🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is a highly acclaimed fantasy writer. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Orange Free State, Bloemfontein in South Africa in the year 1892. He is known as the father of high fantasy. He is the one who is credited for the revival of the fantasy genre in 20th century and making it very popular among the readers. The Times magazine has ranked the author among 50 greatest writers since 1945. Two of his most famous books are ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and ‘The Hobbit.’ J.R.R. Tolkien spent his early life in a Birmingham Village called, Sarehole in England where his mother had moved after the death of J.R.R. Tolkien’s father, Arthur Tolkien, who died of rheumatic fever. While in Sarehool, Tolkien was bitten by a baboon spider.
All Book Series by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien's World: Paintings of Middle-Earth
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1992
The Children of Húrin
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2007 Anthology · Christopher Tolkien
The Fall of Númenor: and Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2022
The War Of The Ring
Book 8 of 14 · published 1990 Co-authored · Christopher Tolkien
The Great Tales Of Middle-earth
Latest in the series · book 14 of 14 · published 2018
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo
Book 10 of 11 · published 2021 Co-authored · Christopher Tolkien
The Battle of Maldon
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2023 Co-authored · Peter Grybauskaus
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien
Single-title series · published 1979 Co-authored · Christopher Tolkien
A Middle English Reader and Vocabulary
Series opener · book 1 of 9 · published 1921
Letters from Father Christmas
Book 4 of 9 · published 1976 Co-authored · Baillie Tolkien
The Monsters and the Critics: The Essays of J.R.R. Tolkien
Book 7 of 9 · published 1983
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Insiders' Guide
Book 8 of 9 · published 2002
The Nature of Middle-Earth
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2021 Co-authored · Carl F. Hostetter
Tales Before Narnia: The Roots of Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2008
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is J.R.R. Tolkien?
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is a highly acclaimed fantasy writer. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Orange Free State, Bloemfontein in South Africa in the year 1892. He is known as the father of high fantasy.
Which J.R.R. Tolkien series should I start with?
The best place to start is The Lord of the Rings series, the earliest of J.R.R. Tolkien's multi-book series: it opens with The Hobbit (1937) and runs to 5 books across 1937–1974, ending with Bilbo's Last Song (1974). J.R.R. Tolkien's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has J.R.R. Tolkien written?
J.R.R. Tolkien has 66 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1921 and 2023. 29 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being The History of Middle-Earth series with 14 books — and 37 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should J.R.R. Tolkien's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. J.R.R. Tolkien's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are The Lord of the Rings (1937–1974, 5 books), The History of Middle-Earth (1983–2018, 14 books) and History Of The Lord Of The Rings Collections (1988–1992, 3 books), plus 3 more.
How are J.R.R. Tolkien's books organised into series?
This guide splits J.R.R. Tolkien's 66 books into 6 named series and 37 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The History of Middle-Earth (14 books, 1983–2018); The Lord of the Rings (5 books, 1937–1974); History Of The Lord Of The Rings Collections (3 books, 1988–1992); Middle-Earth Universe (3 books, 1992–1999); Tales of Middle Earth (3 books, 2007–2022), plus 1 further series.