J. R. R. Tolkien
The request for a sequel prompted Tolkien to begin what would become his most famous work: the epic novel "The Lord of the Rings" (originally published in three volumes 1954–1955). Tolkien spent more than ten years writing the primary narrative and appendices for "The Lord of the Rings", during which time he received the constant support of the Inklings, in particular his closest friend C. S. Lewis, the author of "The Chronicles of Narnia". Both "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are set against the background of "The Silmarillion", but in a time long after it.
British literature
A major work of science fiction, from the early 20th century, is "A Voyage to Arcturus" by Scottish writer David Lindsay, first published in 1920, and was a central influence on C. S. Lewis's "Space Trilogy".
From the early 1930s to late 1940s, an informal literary discussion group associated with the English faculty at the University of Oxford were "The Inklings". Its leading members were the major fantasy novelists; J. R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Lewis is known for "The Screwtape Letters" (1942), "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Space Trilogy", while Tolkien is best known as the author of "The Hobbit" (1937), "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion".