Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien The works of J. R. R. Tolkien have served as the inspiration to painters, musicians, film-makers and writers, to such an extent that Tolkien is sometimes seen as the "father" of the entire genre of high fantasy. The production of such derivative works is sometimes of doubtful legality, because Tolkien's published works will remain in copyright until 2043. The film, stage and merchandise rights of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are owned by Tolkien Enterprises, while the rights of "The Silmarillion" and other material remain with The J.R.R. Tolkien Estate
Reception of J. R. R. Tolkien Fairy Stories" is of some importance to the literary genres of fantasy or mythopoeia. His 1930 lecture "A Secret Vice" addressed artistic languages at a time when the topic was of very limited visibility compared to the utilitarian projects of auxiliary languages. His 1955 valedictory lecture "English and Welsh" expounds upon his philosophy of language, his notion of native language and his views on linguistic aesthetics (c.f. "cellar door"). Smith (2007) is a monograph on Tolkien's philosophy of language. Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth