The Odyssey's getting on for 3000 years old and the Epic of Gilgamesh is even older than that, so it could happen. The big question is whether there'll be anyone around to read them.

Perhaps we should build a pyramid and engrave the Lord of the Rings in a big central chamber, well it worked for the Egyptians [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Hm. Presuming that humanity will exist on earth in 3 millenia, we still have to ask what turns civilization will take between now and then. Optimists might say that earth will be a garden utopia ecquipped with a perfect system of justice, while pesimists could say that we will be reduced back to primative villages and means of subsistence because of raging global conflicts. Of course, this all seems very unrealistic right now: radical views of possibilities that will surely never become reality. Human shortsightedness gives us far-fetched suppositions. The ideal (for the book itself) will be that it will be considered as mythology, and that newspeak translations will be sold in bookstores, or kept in the libraries of village elders. This is all quite ridiculous, though. I really doubt that it will be remembered at all in 5003, or if it is, it will be as well known as Caedmon's poem.

The truth is that Tolkien did not further society, nor did he make any technological developments. He was good in his field, but his field is relatively unconsidered by the modern public. In fact, I recently gave an improvisational speech on philology, and I'm sure that the majority of my audience did not even know what the subject was until I began to discuss it. No one will remember Tolkien in the far reaches of the future, just as surely as the fact that the future will not remember most of us. Perhaps he will continue for a few generations, but all things must end, and I'm sure that Middle-Earth is no exception to the rule.

Iarwain

[ July 08, 2003: Message edited by: Iarwain ]

I think that if people and books are still around then, which is assuming an awful lot, LOTR will still be popular. Critics have been saying ever since LOTR was published that it is just a faze and it will die out. Well guesse what? It is now stronger than ever. I agree that it will not be as popular as it is today, but it will be about as popular as it was before the movies came out. The themes and characters are timeless and universal. I think that the things that make LOTR popular in the first place will still be there in 3000 years. People will always be able to relate to war, technology, little people, mountains and the sea.

Thank you all SO MUCH for posting on my thread and putting your opinions down!
I love you all! I'm giving everyone a Pocky!
If you don't know what Pocky is: Its, or rather They are bread sticks dipped in flavored "icing" like stuff. There are different flavors such as strawberry and chocolate. Yummy!
Ja ne!
Namarié!
From
Elróthiel, the Elven Goddess of Hilariosity and Laughter!

Heh. I can just see archaeologists excavating a site and finding a computer and a copy of The Lord of the Rings.

'These ancient people seemed to be believers of some sort of demigod called "Tohl-kinn". They were a scattered people, but many communicated with others of their kind over large distances using a primitive device called the "ihn-tur-net", meeting at "wehb-saetes". One of these meeting places was a community called "Thuh Bair-roh Dohwnz", rulled by a fearsome king ("Thuh Bair-roh Waete") with unusual powers over said meeting place. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] What is especially intriguing about this community is that they seemed to think they were all dead. Another community of "Tohl-kinn-ists" (the name the followers of "Tohl-kinn" gave to themselves) thought they were all tornadoes. We are not yet sure if these people were under some form of hallucinative drug when meeting.' [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Nice one TaliesinWest!
The computer would be on, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by the Legendary Nirvana would be playing on Windows Media Player in a loop, and there would be lots of random drawings scattered around the table.
The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales would be in there as well!! With a list of names.
The list would be all my favorite characters, but they wouldn't know that!

Anyhoo, maybe everyone will be pirates in the future, and one day, they find a chest, and inside is not gold, but a copy of LotR, the Silm, and Unfinished Tales. With a wireless laptop with Internet! Nehawahaa!
From
Elróthiel, the Insane Elven Goddess of Hilariosity and Laughter Who Sees the Corruption of the World Today!

Good, idea, Iarwain, comparing Professor Tolkien to Caedmon. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I think that whatever the state of humanity may be in 3000 years, Tolkien's work will be obscure, although there is a chance that it could be remembered and studied as an epic just as the Odyssey and the Iliad are today.

I have also considered how wonderful it would be for a future race or civilization, be it humanity in the future or an alien civilization, to translate Tolkien's books and take them for a complex mythology or even some sort of skewed history of the world.

[ September 10, 2003: Message edited by: Lord of Angmar ]

I don't know if people will still like Tolkien in 3000 years, their tastes may have changed too dramatically, but it will still be preserved and remembered I think, as a great peice of 21st century writting. Today, since we write almost everything down in books, I think that it will really be easy for people in the future to understand our culture. Non of the ifs or ors, but they'll have millions of books, and pictures and movies and dvds. Yes, Tolkien, I believe will be around forever.

Oh yes, well i do hope so, can anyone really imagine a world without LOTR, it is just scary dont u think? Imagine a generation denied the experience...chilling. Such an epic masterpiece will never die and discussions abou it will continue when we are six feet under. Anyway thats how i feel.

I have another idea: What if they lost everything from (then) ancient history and suddenly found LOTR, the Sil, and UT? They'd think that it was actually a description of historical events. Considering the way Tolkien wrote them, it is possible to make that kind of mistake. Imagine it being used in history texbooks! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: Meneltarmacil ]

If LotR is passed down from generation to generation, it oughtta survive, ne?

Can I have a pocky now?? PLEASE??? *_* Pocky goood...

Yes! Here is some Kobe Wine flavored Pocky that came all the way from Japan!
*gives stick of wine flavored pocky*
Ja ne!
From
Elróthiel, the Insane Elven Goddess of Hilariosity and Laughter!
PS: NIRVANA ROCK!!!

I think LotR will live forever... It's just one of those timeless things that never gets old. It fits with every generation... Lots of old things are still popular, and in 3000 years, I think LotR will be one of them.

*hands Naz some strawberry Pocky* Strawberry's my favorite, but I like the Almond crunch, too. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Hello everyone!! Vedui il'er!
Just reviving this topic!
Here's a new thought for it though.
How will LotR survive? I'm not saying it isn't popular, because it is! VERY! I'm saying, by what METHOD will people conserve LotR's greatness?

Ja ne!
Namárie!
From
Elróthiel, the Insane Elven Goddess of Hilariosity and Laughter!
PS: NIRVANA AND VILLE VALO ROCK!!!!!!

That would be cool. I think I like TaliesinWest's theory better. We could confuse a whole bunch of people!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

As for how it could be preserved... just about the same way that all the other aforesaid stories were. I don't think the DVD idea would work - they would probably not have DVD players anymore; they would have something much more technologically advanced.

But then, I honestly don't think this world will be around in 3000 years, so I suppose neither would LotR. But I think LotR will last as long as this world does, or at least I hope it does. It would be a sad, sad place without LotR. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] But as long as it is I'm happy. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] <--See? Very, very happy.

I think this thread has a strange effect on some people's minds to use lots and lots of exclamation marks...

Ditto! That and the Ramayana, the Nibelung Saga, and more! And think of most of the world's religions! Ex: Judaism and the Old Testament have been around for about 3,000 years, not to mention the fact that millions still read it!

So, I do think people will read Lord of the Rings in 3,000 years. It might not be the exact story (if you think realisticly, alot of things get misconstued over even 100 years), but it is such a timeless story that I can't see it ever falling to the wayside.

This has been My Two Cents
~ Saraph

Lord of the Rings will always exist as long as humankind believes in and honors love, strength, valor, honor, courage, steadfastness, loyalty, justice, and freedom.