As far as I’m concerned, J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the MASTERS when it comes to creating an alternate world and pulling the reader in. (Patricia McKillip would be another.) Dropped by The One Ring today – checking out the casting for the upcoming (well, in 16 months or so) Lord of the Rings movies – can hardly wait! I recognized SOME of the actor’s names, but had to cross reference most of them – such as … I have to say that casting the professor from Sliders as Gimli the dwarf sounds just perfect! *grin* Magneto from the X-Men movie is playing Gandalf, Agent Smith from the Matrix is playing Elrond, Vito Cornelius from Fifth Element is playing Bilbo, and Grima Wormtongue is being played by the actor who played the crazy Beta-Zed (sp?) who was confined to quarters in Star Trek Voyager. Eventually I may even remember the ACTORS real names! *grin*