Halflings, Hobbits, Warrows & Weefolk

This collection in honor of J.R.R. Tolkien's 100th birthday in 1992 features stories about heroes who, like Tolkien's hobbits, are small in stature and not heroic in the traditional sense. ``The Eranis Pipe'' by Mickey Zucker Reichert is somewhat formulaic and ``The Twice-Born Bard'' by Michael Williams is a*n uninspired poem, but otherwise the stories are quick and delightful--much like the protagonists. They range from the pure silliness of Craig Shaw Gardner's ``A Fumbling of Fairies'' (with weefolk named Lalalillylololoobaloobashebangshebang and Ramalamadingdong) and R. A. Salvatore's ``A Sparkle for Homer'' (carrying on Tolkien's tradition of hobbits who deplore adventuring) to the graceful wonder and storytelling magic of Jody Lynn Nye's ``Moon Shadows'' and Judith Moffett's ``The Origin of the Hob.'' The most fascinating twist on the legend is Maya Kaathrynsp ok Bohnhoff's ``Hobbits,'' in which a child overlays the hobbit image on an elusive alien--a somewhat shocking ending involves the family cat (tellingly named Troll). Searles is the author of Films of Science Fiction and Fantasy ; Thomsen edits the Questar science fiction line. (Dec.)