J.R.R. Tolkien may be best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but his creative legacy extends far beyond hobbits, dwarves, and elves. In fact, there’s a vast treasure trove of stories, poems, and scholarly works by Tolkien that many new readers haven’t explored.
Tolkien’s lesser-known works offer unique insights into his rich imagination and interests–from mythic tales of ancient Middle-earth to charming fairy stories and even translations of medieval epics.
This guide will introduce you to Tolkien’s expanded body of work beyond the famous novels, organized into key categories.
Whether you’re a fantasy fan curious about deeper Middle-earth lore or simply looking for more enchanting tales from the master himself, read on to discover the world of Tolkien beyond The Lord of the Rings.
The Posthumous Middle-earth Saga: The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and More
After The Lord of the Rings (published in the 1950s) became a worldwide success, many readers were unaware that Tolkien had spent decades developing an entire mythology behind those stories–histories of Elves and ancient heroes that were left unpublished at his death in 1973.
Tolkien’s son, Christopher Tolkien, took on the monumental task of editing and publishing many of these writings, giving fans a much broader picture of Middle-earth’s First Age and Second Age.
If you’re eager for more Middle-earth beyond the Third Age of The Hobbit and LOTR, these are the key works to explore:
The Silmarillion (1977)
This is the cornerstone of Tolkien’s mythos, a collection of myths and heroic legends from the creation of the world up through the First Age.
Compiled posthumously by Christopher Tolkien (with assistance from fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay), The Silmarillion reads more like epic mythology than a novel. It recounts the grandeur and tragedy of the Elves: the creation of the two Trees of Valinor, the forging of the Silmarils (three perfect jewels), and the devastating wars against the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. You’ll meet legendary figures like Fëanor, Beren and Lúthien, and Túrin Turambar, whose tales are only hinted at in LOTR.
The Silmarillion even covers the downfall of Númenor and the origins of Sauron and the Rings of Power, bridging into the Second and Third Ages.
Fun fact: Tolkien actually wrote drafts of this mythology long before LOTR, but his publisher in the 1930s found it “too Celtic” and inaccessible, prompting him to write The Hobbit instead!
Reading The Silmarillion can be challenging (its tone is biblical and it’s packed with names) but for those yearning to understand Middle-earth’s deep lore, it’s an immensely rewarding experience.
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth (1980)
As the title suggests, this is a collection of narratives and essays that Tolkien never fully completed in his lifetime.
Edited by Christopher Tolkien, Unfinished Tales (often abbreviated UT) contains everything from expanded legends of the First Age to detailed accounts of events in the Third Age. Notably, many tales here add depth to LOTR and The Hobbit: for example, you can read a fuller version of the tale of Tuor and the fall of Gondolin (a key First Age episode), the story of how Isildur died and the One Ring was lost at the Gladden Fields, and even Gandalf’s own explanation of how he orchestrated Bilbo’s adventure (“The Quest of Erebor”).
Unlike The Silmarillion, these texts aren’t stitched into a continuous narrative. Christopher presents them more or less as J.R.R. Tolkien left them, with commentary noting gaps and variations.
Unfinished Tales is a bit like the behind-the-scenes or “deleted scenes” of Middle-earth. It’s best read after The Silmarillion (and perhaps after the main novels) so you have the background to appreciate the nuances.
But if you’re hungry for more detail–how the Five Wizards (Istari) came to Middle-earth, or the full drama of the Numenórean kings–Unfinished Tales will be a delight.
One cool tidbit: the chapter “The Quest of Erebor” in UT, which tells of Gandalf’s scheming to push Thorin & Company onto their journey, was used by Peter Jackson to enrich the plot of The Hobbit films.
The Children of Húrin (2007)
This is one of Tolkien’s most haunting stories, edited into a standalone novel by Christopher Tolkien. It takes a single tale from the First Age – the tragic saga of Túrin Turambar and his sister Niënor – and presents it in full, cohesive form.
