/lit/ - Literature

>>20259945
You're a fucking midwit. Of course tales of fairie already existed before. Tolkien is very frank on where he got his inspiration and even his works speak for themselves. (example: Túrin Turambar = Kullervo)
Tolkien did invent the Fantasy Genre as we know it today (in which before had already declined and regarded as infantile; solely for children), as the majority of fantasy books draw from Tolkien; be it in admiration, like Bakker, or in subversion, like George Martin. Indeed others helped in the revitalisation of the genre, like CS Lewis or Michael Moorcock. But none had the same impact as Tolkien.
The Hobbit, which had been published in '37 was already a popular success. Such much so that an equally popular sequel had been made.
>HEAVILY influenced by Wagner
Fucking what?