J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Who Invented Modern Fantasy

In our launch episode, filmmaker Dawson DeGraaf and his longtime friend, musician Sebastian Ellis, dive into how J.R.R. Tolkien — the Oxford professor behind The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings — reshaped storytelling forever. From invented languages and epic maps to his mythology of Middle-earth, Tolkien laid the foundation for modern fantasy and inspired everything from Game of Thrones to Harry Potter.

This isn’t just a story about dragons or elves — it’s about how one quiet professor’s obsession with myth became a global phenomenon. Dawson and Sebastian reflect on the ways Tolkien’s work shaped their own creative journeys, and why his legacy still fuels artists today.

He didn’t set out to start a revolution… but Tolkien’s world-building changed literature, film, and culture for generations.

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🎙 Credits
Host: Dawson DeGraaf
Co-Host/Contributor: Sebastian Ellis
Producer & Creative Director: Michele Mauviel
A Piperlime Productions Original

✨ Thanks for joining us on our launch episode. Your listens, follows, and reviews help bring this project to life!