For Tolkien fans, these books are more valuable than dragon gold. Many of them are not light reading, but together they give a remarkable insight into Tolkien’s world.
The books on this page are divided into three sections. First are Tolkien’s works of short fiction, including the Unfinished Tales of Middle-Earth and his other published stories such as “Farmer Giles of Ham,” “Smith of Wooten Major,” and my favorite, “Leaf by Niggle.” Next come Tolkien’s scholarly translations of some of his favorite works of medieval literature, featuring his verse translation of Sigurd and Gudrún , which has just been published for the first time in 2009 by his son Christopher Tolkien. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find an edition of Tolkien’s letters and the staggering, twelve-volume History of Middle-Earth series, a monumental work of scholarship in which Christopher Tolkien walks the reader through Tolkien’s manuscripts and traces the evolution of the Middle-Earth stories from teenage scribbling through published manuscript and beyond.
The Monsters and the Critics
I would draw your attention first, however, to this book, The Monsters and the Critics. This is where you can find Tolkien’s cornerstone essay, “On Fairy-Stories,” which I discuss in the Intro Lecture.
Unfinished Tales
Previously unpublished stories and essays about Middle-Earth and Numenor.
Tales from the Perilous Realm
An excellent edition of Tolkien’s short stories.
Fantasy Tales Boxed Set
This is a nifty collection, including The Silmarillion, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Unfinished Tales, and the hard-to-find Tolkien Reader.
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
This previously unpublished translation of a Norse poem has just been released in 2009. The newest Tolkien book!
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,
Pearl, and Sir Orfeo
Tolkien’s translations of these classic Middle-English poems.
Sigurd and Gudrún Audio
A Tolkien Professor favorite for long car rides.
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
A wonderful resource. Read Tolkien’s own explanations of his works.
The History of the Hobbit
(John Rateliff, ed.) The making of The Hobbit.
The History of Middle-Earth, Volumes 1-5
(Christopher Tolkien, ed.) Follow the development of Tolkien’s stories from his earliest writings onward, assisted by Christopher Tolkien’s commentary. These volumes are also listed separately below.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part I
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 1 – very early versions of The Silmarillion stories.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part II
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 2 – The rest of the early Silmarillion stories.
The Lays of Beleriand
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 3 – Poetic versions of the Luthien and Turin stories.
The Shaping of Middle-Earth
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 4 – Maps, annals, and the first “Silmarillion.”
The Lost Road
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 5 – The Fall of Numenor, plus more Silmarillion revisions.
The Return of the Shadow
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 6 – Step-by-step look at the development of LOTR.
The Treason of Isengard
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7 – Part two of the in-depth history of the LOTR.
The War of the Ring
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 8 – Part three of the history of the LOTR.
Sauron Defeated
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 9 – An unpublished epilogue to LOTR, and the Notion Club papers.
Morgoth’s Ring
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 10 – Tolkien returns to the First Age, post-LOTR.
The War of the Jewels
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 11 – Tolkien’s last work on the Silmarillion stories.
The Peoples of Middle-Earth
The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 12 – Writings that became the LOTR appendices.
Heard