Parts of this story appeared in The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but here we get the expanded narrative as an epic novella, complete with beautiful illustrations by Alan Lee.
Set thousands of years before LOTR, The Children of Húrin reads almost like a grim Game of Thrones-style tragedy within Middle-earth: it follows Túrin, a mortal man under a dreadful curse by Morgoth, as he attempts to fight his doom but is driven by pride and fate to a sorrowful end.
This tale of dragons, curses, and heroic yet flawed men is dark. Tolkien himself noted it was among the darkest of his works.
For new readers, it’s worth noting that The Children of Húrin can actually serve as an entry point into Tolkien’s First Age legends: its narrative is more accessible than the encyclopedic Silmarillion, and it requires no prior knowledge (though the ending packs more punch if you understand its legendary context).
Chronologically it’s one of the “Great Tales” of the First Age (alongside Beren and Lúthien and the Fall of Gondolin), but you can enjoy it on its own as a tragic fantasy novel.
Published in 2007, this was the first new full-length Middle-earth book since 1977’s Silmarillion, and it became a bestseller in its own right.
Beren and Lúthien (2017) and The Fall of Gondolin (2018)
In the 2010s, nearing the end of his life, Christopher Tolkien released these two final volumes, which focus on other major legends from The Silmarillion.
Beren and Lúthien is often considered Tolkien’s most personal and cherished tale, the story of a mortal man (Beren) and an immortal Elf maiden (Lúthien) who undertake a perilous quest to steal a Silmaril jewel from Morgoth’s crown, all for the sake of their love.
The 2017 book Beren and Lúthien presents this tale through multiple versions Tolkien wrote over the years, showing how the story evolved, and includes illustrations by Alan Lee.
Similarly, The Fall of Gondolin (2018) gives a full account of the destruction of the hidden Elven city of Gondolin by Morgoth’s armies–a tale that had been called “the first real story” of Middle-earth, since Tolkien wrote its earliest version in 1917 during WWI.
In the 2018 book we see that story in detail: the rise of the hero Tuor (cousin of Túrin), his journey to the magnificent secret city of Gondolin, and the betrayal and battle that lead to Gondolin’s fiery fall.
These two books, like Children of Húrin, are drawn from material in The Silmarillion but are far more granular, with Christopher providing notes and earlier drafts. They’re a gift for fans who want to linger on these pivotal episodes. (All three – Húrin, Beren & Lúthien, and Gondolin – have been packaged together as The Great Tales of Middle-earth box set, complete with color plates by Alan Lee, effectively completing Christopher Tolkien’s lifelong mission to publish his father’s legendarium.)
Reading Order Tips
If you’ve only read The Hobbit and LOTR so far, you might wonder what to tackle next in Tolkien’s Middle-earth canon. There’s no single “right” answer, but a few approaches exist:
- Many readers choose to proceed in order of publication – i.e. The Silmarillion (1977) first, then Unfinished Tales (1980), followed by the newer standalone tales (The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, The Fall of Gondolin). This publication order roughly corresponds to descending importance: The Silmarillion gives the grand overview, while the later works drill into particular stories.
- On the other hand, some readers find The Silmarillion daunting as a first step beyond LOTR, and instead start with The Children of Húrin for a more novelistic experience–essentially dipping a toe into the First Age via a fast-paced narrative, and then tackling The Silmarillion for the bigger picture.
- Tolkien’s world is flexible. Feel free to explore in the order that most excites you. You can even cherry-pick stories: love elves and romance? Try Beren and Lúthien early; interested in the Ring’s backstory? Read the tale of Isildur in Unfinished Tales, and so on. Each of these works is introduced by Christopher Tolkien with helpful context, so you won’t get lost.
Adaptation Notes
Unlike The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, these posthumous Middle-earth works have not received direct feature-film adaptations – largely due to complex rights issues and their more fragmented, lore-heavy nature. However, elements of them are starting to surface in media.
