<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The Book of Lost Tales is a collection of early stories by English writer J.R.R. Tolkien, published as the first two volumes of Christopher Tolkien's 12 - volume series The History of Middle - earth, in which he presents and analyzes the manuscripts of those stories, which were the earliest form of the complex fictional myths that would eventually comprise The Silmarillion . Each of the Tales is followed by notes and a detailed commentary by Christopher Tolkien . </P> <P> For publication the book was split into two volumes: The Book of Lost Tales 1 (1983) and The Book of Lost Tales 2 (1984), but this is simply an editorial division . Both volumes are separated into several "Lost Tales". </P>

What is the book of lost tales about