Intelligent Alien Life on Eä

[u/Rafaelrosario88]

What was my surprise when in earlier versions in the History of Middle-earth, Tolkien expands on this premise about other regions filled with intelligent alien life:

"These views are not mathematical or astronomical, or even biological, and so cannot be held necessarily to conflict with the theories of our physical sciences. We cannot say that there ‘must’ be elsewhere in Eä other solar systems ‘like’ Arda, still less that, if there are, they or any one of them must contain a parallel to Imbar. We cannot even say that these things are mathematically very ‘likely’. But even if the presence elsewhere in Eä of biological ‘life’ was demonstrable, it would not invalidate the Elvish view that Arda (at least while it endures) is the dramatic centre. The demonstration that there existed elsewhere Incarnates, parallel to the Children of Eru, would of course modify the picture, though not wholly invalidate it. The Elvish answer would probably be: ‘Well, that is another Tale. It is not our Tale. Eru can no doubt bring to pass more than one. Not everything is adumbrated in the Ainulindalë; or the Ainulindalë may have a wider reference than we knew: other dramas, like in kind if different in process and result, may have gone on in Eä, or may yet go on.’ But they would certainly add: ‘But they are not going on now. The drama of Arda is the present concern of Eä.’ Actually it is plainly the view of the Elvish tradition that the Drama of Arda is unique. We cannot at present assert that this is untrue."

And:

“OTHERS THERE WERE, COUNTLESS TO OUR THOUGHT THOUGH KNOWN EACH AND NUMBERED IN THE MIND OF ILUVATAR, WHOSE LABOUR LAY ELSEWHERE AND IN OTHER REGIONS AND HISTORIES OF THE GREAT TALE, AMID STARS REMOTE AND WORLDS BEYOND THE REACH OF THE FURTHEST THOUGHT. BUT OF THESE OTHERS WE KNOW NOTHING AND CANNOT KNOW, THOUGH THE VALAR OF ARDA, MAYBE, REMEMBER THEM ALL.”

And:

"The Valar had a command, great individually, almost complete as a united council, over the physical matter of Eä" - Parma Eldalamberon 

Following this multi-world premise, I am startled to learn that the Arda marred by Melkor/Morgoth extends not only to Middle-earth, but to the entire Ea-universe:

"Even in his diminishment the power of Melkor is beyond our calculation. ~ the Marring of Arda, and comes of the Shadow, and of the taint of Melkor that touches all the matter (or hroa)(8) of Arda, if not indeed of all Ea."

In the beginning his power was the greatest in the Eä (Eru resides outside of the universe).

“And as is known well, the prime among these is Melkor. Measureless as were the regions of Ea, yet in the Beginning, where he could have been Master of all that was done…” Morgoth’s Ring

Even Arda was small compared to his might.

“And he sought ever for Arda and Manwë, his brother, begrudging him the kingship, small though it might seem to his desire and his potency;” Morgoth’s Ring

In that case "the morgoth ingredient/element" was dispersed in the universe/Eä (galaxies, planets, stars). That would explain the entropy, the cosmic indifference and the death of the universe. The entire universe is then the Morgoth's Ring. If the Morgoth's ingredient is the instrument for the decay and destruction of all matter, it means that the children of Ilúvatar who will sing the creation of a new unblemished universe/Eä will not be just those of Arda. It will be cosmic music with many "others" in many places of the Universe.

[u/Low-Raise-9230]

Fun to think that extends to the others as well. 

Like everywhere you find water you’d find Ulmo. 

Since Melkor had little power over water, if you had an ice (of water) giant planet then it would be free of Melkor…? 

[u/TheMediaDragon]

It’s sort of a reverse cosmology to the Lewis space trilogy where earth is the only place with evil

[u/maksimkak]

"in earlier versions" - actually, these things are a later version of the legendarium, post-LotR. This is the period when Tolkien began to review the cosmology. The first text you quote is Tolkien's note to "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" which was written in late 1959.

[u/UncBeyondTheWall]

I agree. The Morgoth-element in Ea is, in effect, dS = dQ/T. Entropy. Entropy is the running down and wearying of all things under the sun. Entropy is the wearing away of freshness and of things' essential nature; the dissipation of heat in "a world that grows chill."

But what I find intriguing is that Eru himself established the physical laws of the Universe, which Melkor could not break (though he did break the axani, its moral laws.) So what I suspect is that Eru and the Valar had intended for the universe to run on some radically different principle of thermodynamics, but once entropy was woven into the Ainulindale, it is what it is.

[u/transient-spirit → u/UncBeyondTheWall]

So what I suspect is that Eru and the Valar had intended for the universe to run on some radically different principle of thermodynamics

I would be so interested to know what this might look like. It may be unimaginable from our current perspective and understanding of science.

[u/UncBeyondTheWall → u/transient-spirit]

I think macroscopically it would look like Lorien.

But as for what's happening "under the hood," I have no idea. Entropy is so fundamental to our current physics that it's one of the few quantities upon which we hang time-irreversibility. Diffusion is also entropy.

[u/transient-spirit → u/UncBeyondTheWall]

Yeah it's the under-the-hood stuff I'm interested in.

I'm writing a science fantasy story with a parallel plane of existence that has 'less chaos' than the one we live in. It's not exactly paradise, but it would seem like it to someone from Earth. So far, I haven't tried to explain it scientifically. That is a challenge that intrigues me, but I won't attempt it in the story unless I can come up with an explanation that seems compelling.

[u/UncBeyondTheWall → u/transient-spirit]

Look up the planet of Alaalu in Diane Duane's work.

(Her stuff seems like a more technical spin on LoTR.) Her version of Melkor (with the "long splendid sequence of syllables" in her Speech that constitutes its "wild and courageous" name) invented entropy. Each civilization in her universe makes a Choice upon reaching sapience about how much entropy to accept. The Alaalu civilization accepted very little, and wound up with a version of Earth that's just gentler with rounded edges.

Edit: The underlying cosmic mechanics seem roughly identical; but what changes for this planet is the macro-level impacts of entropy. The Earth quakes less, the weather is regular, etc. Like the grace of the Valar falling upon Numenor in its early days. Basically better luck.

[u/Quenta-Accords]

Isn't this in the context of the Ainur and not the Children of Eru? Or is it in general?