For instance, Amazon’s TV series The Rings of Power (Season 1 premiered 2022) dramatizes the Second Age of Middle-earth – including the forging of the Rings and the saga of Númenor – storylines that are outlined in The Silmarillion’s later chapters (and in LOTR’s appendices).
Viewers of that show may recognize names like Fëanor, Morgoth, or the island of Númenor, which come straight from The Silmarillion.
Additionally, an anime film, The War of the Rohirrim (2024), is based on the tale of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan found in the appendices of LOTR and expanded upon in Unfinished Tales. It’s set about 250 years before the War of the Ring and brings to life one of those “untold” stories of the Third Age.
These adaptations are a testament to the rich narrative veins in Tolkien’s wider legendarium, even decades later, creators are mining The Silmarillion and other texts for new epics. So if you read these books now, you’ll be ahead of the curve for any future Tolkien-inspired movies or series!
Fairy Tales and Other Fantasies: Tolkien’s Non-Middle-earth Fiction
One might assume Tolkien’s imagination only dwelled in Middle-earth, but in fact he wrote several short stories and novellas completely outside of the LOTR universe.
These works are delightful in their own right–sometimes sweet, sometimes satirical, sometimes surreal–and they show different facets of Tolkien’s storytelling.
Often these stories were written in the 1930s–1960s, either for publication in magazines or as whimsical tales for friends and family. Here are some of the most notable ones, which every Tolkien enthusiast should know about:
“Leaf by Niggle” (written 1938, published 1945)
Perhaps the most allegorical piece Tolkien ever wrote, this is a short story about a humble painter named Niggle who is obsessed with painting the perfect tree, leaf by leaf.
It’s a gentle, dream-like tale that follows Niggle on an unexpected journey that starts in his village and ends… well, somewhere transcendent. Many readers interpret Leaf by Niggle as Tolkien’s self-reflection on art, dedication, and the afterlife–Niggle’s frustrations and ultimate fulfillment echo Tolkien’s own feelings about spending his life on a vast imaginative project.
The story has a Kafka-esque or even spiritual quality (Tolkien later said it symbolized purgatory and sub-creation), yet it can simply be enjoyed as a poignant fable. At about 15 pages, it’s a quick but meaningful read that lingers in the mind. (Trivia: Tolkien wrote this while procrastinating on writing LOTR!)
“Farmer Giles of Ham” (written late 1930s, published 1949)
In stark contrast to Tolkien’s high-mythology, this is a comedic fairy-tale novella. Set in a fictional patch of medieval England, it tells of Farmer Giles, a not-so-heroic farmer who, through sheer luck and bluff, becomes a dragon-slaying hero – much to his own surprise!
The story involves a pompous talking dragon named Chrysophylax, a blustering but cowardly king, and a clever talking dog. Tolkien peppers it with ironic humor and a bit of anachronistic wit (he even includes fake scholarly notes about the “historical” text). Farmer Giles of Ham is lighthearted and satirical, showcasing Tolkien’s playful side. If you enjoy stories like Princess Bride or the humorous parts of Discworld, you’ll likely chuckle at Farmer Giles’s misadventures.
This tale also features illustrations (in some editions) and is often beloved by younger readers for its dragon-centric fun.
“Smith of Wootton Major” (1967)
This was one of the last stories Tolkien published in his lifetime, and it’s a beautiful, bittersweet fairy tale.
It begins with a village cook baking a great cake for the Feast of Good Children, in which is hidden a magical star–a star that ends up swallowed by a boy who grows up to be the Smith. The star gives Smith the ability to wander into Faery, the perilous realm of enchantment, during his life.
Tolkien wrote Smith of Wootton Major as a meditation on the gift of fantasy and its proper place in mortal life. The tone is gentle and mystical rather than funny; it’s about how one person’s visits to Faery both enrich and eventually must be relinquished in ordinary life.
