Inspirations #1: Tolkien’s The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion

My

18th October 2026

I’m going to do a run of blog entries, one or so a month, talking about what has inspired me and shaped my writing. Some will tie into reading, others will be TV and movies, and there will also be music and other things. Strap in, Hobbits, for the first post we’re heading to Middle-earth!

When I was 13, I read The Hobbit for the first time. I promptly read it again. I loved it. It was my gateway to the drug that is fantasy and science fiction. I still love it all today! 

I didn’t find the book myself. It was recommended to me by my fellow thirteen-year-old school friends. Their next recommendation was that I stay back after school on Tuesday afternoons for a few hours and play Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.  Ever after, my heart was lost to fantasy.

The Hobbit:

Of course, this is a well-known novel that has also been adapted to film, so I won’t describe the story to you. Instead, I’ll talk about my reading experience of it and its impact.

I had read fantasy before, but more titles that would be categorised as mythology. Some were from my own interests, or browsing libraries, or grabbing books from the pile my Dad had in his cupboard. But something The Hobbit did for me at that age was open another door, and it was a doorway that led straight into hundreds of titles that would range from pulp fantasy and sci-fi to more sophisticated genre titles, as well as determined veers into gaming novels. It was wonderful!.

But back to The Hobbit. 

The Hobbit is a young adult read, so it was suggested to me at the right time. That also meant I was almost ready to step up from this grand adventure into a more adult read, Tolkien’s epic, The Lord of the Rings. 

The Lord of the Rings:

This was a much heftier read than The Hobbit, and something I revelled in, picking it up not long after reading The Hobbit, even if some of its sophistication went straight over my head like a flight of eagles! But over the years, I have re-read it many times, and as I have matured, I have found its depth, politics, and themes far more engaging than at the first read-through.

My enjoyment of the series, something I am well overdue for a re-read, was only improved almost twenty years ago when I came across a discounted gift set of illustrated hardbacks at a Barnes & Noble store. Reading them with the gorgeous art only adds to the experience. 

Again, I don’t want to waste your time describing the story itself, as it is so well known through the books and films. But I will say that one of the ways it works so well is not as a pulp page-turner, but instead as an epic retelling of world-changing history. 

After my first reading of The Lord of the Rings, I was not ready for The Silmarillion, although I of course gave it a try. It would take another twenty years before I came back to it.

The Silmarillion:

I probably don’t have to tell you that The Silmarillion is a hard read. You’ve most likely heard it before. But, as a compilation of tales from the first few ages of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, many of which could themselves be expanded into their own novels or trilogies, it is worth a go. In fact, if you really want another serving of Middle-earth in a book, then this is the way forward, despite how dry and hard to engage with it can be. The tales of Gondolin, Hurin and the terrible kin-slaying exploits of Elves all make it worth it. 

As hard to read as it is, eventually, I stumbled upon the best way to read it - at least in my opinion. It’s pretty simple.

There are illustrated editions of The Silmarillion, and the artwork is superb. I picked up a hardback gift edition back in 2005 and then read it slowly, tale by tale, having each reading (usually) partnered to a beautiful colour print. This method helped deliver some of the warmth and colour that the text lacks. If you want to give it a go, I’d suggest trying what I did.     

In Summary:

These reads fed my imagination and also helped ground me in storylines that need to make sense. The world-building Tolkien does is foundational for my inspiration and love of fantasy, whether in print, on the screen, or still stuck in my head. The tunnels of the Lonely Mountain and Moria were inspirational, as was soaring with the eagles, walking the trails into Rivendell or looking up at the stars in the Shire. All these things, and many others, have inspired me to not just read but to create my own fantasy and other worlds.

Having written this post, I suspect I should eventually do a partner post on Tolkien’s work as it appears in film and TV. Let me think on that.

Thanks for reading.