Christopher Tolkien Son of JRR Tolkien Dies Aged 95

From the Tolkien Societies News Release

It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Tolkien’s son and literary executor Christopher Tolkien has died aged 95.


Christopher was born in Leeds, United Kingdom, on 21 November 1924. After a childhood in Oxford, he joined the RAF during the Second World War and was stationed to South Africa. After the war, he finished his studies and became a lecturer in Old and Middle English as well as Old Icelandic at the University of Oxford. After his father’s death in 1973, he became the literary executor of the Tolkien Estate and went on to edit and publish his father’s unpublished material starting with The Silmarillion in 1977 and ending with The Fall of Gondolin in 2018.

Upon hearing the news, Tolkien Society Chair, Shaun Gunner, said:

All of us in the Tolkien Society will share in the sadness at the news of Christopher Tolkien’s death, and we send our condolences to Baillie, Simon, Adam, Rachel and the whole Tolkien family at this difficult time. Christopher’s commitment to his father’s works have seen dozens of publications released, and his own work as an academic in Oxford demonstrates his ability and skill as a scholar. Millions of people around the world will be forever grateful to Christopher for bringing us The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, The History of Middle-earth series and many others. We have lost a titan and he will be sorely missed.

Tolkien scholar Dr Dimitra Fimi reflected on Christopher’s academic contribution:

Tolkien studies would never be what it is today without Christopher Tolkien’s contribution. From editing The Silmarillion to the mammoth task of giving us the History of Middle-earth series, he revealed his father’s grand vision of a rich and complex mythology. He gave us a window into Tolkien’s creative process, and he provided scholarly commentary that enriched our understanding of Middle-earth. He was Middle-earth’s cartographer and first scholar.


The Tolkien Society sends its deepest condolences to the Tolkien family.

Some of the Things That Will be in the Mutant Mix.

Guns and Gear : My FAVORITE topic. I have been an avid shooter, collector, and gunsmith for most of my life. I am not your typical "Gun Nut"!

Food and Drink : Two of humanities greatest blessings are the sense of taste and the sense of smell. We love to have our pallets indulged by delicious foods and our thirst sated by fine beverages.

Philosophy : The key to understanding all other subjects, especially the human condition.

Cars : Fast, Cool, Sporty, Luxurious, or Utilitarian, cars say a lot about the person, a time period, or society.

Music : Music is the pinnacle of human expression.

History : The only true metric of human development, which is being revised and degraded by factions for political gain. History is not clean, pretty, or cut and dry. The only way that humans can advance is to know how prior generations dealt with adversity or to learn from their failings and missed steps.

Religion : It is the right of every human being is to practice their faith unencumbered by others, especially the State. I firmly believe that, but I also believe in the Triune God and the Great Commission. I will tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the path to Salvation, peace, and God's undying love, it will be up to them to accept or reject that message. I am Christian who follows the Orthodox Catholic faith as practiced in the Anglican tradition.

Economic Issues : A free market, unlimited by unnecessary regulation leads to the most successful economies. Though consumer protection from intentionally or maliciously defective or dangerous products is necessary.

Art : This topic has been a hot mess for the better part of a century. I am not what most people consider an art critic, but I will always give you my 2 cents.

Politics : My opinions on all manner of political topics, unadulterated and unapologetic. I owe no allegiance to any political party, PAC, lobby, or politician. Everything and everyone is fair game.

Culture : Take it or leave it, I will let you know where I stand on many aspects of modern media.

Vexillology : Nothing tells the World where you stand like a flag.

Literature : the dying art-form, quickly being driven to extinction by the rise of the Idiocracy.

Science and Engineering : There is real science, great marvels of engineering and then there is the politically weaponized pseudo-science.