Exploring Tolkien

154. Tolkien Wrote the Ultimate Retcon – The Hobbit #38

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Most people haven’t read how Tolkien actually wrote how The Hobbit precisely connects to The Lord of the Rings.  In The Quest of Erebor (first published in Unfinished Tales) Tolkien explains precisely how every major event in The Hobbit is connected to the greater story in The Lord of the Rings. And it’s not only the historical/factual connections–Tolkien clearly connects the philosophical underpinnings of Middle-earth more clearly into The Hobbit too!

We take a look at:

  • The three published versions of the Quest for Erebor—and why the Annotated Hobbit’s is the longest and most complete
  • Gandalf’s “absurd” commitment to Bilbo, and why he pushes for a stealthy quest instead of open war
  • Why Gandalf was concerned about the Hobbits forgetting the  “high and perilous” figures of legend.
  • The crucial role of Smaug as the north’s wild card, and why Gandalf fears a Sauron-Smaug alliance

    • In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

    • How Tolkien could have retconned: stone giants, Beorn’s descendants, Gundabad orcs, and trala-lally elves into The Lord of the Rings
    • How Gandalf’s mysterious “waking mind” connects to fate and agency in Tolkien’s world
    • Listener corrections and deep-dives into Hobbit trivia

      • 🔗 Episode Links

      The History of The Hobbit
      The Annotated Hobbit
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      🔍 If You Like Tolkien

      The History of The Hobbit
      The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
      The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
      The Silmarillion
      The Children of Hurin
      The Atlas of Middle-earth
      Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat

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