‘Lord of the Rings’ Protector Christopher Tolkien Dies at 95

‘Lord of the Rings’ Protector Christopher Tolkien Dies at 95
Actor Sean Astin holds a copy of The Lord of the Rings Visual Companion during a promotional event for the upcoming film of the same name at Brentano's Bookstore in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2001. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

LONDON—Christopher Tolkien, who played a major role protecting the legacy of his father’s “The Lord of the Rings” series, has died. He was 95.

The Tolkien Society and HarperCollins UK confirmed his death but no details were provided.

Tolkien’s life work was closely identified with that of his father, J.R.R. Tolkien. He helped edit and publish much of his father’s writings after the science fiction and fantasy master died in 1973.

According to publisher HarperCollins, Tolkien edited or oversaw the publication of 24 editions of his father’s works. Among the books he worked on were “The Silmarillion,” “The Children Of Hurin,” and other texts that flesh out the complex world his father created.

He also drew the original maps that adorned the trilogy of books released in the 1950s.

Tolkien Society chairman Shaun Gunner said “millions of people around the world will be forever grateful to Christopher for bringing us” so many of his father’s literary works.

The Story of Kullervo
A copy of “The Story of Kullervo” by J.R.R. Tolkien is pictured in London on Aug. 25, 2015. (Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

“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,” he said. “We have lost a titan and he will be sorely missed.”

Born in Leeds, England, on Nov. 21, 1924, Christopher Tolkien grew up in Oxford. According to the Tolkien Society, he would go on to join the Royal Air Force during World War II and was stationed in South Africa.

He was an accomplished academic in his own right, per the Tolkien Society, and was a lecturer at the University of Oxford.

“Tolkien studies would never be what it is today without Christopher Tolkien’s contribution,” scholar Dimitra Fimi said in the Tolkien Society’s statement.

“Christopher was a devoted curator of his father’s work and the timeless and ongoing popularity of the world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is a fitting testimony to the decades he spent bringing Middle-earth to generations of readers,” said Charlie Redmayne, chief executive officer of Haper Collins UK.

“The most charming of men, and a true gentleman, it was an honor and privilege to know and work with him and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

The statement said Christopher Tolkien began helping his father at age 5 by listening to bedtime tales and catching inconsistencies. His father also paid him for each mistake he found in “The Hobbit.”

CNN Wire contributed to this report.

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