J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977 and describes the creation and early history of Middle-earth. Tolkien died in 1973, so his son Christopher Tolkien edited the material for publication.
The book begins with the Ainulindalë, a creation account involving Eru Ilúvatar and the Ainur. It then covers the shaping of Arda, the history of the Valar, the awakening of the Elves, and the wars of the First Age. Its central legends include the creation of the Silmarils and the conflict with Morgoth.
The Silmarillion is not a conventional single narrative novel. It combines mythic accounts, annals, genealogies, and related stories drawn from decades of Tolkien’s writing. Unfinished Tales, published in 1980, contains additional material but was not the 1977 work that presents the broad creation story.