Pramas C. Orc Warfare

Osprey Publishing, 2015. ― 65 p. ― (Open Book).To use the word orc 100 years ago was to invite confusion. There were malicious faeries and spirits from folklore and mythology to be sure, but nothing quite like the orc. It began, as many fantasy staples did, with The Lord of the Rings. J. R. R Tolkien set the template of the orc in modern fantasy. In his tales orcs are twisted, evil creatures - the foot soldiers of dark lords like Morgoth and Sauron. Their numbers seem endless, but they can be cowardly when confronted or when their leaders are slain.
From Tolkien, orcs spread to the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons, where they became pig-faced beastmen. And from thousands of readers and thousands of gamers, orcs spread to countless fantasy worlds. Now orcs are a go-to ingredient of modern fantasy, along with elves and dwarves. They are in books, games, and hugely popular movies. If you say the word orc today, many people will nod along. Yes, orcs, of course. They have become part of our culture.