It is a truly devastating day for the world of fantasy. Christopher Tolkien, son of J.R.R. Tolkien, has passed away at the age of 95.
The news comes from Varmatin, which confirms that Christopher passed away on Thursday, January 16. The former author and editor was previously brought to the Centre Hospitalier de la Dracénie (CHD) for health problems.
He was born Christopher John Reuel Tolkien on November 21, 1924, and is the second son of the Lord of the Rings author.
Christopher is known to Lord of the Rings fans as the artist behind the maps in the novels. He also edited most of his father's posthumously published works like The Silmarillion, The History of Middle-Earth, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún, and The Fall of Gondolin.
Christopher previously made news for his distaste for the Lord of the Rings films directed by Peter Jackson. He famously claimed that the movies were not true to their source. "They gutted the book, making an action film for 15 to 25-year-olds," he reportedly said.
As chairman of the Tolkien Estate, he would later commence legal proceedings against New Line Cinema, alleging that the studio owed his family for unpaid royalties. Luckily, they had an undisclosed settlement that freed up Jackson and New Line Cinema to produce the films based on The Hobbit.
Our deepest condolences to Christopher's family. As Gandalf once said, "I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil."
Related: Amazon Announces The Lord of the Rings Series Cast
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