The son of J.R.R. Tolkien who edited many of his posthumous works was named Christopher Tolkien.
Christopher Tolkien was born in 1924 and became the principal editor of his father’s unpublished writings. After J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973, Christopher organized, selected, and presented manuscripts that revealed much more of the mythology behind Middle-earth.
His major editorial projects included The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth. These books were not all finished by Tolkien in publication-ready form, so Christopher often had to compare drafts, resolve contradictions, and explain how the texts had changed over decades.
Christopher was also familiar with Middle-earth before becoming its editor. His father read early versions of stories to him, and Christopher served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He lived in France for many years and died there in 2020. His editorial work made a large body of Tolkien’s writings available to the public.