Twenty-First-Century TolkienEver since The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien was first published in 1937, the popularity of the vast, imaginative world he created has only increased over time. What is it about Middle Earth and the characters that populate it that has captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world? Today, there is a vast and growing Tolkien industry, including books, films, games, and a highly anticipated forthcoming TV series, which is being billed as