This short story is often seen as Tolkien’s homage to the power of Faerie stories themselves (fittingly, he wrote an extensive commentary on it in his essay “On Fairy-Stories”, which we mention later).
It’s a short read with a long aftertaste–quietly profound beneath its simple narrative. Modern editions include Tolkien’s own notes and an introduction that illuminate the story’s meaning.
“Roverandom” (written 1925, published 1998)
This utterly charming tale has an origin as endearing as the story itself: in 1925, Tolkien’s young son Michael lost his favorite toy dog on a beach vacation, so Tolkien improvised a fantastical story about that toy dog’s adventures to cheer him up.
Thus was born Roverandom, the story of a real dog named Rover who is turned into a tiny toy by a grumpy wizard and then goes on a quest to become a normal dog again. Rover (the dog) ends up traveling to the Moon and under the sea, befriending a moon-dog, a friendly wizard named Psamathos, and encountering sand-serpents and mermaids along the way. It’s a pure children’s adventure tale – innocent, inventive, and at times hilariously random (hence the punny title).
Tolkien originally tried to get Roverandom published in 1937, but it didn’t see print until 1998, decades after his death.
Today you can find it either as a standalone illustrated book or included in Tales from the Perilous Realm. For those who love classic children’s fantasies like Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland, Roverandom is a delightful peek at Tolkien writing in a goofy, whimsical mode. Plus, it features Tolkien’s early attempts at illustrating – the author himself drew some accompanying pictures of Rover on the Moon!
Many of these non-Middle-earth stories are available in convenient compilations. Notably, the collection Tales from the Perilous Realm gathers several of them in one volume.
Depending on the edition, Tales from the Perilous Realm usually includes Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, Roverandom, and the poetry collection The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, as well as the essay On Fairy-Stories. (The 2008 edition illustrated by Alan Lee is a popular one.) It’s an excellent one-stop book to enjoy Tolkien’s shorter works.
You’ll find that these tales, though outside of Middle-earth, still carry Tolkien’s unique “flavor”: a mix of gentle humor, moral resonance, and linguistic playfulness. They’re also much less dense than LOTR or The Silmarillion, making them accessible for a quick afternoon read.
If you loved Tolkien’s world-building, you might be fascinated to see him flex his muscles in other genres – and if you’re someone who thought LOTR was too serious, the likes of Farmer Giles might pleasantly surprise you with its silliness.
Overall, Tolkien’s non-Middle-earth fiction enriches our understanding of him as a writer: he was as much a storyteller for children and for fun as he was the architect of grand epics.
Scholar and Translator: Tolkien’s Academic Legacy
Tolkien was not only a storyteller but also a distinguished academic, a professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at Oxford, a philologist (language scholar), and an expert on medieval literature.
His deep knowledge of languages and myths informed everything he wrote. For readers interested in the roots of Tolkien’s world – the old poems, legends, and linguistic ideas that inspired Middle-earth – delving into his academic work can be incredibly rewarding. It’s also a way to appreciate Tolkien’s intellect on its own terms. Here are a few directions to explore:
Middle-earth in Academia – Essays and Lectures
One of Tolkien’s most famous scholarly contributions is the essay “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”. Originally delivered as a lecture in 1936, this piece had a seismic impact on the study of Beowulf (the Old English epic of a hero who fights the monster Grendel and a dragon).
Tolkien argued passionately that Beowulf should be appreciated as a work of art and literature, not just mined for historical detail, and that the monsters in the story are integral symbols rather than distractions. At the time, this was a revolutionary stance – and it literally changed Beowulf scholarship thereafter (one modern critic called it “the most important article ever written about the poem”).
Reading “The Monsters and the Critics” today (it’s available in the compiled volume The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, 1983) offers a glimpse of Tolkien as a thinker and critic. His love for dragons and myth comes through even in academic prose!
