We're Going to Cover That In Phase 2

The first new book in almost 30 years by J.R.R. Tolkien (since 1977’s Silmarillion) has been published and as George put it, “It’s like he’s Tupac!” I mean, Tolkien passed away in 1973 and while the Silmarillion was published posthumously, it was only 4 years after his death. Now comes The Children of Hurin, almost 35 years after died! Tupac indeed. Why it took his son this long to edit and publish it, I’ll never know. I hope against all hope that it’s not because it kind of sucks and Christopher just needs money.
Here is brief blurb courtesy of Barnes & Noble:

The book was completed by his son, Christopher Tolkien, and illustrated by renowned artist Alan Lee. The Children of Húrin takes readers to an area of Middle-earth that was to be drowned before Hobbits ever appeared, at a time when the great enemies were still the fallen Vala, Morgoth, and Sauren.
This is the epic tale of Húrin (the man who defied Morgoth’s force of evil), his family’s destiny, and his son Turin Turambar’s travails through the lost world of Beleriand. Fans will be reunited with Elves and Men, Dragons and Dwarves, and Eagles and Orcs in this stirring tale.

Um, I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK!!!
Here is a pic of the book:

CNN is reporting that “Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on “The Children of Hurin,” an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of “The Children of Hurin,” which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and other works, have been published before.”
More stories with Gimli? I hope so….dwarves rock!
Via Slashdot
Unfinished Tolkien work to be published in ’07 from the AP:
NEW YORK (AP) — An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.
Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on “The Children of Hurin,” an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of “The Children of Hurin,” which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and other works, have been published before.
“It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father’s long version of the legend of the ‘Children of Hurin’ as an independent work, between its own covers,” Christopher Tolkien said in a statement.
The new book will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the United States and HarperCollins in England.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings Trilogy” has sold more than 50 million copies and was also adapted into a blockbuster, Academy Award-winning trio of films. A stage version is scheduled to open next year.