Tolkien’s Legacy: The Hero’s Journey and Literary Nods to Middle-earth

In this episode of Galaxies and Goddesses, we explore the lasting influence of J. R. R. Tolkien on modern fantasy and beyond. From shaping iconic tropes in The Lord of the Rings to inspiring authors like R. F. Kuang and Christopher Paolini, Tolkien’s impact spans generations. We also discuss the Hero's Journey as a timeless storytelling framework and how it plays into the Lord of the Rings. At the end of the episode we announce our next trilogy pick, swinging back into the realm of science fiction with Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.03:43 Spotting Tolkien References05:56 Influence vs Infringement08:57 What Is The Hero’s Journey12:16 Why Tropes Still Work13:56 Travel Inspired by Books14:40 Back to The Hero's Journey16:50 The Circle as a Symbol20:48 Tolkien-esque Names25:51 Tolkien Language Intent28:52 Eragon And Dragon Nostalgia32:05 Next Read Foundation Trilogy33:56 Episode Wrap And TeaserBooks MentionedThe Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienThe Hobbit by J. R. R. TolkienKatabasis by R. F. KuangThe Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Outlander by Diana GabaldonThe Sword of Shannara by Terry BrooksThe Lost Symbol by Dan BrownBrimstone by Callie HartWhen the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. ParkerEragon by Christopher PaoliniFoundation by Isaac AsimovLove chatting about books? Follow Galaxies and Goddesses and leave a review to support the show.