Similarly, Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy-Stories” (1947, originally a 1939 lecture at St. Andrews) is a must-read for anyone curious about his philosophy of fantasy. In On Fairy-Stories, Tolkien examines what fairy tales really are, defends their value for adults, and introduces the term “eucatastrophe” for the “good catastrophe” or joyous turn that true fairy stories have.
This concept of eucatastrophe – the sudden happy ending that gives a glimpse of transcendence – is key to understanding why The Lord of the Rings feels so emotionally powerful at its conclusion. Thus, through his essays, Tolkien essentially lays bare his blueprint for fantasy. They’re scholarly, yet very readable (with moments of dry humor), and are foundational texts in fantasy literature circles.
Translations and Legend Retellings
Given his expertise in medieval languages, it’s no surprise that Tolkien produced acclaimed translations of ancient works–though many were published only after he died. If you’re interested in the medieval stories that inspired parts of Middle-earth, or just want to read more great legends via Tolkien’s pen, consider these:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo (translated by Tolkien, 1975)
These are three Middle English poems from the 14th century, translated into modern English by Tolkien. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a famous Arthurian tale (a knight of Camelot accepts a challenge from a supernatural Green Knight and faces tests of his honor), Pearl is a beautiful allegorical poem of a father mourning his child, and Sir Orfeo is a medieval retelling of the Orpheus myth.
Tolkien’s translations are both scholarly and poetic – he manages to preserve the rhythm and alliteration of the originals while making them accessible to modern readers.
Reading Tolkien’s Sir Gawain is a treat because you can sense his delight in the language; it’s the next best thing to reading the original with a learned guide. (For LOTR fans: the Green Knight’s challenge and the theme of honor might remind you a bit of events in The Silmarillion, and indeed Tolkien’s love of Arthurian romance influenced some of his own stories.)
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary (translated by Tolkien, published 2014)
Tolkien first translated the epic Beowulf from Old English to modern English in 1926 (long before he wrote LOTR), but he never published it. His son finally released it in 2014, and it’s a fascinating read.
Tolkien’s translation is in prose (not verse), and it comes with extensive commentary extracted from his lecture notes on Beowulf. As a result, the book is part story and part insightful annotation – you get Tolkien’s own thoughts on the nuances of Beowulf’s themes, symbolism, and even its monsters.
For example, Tolkien writes vividly about the dragon’s hoard and what it signifies, which resonates with how he’d later portray dragons like Smaug. If you’ve never read Beowulf, this is a great way to experience it through Tolkien’s eyes.
And if you have read it, Tolkien’s commentary will deepen your appreciation. It’s also worth noting that many motifs in Beowulf (the flawed hero, the ancient sword, the dragon fight, the haunted mere) echo into The Lord of the Rings – reading it, you might suddenly recognize “Ah, that’s where Tolkien got this or that idea.” In short, this volume is a scholarly treasure that doubles as epic fantasy – essentially Tolkien performing a masterclass on one of the oldest fantasy epics we have.
Beyond these, Tolkien’s academic oeuvre includes translations of other Middle English works (he co-edited Ancrene Wisse, a guide for anchoresses, and Sir Gawain in the original language), lectures on language like “English and Welsh” and “A Secret Vice” (the latter about invented languages, a hobby very dear to him), and even invented myths of his own in archaic style. For example, “The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún” (2009) is a narrative poem Tolkien composed in the 1930s, reimagining the Norse Volsunga saga (the tale of Sigurd, Brynhild, dragons, and cursed gold) in modern English verse.
Likewise, “The Fall of Arthur” (2013) presents an unfinished alliterative poem Tolkien wrote about King Arthur’s last campaign. These are more for the specialist Tolkien fan – they read like actual medieval texts and were projects of his heart – but they show how Tolkien didn’t just study myths, he sometimes tried his hand at creating myths in the old style.
