The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977 as an edited collection of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth stories. Tolkien died in 1973, and the book was prepared for publication by his son Christopher Tolkien.
The work presents the mythology and history of Arda from its creation through the First Age and beyond. Its sections include the Ainulindalë, the Valaquenta, the Quenta Silmarillion, the Akallabêth, and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age. The central First Age stories concern the Silmarils and the conflicts among Morgoth, the Elves, and the Edain.
The Silmarillion is not a conventional novel with one continuous narrative. It combines different kinds of Tolkien writing, including mythic accounts, historical summaries, and fuller legends. Christopher Tolkien edited and arranged the material, sometimes combining versions written at different times. Later publications such as Unfinished Tales preserve additional texts and variant traditions.