When did it become apparent that The Lord of the Rings would completely shape the fantasy genre? Was this known within Tolkien's lifetime?

by Nowhere_Man_Forever

It seems like almost all of modern fantasy(at least in the mainstream) is based in some way off of the world of Tolkien, with his conception of elves amd orcs and such. Was this massive influence on the genre known within his lifetime?

Searocksandtrees

while you may get responses here, this question might be a better fit for /r/AskLiteraryStudies