For decades, fans have speculated about what could have happened after The Lord of the Rings. Did Middle-earth remain at peace? Were there new threats? As it turns out, J.R.R. Tolkien himself briefly explored a sequel, only to decide it wasn't worth writing.
A Sequel That Was Never Meant to Be
Tolkien's unfinished sequel, The New Shadow, was set 100 years after the fall of Mordor. Initially, he imagined a story involving a dark conspiracy brewing in Gondor, where young men began 'playing at being Orcs', and some grew even more dangerous than Denethor. However, in a 1964 letter (Letter 256), Tolkien dismissed the idea: "I could have written a 'thriller' about the [Satanistic] plot and its discovery and overthrow, but it would have been just that. Not worth doing."
A decade later, in 1972 (shortly before his death), Tolkien revisited the idea in Letter 338, confirming that The New Shadow would have been set 100 years after Aragorn’s death. However, he ultimately abandoned the story, realizing that the world no longer held the same grand conflicts and adventures:
"Then I of course discovered that the King's Peace would contain no tales worth recounting, and his wars would have little interest after the overthrow of Sauron."
Why Tolkien Made the Right Choice
Tolkien understood that his epic had already reached its perfect conclusion — with Aragorn's coronation, the final battle for the Shire, and the Elves departing Middle-earth. A sequel focusing on internal strife and dark cults would have lacked the mythic grandeur of The Lord of the Rings.
While some fans might wish to see how The New Shadow would have played out, Tolkien himself was firm: Middle-earth’s greatest tale had already been told.
