The Silmarillion

First published in 1977 after being constructed from J.R.R. Tolkien's notes by his son Christopher, The Silmarillion contains much of the history of Middle-Earth before the events of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. It is perhaps best thought of in terms of a modern history book constructed from several contradictory sources penned by people with agendas and bad filings systems; containing conjecture, racial stereotypes, claims of religious superiority, a lot of things ending in -ism, and the idea that Fingon was Gil-Galad's father. Excluding the foreword, index of names and appendix, the book is divided into five main segments; Ainulindalë, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion, Akallabêth, and Of The Rings Of Power And The Third Age. Warning: contains conlangs and tears unnumbered.