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I want to ask the following question:

What is the dependence between volumes of The History of Middle-earth?

This is a very similar to a question already asked, What to read in History of Middle-earth?. However, that question only asks which volumes are important or skippable, whereas I am interested in knowing what the specific dependencies are between each volumes (and particularly whether volumes 6-9 may be skipped because they don't create dependencies elsewhere).

What should I do? It seems to me that the existing question is less broad than mine, so there is no reason why anyone should say what the other dependencies between volumes are (and indeed, no one has). So it seems a bit bizarre to put a bounty on it and ask for an answer which answers a question which is not the one that was asked.

On the other hand, judging by other examples, I feel it is likely that if I post my question it would be closed as a dupe. So I am not sure what is the best course of action. To post it, to put a bounty on the old one, or what?

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    I'd close that as too broad, rather than dupe. The "dependencies" between each volume are extensive and pretty opinion-based also.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 7:37
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    So your idea is to know how much some late volumes reference the earlier ones? I'm thinking about stuffs like: 'How are "The History of Middle-earth" related to each other?' / "What are the references inbetween each "The History of Middle-earth"?'. Though it still doesn't change that it might still be broad.
    – Clockwork
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 9:29
  • Is it really that broad, though? It's a matter of explaining for each of the 11 volumes what are their prerequisites. It is not really more opinion based than the question I linked to. And while 11 might sound like a lot, it is not really that much; I believe that there are some esteemed questions with much broader scopes
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 11:17
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    What about just asking: Can I skip The History of LotR while reading the volumes of HoMe? Do you think it is okay?
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 11:17
  • @Wade - This is (potentially) a few dozen dependencies between each, times 11 volumes, possibly over 200 individual items. That smells broad as hell to me
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 13:54
  • @Valorum Oh, I don't expect to get an answer detailing what parts exactly of each volume are necessary. Just which preceding volumes are necessary. I expect the answer would be rather simple... Probably something like: "for 2 you need 1; 6-9 need to be read in order, but don't depend on the previous ones; the others may be independently read" or something like this. I'd be surprised if it is more complicated than this.
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 13:59
  • @Wade - I'd downvote an answer like that for being insufficiently detailed.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 16:39
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    @Valorum Then I think I explained my question badly... This is exactly what I am looking for. To know, for each volume of HoMe, which previous volume it is necessary to have read in order to understand it. I imagine most of them don't require having read any of the previous ones, with the exception of 6-8.
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 17:08
  • but that's an opinion. I may not think you should even * begin * to read Lays of Beleriand until reading Lost Tales, 1&2. Someone else may think that's crazy. Prove either position. If you buy the three volume box set, it's less of an issue :) and it's a nice looking product. Tiny print. But nice.
    – NKCampbell
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 21:38
  • @NKCampbell There is already a lot of precedence for "Do I need to read X before Y" type of questions
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 22:25
  • @NKCampbell By the way, why do you say it's a tiny print? I'm pretty sure it's the same size of font. The pagination and page size are the same, aren't they?
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 22:25
  • have you seen the three volume set? the print is much smaller to fit 12 volumes into three imo
    – NKCampbell
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 22:44
  • @NKCampbell I haven't seen it, but I know the number of pages, and page size, is the same, so I assumed the font is the same... Is it not true that the page numbering is the same?
    – Wade
    Commented Sep 1, 2021 at 22:51
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    @Wade - You can skip The History of LotR, but be aware that the last two thirds of volume nine or not part THoLoTR.
    – ibid
    Commented Sep 2, 2021 at 20:40
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    @NKCampbell - As far as I'm aware the print is the same (even keeping the same pagination), but the pages are super thin.
    – ibid
    Commented Sep 2, 2021 at 20:41

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I think a question like this is sufficiently distinct enough from existing questions as to stand on its own, and can be answered. As you have described it here I would vote to leave it open.

I would suggest you just go ahead and post it.

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