J.R.R. Tolkien was a pioneer of worldbuilding, creating immensely rich histories, unique cultures and academically-sound languages to populate his worlds. This extensive attention to detail is most evident in the considerable length of his most popular novels, with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit totaling over five-hundred thousand words combined. Yet, even if one were to read them all, they wouldn't even have truly scratched the surface of Middle-earth's history. That's why the much less known novel, The Silmarillion, is absolutely crucial to Tolkien's literary legacy.

The book's odd-sounding name is actually an in-universe reference, as the "Quenta Silmarillion" translates from Tolkien's Quenya into the English "History of the Silmarils." The Silmarils themselves are three pure jewels that play a similar role to the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings in telling the story of the ancient First Age of Middle-earth. The book maps out the legend of Middle-earth, from the beginning of creation all the way up to the events of Tolkien's mainstream novels in a series of stories that blend myth and poetry.

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At first, Tolkien conceived of the book after he had written and published The Hobbit when his publisher asked for a sequel. He presented the concept, but it was rejected for its obscurity. With his original idea a no-go, Tolkien began writing a different book, which would become the first book in The Lord of the Rings series, The Fellowship of the Ring. The Silmarillion was eventually published in 1977, four years after its author's death.

Lord of the Rings - The White Tree of Gondor

In The Silmarillion, Tolkien explains the universe was originally created by Eru Ilúvatar, the source of all creation, who manifests a group of all-powerful spirits known as the Ainur to help him sing reality into existence. Though most Ainur cooperated, Melkor broke off and began to sing his own song and create discord. When the mortal world known as Arda was finished, many Ainur were allowed to enter it to prepare the world for the arrival of mortal species and govern them.

However, Melkor continued to be a thorn in the others' side by undermining their efforts and recruiting others to his cause. The other Ainur later withdrew from Middle-Earth to live in seclusion in the heavenly land of Valinor. Still, Melkor continued to interfere, especially as elves, dwarves and humans began to populate the continent. Eventually, Melkor invaded Valinor and stole the valuable Silmarils, beginning the War of the Jewels.

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The conflict finally ended with the defeat of Melkor and his banishment into the Void. Though the side of good had prevailed, one of Melkor's top lieutenants, a minor Ainur named Sauron, hid away to plot his own conquest. He goes on to follow in his master's footsteps by creating the Rings of Power and raising an army to take over Middle-earth in the Second Age, which is also detailed in later chapters of The Silmarillion.

Sauron, in his physical form, as shown in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Even such a lengthy description is only a fraction of the content Tolkien packed into his compendium and does not include much of the nuance that makes the writer's stories so fascinating. Though the stories are structured to read like tales and legends from our own world, they pack a level of information that has allowed fans and scholars to compile hundreds, if not thousands of pages on the events, characters and mythos involved.

This is the true value of The Silmarillion - a creation of Tolkien that expands upon everything that has happened outside The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The effort put into the novel's creation spanned an entire lifetime, as Tolkien never actually finished writing all that was intended before he died. Instead, it was eventually completed by his son Christopher. The Silmarillion's mythological nature and complexity may have prevented it from gaining mainstream acceptance, but that could all change very soon.

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The upcoming The Lord of the Rings series on Amazon Prime will be set in the Second Age and therefore coincide directly with the book. The rise and fall of Númenor and the build-up to the War of the Last Alliance -- both found in The Silmarillion's later chapters -- will most likely feature prominently in the show. Fans who want to learn some background information before the first episode airs, or simply enjoy well-written mythology, would do well to give the novel a read.

The original books of Middle-earth wisely incorporate stories from the past into the narrative. But as a direct source of Arda's history, The Silmarillion is unmatched. The Amazon series might be entertaining and depict the Second Age well, but picking up the book is the best way to see Middle-earth as Tolkien truly intended.

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