Tolkien's impact on fantasy
Although fantasy had long existed in various forms around the world before his time, J. R. R. Tolkien has been called the "father of fantasy", and The Lord of the Rings its centre. That novel, published in 1954–1955, enormously influenced fantasy writing, establishing in particular the form of high or epic fantasy, set in a secondary or fantasy world in an act of mythopoeia.
Source: Wikipedia — Tolkien's impact on fantasy (CC BY-SA 4.0)