Tolkien and Lewis: The Meeting that Shaped 20th-Century Culture
- Both authors lost their mothers during childhood, which influenced their writing.
- Their friendship began with Lewis's initial underwhelming impression of Tolkien.
- The collaboration between Tolkien and Lewis significantly shaped the modern fantasy genre.
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, two pivotal figures in modern fantasy literature, shared a close friendship and professional relationship while teaching at Oxford for two decades. Both men experienced significant personal losses in their childhoods, which shaped their creative expressions. Lewis, who lost his mother at a young age, initially found Tolkien unimpressive, describing him as a 'smooth, pale, fluent little chap.' However, their friendship blossomed, leading to a period of immense creativity for both authors. The graphic novel 'The Mythmakers' by John Hendrix explores this dynamic relationship, emphasizing the creative spark that ignited their works. The collaboration between these two literary giants not only influenced their individual careers but also had a lasting impact on the fantasy genre as a whole, suggesting that their meeting was a pivotal moment in 20th-century pop culture.