Lord of the Rings, The

Trilogy by J R R Tolkien, published 1954–55. The three books, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, are set in the mythological world of ‘Middle Earth’, peopled with strange magical creatures, hobbits, and dwarves. It became an international best-seller and achieved cult status in the 1960s. Its success contributed to the growth in popularity of fantasy fiction. The books were adapted for a highly successful series of films (2001, 2002, 2003) directed by New Zealand film director Peter Jackson.