Order of J.R.R. Tolkien Books
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English author best known for his high fantasy novels including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and others. Aside from being an author, Tolkien was also a poet, university professor and philologist. Due to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, he was able to breathe new life into the fantasy (and more specifically, high fantasy) genre. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have each been adapted into other mediums several times, but the most famous adaptations are the Peter Jackson film adaptations of each. Evidently, his legacy lives on decades after his passing due to movie adaptations of his work and as a major inspiration to any fantasy novelist.
Tolkien had poems published as far back as 1911, but his first novel was The Hobbit, or There and Back Again and was published in 1937. Below is a list of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels and some of his other published works in order of publication and chronological order:
Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings Books
The Hobbit | (1937) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Fellowship of the Ring | (1954) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Two Towers | (1954) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Return of the King | (1955) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Publication Order of Middle-Earth Universe Books
Publication Order of The History of Middle-Earth Books
Publication Order of History Of The Lord Of The Rings Collections
The Return of the Shadow | (1988) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Treason of Isengard | (1989) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The War of the Ring | (1990) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sauron Defeated | (1992) | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Publication Order of Later Silmarillion Collections
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
Publication Order of Picture Books
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Publication Order of Anthologies
Note: The full title of The Hobbit is The Hobbit, or There and Back Again.
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