The Romances of William Morris

In the final decade of his life, William Morris pioneered the modern epic fantasy genre through his "prose romances."

Moving away from standard Victorian realism, he authored foundational masterpieces including The House of the Wolfings (1889), The Roots of the Mountains (1889), and The Well at the World's End (1896).

Breaking entirely new literary ground, Morris became the first author to set his narratives in completely invented, secondary worlds rather than a magical version of Earth. His stories blend elements of medieval chivalric romance, heroic adventure, and deep Norse folklore. They typically follow courageous protagonists who leave rural, idyllic communities to cross vast, dangerous landscapes, unite clashing tribes, and battle supernatural or tyrannical forces.To give these original myths the weight of authentic antiquity, Morris deliberately wrote them in a dense, stylized, pseudo-medieval prose. Rich in themes of fellowship, structural freedom, and a profound reverence for the natural world, Morris's prose romances established the structural blueprint, world-building techniques, and heroic archetypes that directly inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.