J.R.R. Tolkien Day 2025 is on Friday, January 3, 2025: C.S Lewis vs J.R.R Tolkien?

Friday, January 3, 2025 is J.R.R. Tolkien Day 2025. Strange Horizons Articles: Well-stocked Larders: Food and Diet of ... J. R. R. Tolkien

In terms of pure command of language, plot complexity, and overall technical authorship? Tolkien, hands down.

In terms of enjoyability? That's up to every person to decide for themeslves.

For me, it is a false comparison. They were writing different types of fiction for different purposes. I enjoy them both, but for different reasons. Neither is "better," per se. It's like asking me if chocolate or vanilla ice cream is better. Depends. Some days I want a rich chocolate, other days I want a creamy vanilla. If I'm making a float, I want vanilla; if I'm making a milkshake I prefer chocolate. Neither is "better" as both serve different uses at different times and in different moods.

What are some biography books about J. R. R. Tolkien?

Perhaps it was one of these?

Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings by Lin Carter

Master of Middle-Earth by Paul H Kocher

Tree by Tolkien by Colin Wilson

Tolkien in 20th Century by Anna Bramwell

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter

Tolkien by David Day

J.R.R.Tolkien by Michael White

J.R.R. Tolkien: An Audio Portrait by Brian Sibley

J.R.R.Tolkien: Myth, Morality and Religion by Richard Purtill

J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Imaginary Worlds by Edward Willett

Question about the works of J.R.R Tolkien. ?

If you're only wanting the ancient pre-our world tales, you've got them pretty nailed down with The Silmarillion/Unfinished Tales, Children of Hurin, the Hobbit and LOTR. The History of Middle-earth series by Christopher Tolkien is a working history of how our favourite tomes came to be the way they ended up being (such as Aragorn originally was a boot wearing Hobbit named Stomper). My favourite is The Lost Road, unfinished as it is, it could've been such a fantastic epic tale. Reportedly the result of a bar bet with CS Lewis to come up with time-travel tales, it ties what was then current day England with Numenor. Lewis came up with what would be the Narnia tales.