In this episode, we explore the life and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, the English philologist widely regarded as the "father" of modern fantasy literature. We trace his origins from his birth in South Africa and the early loss of his parents to his harrowing service in the First World War, where he survived the Battle of the Somme and began drafting the mythology that would become The Silmarillion,,,.

Discover how his lifelong romance with his wife, Edith, inspired the central legend of Beren and Lúthien, and how his deep academic love for language construction—philology—served as the foundation for the elven tongues Quenya and Sindarin,,. We discuss his tenure at Oxford, his close friendship with C.S. Lewis as part of the Inklings, and the accidental success of The Hobbit, which prompted publishers to request the sequel that ...