What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published Middle-earth story?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published Middle-earth story was The Hobbit.

The Hobbit appeared in 1937 and introduced readers to a setting that Tolkien later expanded into the much larger legendarium of Middle-earth. Its protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is drawn from a quiet life in the Shire into a journey with thirteen Dwarves and the wizard Gandalf. The expedition aims to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from Smaug.

Tolkien had been developing stories, languages, and histories connected with Middle-earth for years before The Hobbit was published. The novel therefore contains links to older mythology, but it was written and presented as a children’s adventure. Its success led Tolkien’s publisher to request a sequel, eventually producing The Lord of the Rings.

The Silmarillion was published later, in 1977, after Tolkien’s death. The Lord of the Rings followed The Hobbit in publication, beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring in 1954.