A focused analytical and investigative study of the game The Lord of the Rings Online from a range of cultural and design perspectives written by well-known experts in their fields. The essays collected here make an important contribution to the development of contemporary Game Studies, as well as to Media Studies and Adaptation Studies.

Justin Parsler is a Lecturer in Games Studies at Brunel University and a professional game designer.. Dr Esther MacCallum-Stewart is a Lecturer in Games Studies and New Media at the University of Chichester, and a Research Fellow at SMARTlab, The University of East London.. Tanya Krzywinska is a Professor in Screen Studies at Brunel University.

List of figures
List of contributors
Introduction: Ringbearers
1. Following in the Footsteps of Fellowship: A Tale of There and Back Again text/translation/tolkienisation . Douglas Brown & Tanya Krzywinska
2. When Fans become Players: LOTRO in a transmedial world perspective. Lisbeth Klastrup & Susana Tosca
3. The Place of Role-playing in MMORPGs. Esther MacCallum-Stewart
4. Narrative Generation in The Lord of the Rings Online. Gordon Calleja
5. From the Demonic Tradition to Art-Evil in Digital Games: Monstrous Pleasures in Lord of the Rings Online. Frans Mäyrä
6. Crafting in The Lord of the Rings Online. Justin Parsler
7. Unrealistic Expectations. Richard A. Bartle
Index