In December 1937 The Hobbit's publisher, Stanley Unwin, asked Tolkien for a sequel. In response Tolkien provided drafts for The Silmarillion, but the editors rejected them, believing that the public w ..... anted "more about hobbits".[112] Tolkien subsequently began work on The New Hobbit, which would eventually become The Lord of the Rings,[112] a course that would not only change the context of the original story, but lead to substantial changes to the character of Gollum. Read More