he never appeared anywhere in the movies. And I was looking. Poor little guy. Moria-orc left on the cutting room floor, I'm pretty sure.
Who wore it best? (And by "it" I mean the helm and chainmail coif and amor.) Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish by Thor Products . . . or the spriggan from 1983's Monster Manual II? One has the ability to temporarily grow to giant size. The other smells of fresh lemons. #dungeonsanddragons #spriggan
September 9, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Who wore it best? (And by "it" I mean the helm and chainmail coif and amor.) Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish by Thor Products . . . or the spriggan from 1983's Monster Manual II? One has the ability to temporarily grow to giant size. The other smells of fresh lemons. #dungeonsanddragons #spriggan
Fun fact: Even though they both eat rotted flesh and can paralyze you by touch, ghouls and carrion crawlers clearly don’t always get along! At least, not *these* ghouls from 1987.
The more you know!
The more you know!
September 5, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Fun fact: Even though they both eat rotted flesh and can paralyze you by touch, ghouls and carrion crawlers clearly don’t always get along! At least, not *these* ghouls from 1987.
The more you know!
The more you know!
Fly! Fly! Part 2 of my NoName StoryTeller podcast visitation is upon us! Lots of talk of The Silmarillion this time, and Orcs (in and outside of Tolkien)! And a few honest thoughts about The Rings of Power.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
Unlocking Middle-earth: Jeff LaSala on Tolkien, Lore, and The Silmarillion Primer
Podcast Episode · The NoName StoryTeller Podcast · 08/08/2025 · 59m
podcasts.apple.com
August 8, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Fly! Fly! Part 2 of my NoName StoryTeller podcast visitation is upon us! Lots of talk of The Silmarillion this time, and Orcs (in and outside of Tolkien)! And a few honest thoughts about The Rings of Power.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
Narnians unite! Dr. Sørina Higgins—who knows a thing or two (or eighty thousand things) about the Inklings—is conducting a course this fall on everything to do with lions, witches, and wardrobes beyond the lands of Spare Oom! I literally can't think of anyone more qualified.
There's been a lot of chat recently about #Narnia, THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, C.S. Lewis, the upcoming SILVER CHAIR movie, Susan's fate: a perfect time to take my upcoming class!
wyrdhoard.com/lww-class/
#CSLewis #TheInklings #Inklings #LionWitchWardrobe #SilverChair
wyrdhoard.com/lww-class/
#CSLewis #TheInklings #Inklings #LionWitchWardrobe #SilverChair
August 6, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Narnians unite! Dr. Sørina Higgins—who knows a thing or two (or eighty thousand things) about the Inklings—is conducting a course this fall on everything to do with lions, witches, and wardrobes beyond the lands of Spare Oom! I literally can't think of anyone more qualified.
Ah! This just dropped today. Part 1 of 2. It was much fun hopping into the NoName Storyteller Podcast! I talk more about D&D and Eberron and game writing than Tolkien in part 1. creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...
From Dice to Darkwood: Jeff LaSala’s Path to Writing for D&D by The NoName StoryTeller Podcast
Join Aki, Charlie, and Anto as they dive into Jeff LaSala’s epic journey from lifelong Dungeons & Dragons fan to published author for Wizards of the Coast. In this episode, Jeff shares how his passion...
creators.spotify.com
August 1, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Ah! This just dropped today. Part 1 of 2. It was much fun hopping into the NoName Storyteller Podcast! I talk more about D&D and Eberron and game writing than Tolkien in part 1. creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...