Sci-Fi History: The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien was under pressure to write an adventure story, so he came up with a sequel to The Hobbit. The work is split in two. The first book begins with Bilbo Baggins’ 111^th birthday and ends with his nephew, Frodo, setting out on an adventure of his own. The second book shows the creation of the fellowship, which sets off to destroy the ring of power. Frodo decides at the end to break the fellowship and heads to Mordor to destroy the ring.

The book’s major theme is the corrupting influence of power. At one point or another, the ring seeks to corrupt those who encounter it. Only Frodo seems somewhat immune and that immunity is continually tested.

The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkein (1937)

The Hobbit is a fantasy novel set before the “Time of Men” and follows Bilbo Baggins’ attempts to win treasure from a dragon. It is the ultimate quest adventure story. At the end, the characters introduced throughout face off in a Battle of Five Armies. The story is about personal growth, heroism, and war. World War I influenced J.R. Tolkien’s work and led to the Lord of the Rings. Few works have been as influential and important. The Hobbit belongs in the same pantheon as Shakespeare or Dickens.