Where does the concept of a book trilogy come from? And in particular, the vast market for fantasy trilogies?
The idea of a trilogy goes as far back as Greek literature
but it found its recent popularity through serendipity.
When JRR Tolkien finished his book The Lord of the Rings, his publisher
had a problem. One look at the vastness of the book Tolkien had written caused Allen
& Unwin to look at a different route to market.
The year was 1954. War rationing was still a thing. And
there was a real problem with publishers being able to source quality paper for
printing. In addition there was a concern with a potential financial loss due
to the high cost of type-setting and the publisher’s calculation of the modest
sales resulting from such an unusual book.
Tolkien actually tried another publisher but in the end
accepted that whatever Allen & Unwin said was better than no book at all.
The publisher suggested splitting the book into three. For
this they had to agree to new titles - something Tolkien was reluctant to do, not least because he saw the book being formed from seven smaller parts.
But Allen & Unwin got their way and the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring went to press in October 1954. The Two Towers followed in 1955 and the
final book, The Return of the King in
1956.
And so was born the modern concept of the fantasy trilogy.
Many have been the acolytes to Tolkien’s work, though in my view none have come
close.
It all happened because of a cautious publisher. And boy did
they get their projections wrong with the modest estimate on sales. To date the
trilogy has sold over 150 million copies, making it one of the top five best-selling
books of all time.
The fantasy trilogy - all because a publisher was reluctant
to fund the costs for one book. Serendipity indeed.
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