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
J. R. R. Tolkien Literature, in which post he remained until his retirement in 1959. He served as an external examiner for University College, Dublin, for many years. In 1954 Tolkien received an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland (of which U.C.D. was a constituent college). Tolkien completed "The Lord of the Rings" in 1948, close to a decade after the first sketches. Tolkien also translated the Book of Jonah for the "Jerusalem Bible", which was published in 1966. The Tolkiens had four children: John Francis Reuel Tolkien (17 November 1917 – 22 January 2003), Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien (22 October 1920