If you’re intrigued by how Tolkien’s scholarly pursuits intersect with his fiction, you might also dip into The History of Middle-earth series (12 volumes edited by Christopher Tolkien between 1983–1996). That series is a very in-depth publication of Tolkien’s drafts and world-building documents, from early versions of The Silmarillion up through alternate scenes of LOTR. It’s truly a textual history of Middle-earth’s creation.
While History of Middle-earth is too dense for most casual readers, it exists thanks to the strong interest sparked by works like Unfinished Tales, which proved that Tolkien’s “background” writings had an eager audience. In summary, exploring Tolkien’s academic and translation work can greatly enhance your appreciation of his legendarium – you begin to see how his love of language, mythology, and epic literature fertilized the ground from which Middle-earth grew.
Illustrated Letters and Children’s Stories
Tolkien’s talents were not limited to writing long novels or scholarly essays. He was also an amateur artist and a devoted father who created charming illustrated works for his children.
Two of the most delightful examples of these are The Father Christmas Letters and Mr. Bliss. These books offer a cozy, intimate look at Tolkien’s imaginative play, quite apart from Middle-earth (though you might spot a few subtle connections!). They’re perfect for reading with family or for enjoying the lighter side of Tolkien’s creativity.
Letters from Father Christmas (also published as The Father Christmas Letters, 1976)
Imagine if your dad was not only a master storyteller but also pretended to be Father Christmas for you every year. That’s exactly what J.R.R. Tolkien did for his children.
Starting in 1920 when his eldest son was three, Tolkien began writing annual letters “from” Father Christmas and sneaking them into the household around Christmas time. He kept this up for 23 years (!), crafting an entire series of letters complete with hand-drawn illustrations, funny shaky handwriting (as Father Christmas aged), and even “North Pole stamps.”
These letters tell an ongoing whimsical saga of life at the North Pole: Father Christmas lives in a cliff house with his friend the North Polar Bear, who is lovable but causes endless accidents – like breaking the North Pole and dropping gifts on Father Christmas’s head, or accidentally setting off fireworks that cause the Northern Lights.
Later letters introduce an elf secretary, Ilbereth, and describe battles against goblin invaders from the caves beneath the North Pole (yes, Father Christmas fights goblins – with the help of Polar Bear and some gnomes!). Tolkien ingeniously wove in references to real historical events too – for instance, the 1941 letter mentions Father Christmas’s worries during World War II, subtly reflected in goblin conflicts.
The letters are by turns hilarious, heartwarming, and thrilling, and they came with gorgeous colored drawings of Father Christmas’s adventures.
Originally a private family treasure, these letters were finally collected and published in 1976, three years after Tolkien’s death, edited by Baillie Tolkien (Christopher’s wife).
Today, Letters from Father Christmas is a beloved book for many families – a testament to Tolkien’s inventiveness outside Middle-earth. It’s also a visual feast since it reproduces Tolkien’s own art (you’ll see his skill in drawing snowy landscapes, Christmas trees, and playful bears).
While reading these letters, you can’t help but feel the magical joy that Professor Tolkien brought to his own children – and appreciate that the man who wrote about Middle-earth’s dark struggles could also write in the jolly voice of Father Christmas chuckling “ho, ho, ho” and complaining about his rheumatism!
If you’re a fan of Tolkien’s goblins and elves, you’ll find it delightful that even in this innocent context he couldn’t resist adding a dash of Middle-earthian flavor (goblins, after all, are goblins everywhere). And if you love Christmas stories, this collection stands out as something truly special. (Note: various editions exist – some include more of the drawings in color. It makes a great December read.)
Mr. Bliss (written ~1930s, published 1982)
Long before Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride or Mr. Bean, there was Mr. Bliss – the hapless hero of Tolkien’s most whimsical picture-book.
Mr. Bliss is an eccentric fellow who one day buys a bright yellow motor-car (automobile), despite never having driven before, and proceeds to take it on a disastrous journey around the countryside.
What follows is a series of comic mishaps: Mr. Bliss immediately crashes into his neighbors’ carts (spilling cabbages and bananas everywhere), gives the neighbors a lift to apologize, then encounters three enormous bears on the road (based on toy bears owned by Tolkien’s kids) who join the adventure and cause even more chaos. There’s also an incident with angry townsfolk and a massive picnic gone wrong. It’s all very absurd in the best way.
Tolkien wrote and illustrated Mr. Bliss presumably in the early 1930s for his own children’s amusement – the illustrations are in a naïve, colorful style, and the text actually comments on the pictures (with narration like, “(You can see what happened in the picture.)”).
The story wasn’t published until 1982, but when it was, the publishers took care to include Tolkien’s original handwritten pages and drawings: many editions present the facsimile of Tolkien’s manuscript on one page and a typed transcription on the facing page.
This makes reading Mr. Bliss a unique experience, almost like reading Tolkien’s notebook or a personal comic strip. As a tale, it’s very much aimed at children – full of silly occurrences, talking animals, and a gentle sense of “oops, there goes Mr. Bliss again!”
There’s no deep moral or fantasy lore; it’s closer to a slapstick story. But for fans, Mr. Bliss is precious because it shows Tolkien having fun. You also see his love of vehicles (or perhaps his lack of skill with them – he owned his first car around 1932 and had a few fender-benders, which inspired this story’s beginning!).
If you have young kids or just want to indulge the child in you, Mr. Bliss is a quick, cheerful read. And if you’re an art aficionado, it’s a chance to see Tolkien’s illustration talent on full display – something we mostly only glimpse in his Middle-earth maps and a few drawings in The Hobbit. In Mr. Bliss, every page is a canvas of Tolkien’s doodles and vibrant colors.
Both Letters from Father Christmas and Mr. Bliss are wonderful reminders that Tolkien was not only the master of epic fantasy but also a father with a playful imagination. These works might not be as widely read as The Lord of the Rings, but they have a special charm. They transport you to warm, homely worlds – a North Pole where Father Christmas rants about household mishaps, or an English village where a motor-car’s horn can summon bears to a picnic.
In recent years, while there haven’t been major screen adaptations of these (no Father Christmas Netflix series, fear not), they often get revived in other ways: e.g. stage performances of Leaf by Niggle have been done, and around Christmas time you might find public readings or radio dramatizations of the Father Christmas letters.
They are a testament to Tolkien’s range as a writer and artist. If you only know him through Middle-earth, reading these will round out your picture of the man: you’ll see the humor, the kindness, and the whimsy that balanced the high sagas and deep scholarship.
Exploring Tolkien’s lesser-known works can feel like a grand adventure of its own. You’ll travel from the dawn of Middle-earth in The Silmarillion, to the cozy parlor of a Niggle’s cottage, to the raucous roads with Mr. Bliss, to the halls of academic debate over Beowulf.
Each work is a new facet of Tolkien’s genius – and together, they show that Tolkien was far more than the author of a famous trilogy. He was a mythmaker, a poet, a scholar, a painter of fairy tales, and even a pretend wizard of the North Pole.
For fantasy readers who have grown up on modern series, diving into these works is also a way to trace the genealogy of fantasy: you’ll recognize tropes and ideas that influenced countless authors, but in their pure Tolkienian form. And you might be surprised at how accessible and enjoyable many of these writings are.
So, whether you choose to read the epic tragedies of The First Age, Tolkien’s charming fairy tales, or his insightful translations and essays, you’re in for a treat. As Tolkien wrote in one of his poems: “Roads go ever ever on.”
The road beyond The Lord of the Rings is a rewarding one – and now you have a map to follow. Happy reading, and Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo – “a star shines on the hour of our meeting” (as you meet Tolkien in these new works)!
D.P. Martinez is a contemporary fantasy author specialising in urban fantasy and magical realism. He holds an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Greenwich, where he focused on Literary London. His research explored metaphorical representations of London in urban fantasy. He has written hundreds of articles and several books across both fiction and non-fiction.