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

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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🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
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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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