Eddison was an occasional member of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group associated with the University of Oxford, and his early works of high fantasy drew strong praise from J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, both of whom where also members of the group. Later, these early works would also draw praise from Ursula K. Le Guin. Tolkien generally approved Eddison's literary style, but found the underlying philosophy unpleasant and unattractive; while Eddison in turn thought Tolkien's views "soft". Other admirers of Eddison's work included James Stephens, who wrote the introduction to the 1922 edition; James Branch Cabell, who provided a foreword for the 1926 American edition; Robert Silverberg, who described "The Worm Ouroboros" as "the greatest high fantasy of them all"; and Clive Barker.