How JRR Tolkien defined modern fantasy fiction

With 'The Lord of the Rings', the English writer outlined an entire genre for generations

The great English author, JRR Tolkien, was born on Jan 3, 1892.

Although George MacDonald is often considered the creator of modern fantasy, the biggest and most popular influence on the genre is JRR Tolkien, the writer of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. Before the writings of Tolkien, most tales of fantasy were simply that, tales.

These stories included magic and dragons, but rarely explored the worlds of their stories in any particular depth. As such, it was difficult for readers to fully immerse themselves in their universes. Tolkien, however, was particularly invested in laying out the history, culture, and mythology of his creation.

His world of Middle Earth, which features in his three most famous works, remains extremely popular through movies and television today and is a striking act of creation. Incredible locations full of mysteries, legends, and songs fill the vast geographical space, making every inch of the map a cohesive and impressive part of the whole.

Creating, combining, and reinventing the characteristics of Nordic and Greek myths, he populated the world with distinctive and iconic visions of creatures such as Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Hobbits, and Ents, each with their own histories and origins. Many of these creatures are still used, directly or indirectly, in many other fantasy worlds today.

Tolkien was also a polyglot, which meant that he was fluent in both real and fictional languages. He spoke about 15 languages and used to often construct more languages for the different peoples in his stories, adding a fascinatingly complex dimension to his works. At that time, few writers were willing to take such risks in envisioning a world of differing societies, systems of thought, and ways of life.

And we are not alone. Many notable modern fantasy authors, like George RR Martin, Michael Swanwick, and Raymond E Feist have highly praised Tolkien for inspiring them and their works. But his influence is not limited to just fantasy novels.

Films have adapted Tolkien’s works to great success, particularly with Peter Jackson’s trilogy, which is still beloved today and paved the way for the special effects-driven franchise blockbuster. Movies such as Star Wars also borrow notable elements from his stories. Tolkien’s works were massively influential to Dungeons and Dragons, arguably the biggest role-playing game in the world, and has since trickled into all of the things that look to it for inspiration, such as Warhammer. Video games like Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim all owe a great debt to the author’s works too. Even rock bands such as Rush and Led Zeppelin, are avowed fans and have dedicated tracks to Tolkien’s works.

Tolkien’s fantasy worlds are so rich, detailed and enthralling that one can imagine them as an actual reality. His ability to convey these ideas through his stories is the defining aspect of his legacy and is the reason why he continues to be the most influential touchstone in the fantasy genre.

His writing focused on the journey and growth of his heroes, ever-changing landscapes, a dynamic plot that sets the tone and entwines many stories together, magical elements, and fantastical creatures.

The Lord of the Rings, which was released in the 1950s, would later come to characterise ‘high fantasy’, a subgenre of stories that take place in alternative fictional worlds which have rules that differ from our own, but are usually internally consistent. 

Of course, it is the stories themselves that we remember the most clearly. From the charming children’s adventure of The Hobbit to the grand epic of The Lord of the Rings to the cosmic myth of The Silmarillion, they are embedded in our minds and imaginations, expanding them to new horizons as they have with many others.

This article was written for Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication with a focus on culture and society from a youth perspective.