Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics most important article ever written about the poem. Scholars of Anglo-Saxon agree that the work was influential, transforming the study of "Beowulf". J. R. R. Tolkien's essay ""Beowulf": The Monsters and the Critics", initially delivered as a lecture in 1936, is regarded as a formative work in modern "Beowulf" studies. In it, Tolkien speaks against critics who play down the monsters in the poem, namely Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, in favour of using "Beowulf" solely as a source for Anglo-Saxon history. Tolkien argues that rather than being merely extraneous, these elements are key to the narrative and should
Saga of the Shadow Lord Stephen Bourne with cover art by Keith Parkinson. The module features interior art by Mark Nelson. The scenario was written for the "Expert Rules", for levels 5-9. The module comes as a 64-page booklet wrapped in a three-section wraparound cover. It also includes maps along with monster and NPC statistics on the inside cover. The middle eight pages contain more maps, as well as eight pre-generated player characters. Graeme Davis reviewed "Saga of the Shadow Lord" for "White Dwarf" #89. He stated that the "Elvenstar" adventure was designed in an old-fashioned style, with a series of fixed but random-seeming encounters