Sam Askew, Campus Carrier managing editor
It is no small feat to come up with an entirely new fantasy world just from one’s own imagination. In fact, many would argue that the practice was extremely rare before 1937 when “The Hobbit” was published by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien’s book and its sequel “The Lord of the Rings” would go on to change the landscape of fantasy as a whole and influence a whole new generation of fantasy writers even today. However, what is it about Tolkien that makes him such an influential figure when it comes to fantasy writing?
To begin with, one would need to trace the origins of fantasy as a genre. Prior to the publication of “The Hobbit,” fantasy existed as fairy tales and mythology. It is also important to note that the word “fantasy” to describe a genre of literature did not exist until the publication of “The Hobbit.” There were stories such as “Alice in Wonderland,” “Peter Pan” and “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” The obvious connection between all of these stories is that they are geared towards children, usually with some lesson or moral to be learned through their reading. They also can be considered escapist literature, in which the story begins in the real world and then transfers into a fantasy world (i.e., Wonderland). Throughout it all, these stories are based in reality that we know and live in.
This all changed in the 1930s – 1950s when Tolkien published “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien’s story was so fundamentally different than the previous “fantasy” stories in that it was not based in reality. Middle-earth was a completely fictional world with its own history, people, cultures and languages. “The Hobbit” was a masterclass in children’s literature as it set a precedent for other stories of the same nature to follow, while “The Lord of the Rings” brought structure and adult themes to a genre previously thought to be only for children.
Scholars divide the timeline of fantasy literature into two categories: pre-Tolkien and post-Tolkien. This is because nearly every fantasy story that was published in the years following the publication of “The Lord of the Rings” was in someway either a carbon-copy of the work or was some form of tribute. Even today, writers who dabble in fantasy have to confront the possibility that their idea may come from some aspect of Tolkien’s work. This can be seen in many of the popular fantasy franchises today such as “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones” and “The Wheel of Time.” All of these fantasy stories have their core roots in Tolkien.
It is also important to note that Tolkien did not necessarily consider himself a writer. Middle-earth sprang from something that one might not have expected. Tolkien was fundamentally a linguist. He knew dozens of languages and was an expert in Old-English. He is quoted as saying that he found the practice of linguistics to be “fun.” In the early 20th century, Tolkien began developing a language of his own. However, he felt that such a language would need a culture or people to speak it. Thus, he came up with the story of the Elves of Middle-earth and gave his new language to them. From there, the entirety of Middle-earth, his life’s work, sprang.
To say that Tolkien was a major influence on fantasy literature would be an understatement. While Tolkien did not invent some of the things in his stories, he gave them structure and solidity that they otherwise did not have. Tolkien’s roots can be traced to Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology, and it is in those stories that he borrowed some central themes and ideas. However, mythology can be a daunting and overwhelming avenue to read. Tolkien modernized many aspects of mythology and made it into a more digestible and pleasant read.