J.R.R. Tolkien's 1954–55 three-volume epic — set in Middle-earth — following the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring — the foundational text of the high fantasy genre and the best-selling novel of the 20th century (150M copies).
Creates the high fantasy genre — The Lord of the Rings establishes every element that subsequent high fantasy replicates: invented languages, detailed maps, deep mythology, the quest structure, dark lord antagonist, fellowship of diverse races, moral clarity about good and evil, and the invented world as primary imaginative object.
No recorded contemporaries.
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