[Túroch]

Wow that's one long post, but a good one ReededGoat. Well here is my humble opinion on the subject. One of the reasons that Tolkiens fantasy is so ground breaking is he wrote it as a history of Middle-Earth not mearly a tale of it. Living in pre-WWII England as he did he was distrested by the increasing urbanization and lack of english mythology. This guy could speak and read ancient Anglo-Saxon! Thats a feat. He wanted to create some sort of mythology that England could have for it's own. A deep and rich mythic history full of tales of woe and heroics. That's what gives Tolkiens work such amazing depths. Now some could say that Tolkien himself copied many Norse legends and mythology, most notabley the Ring of the Nibelung. But I don't think this the case. Tolkien used many values and ideals that the norse used. Mainly becuase the history he was creating was for an Anglo-Saxon people, pretty close to the Norse.

I do heartily agree that many modern authors tend to copy some of Tollkiens theme's and many how do just churn out novels that are cheap imitations of the genuine article. Most notable in my opinion is Robert Jordan [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] but that is my OPINION.

There are some fantasy novels that don't follow Tolkien's path, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle is one. So obviously just because you write fantasy you don't have to follow Tolkien. So why do we keep noticing similarities. Well for one reason Tolkien tales have some themes that resonante not just in all off Fantasy but in human nature, the theme of, "the little unimportant person goes off to kill big bad guy without knowing much about what they are doing to begin with and group of people that go with little unimportant person to help get lost somewhere along the way" has been used in many of the books as Kaleidoscope pointed out. This has a theme of Hope & of the weak fighting against the strong. One of Tolkien's more prevelant themes is that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Sam, who starts out as the lowest, a mere servant, becomes the saviour. Who is the hero in LOTR? I'
d say it was Sam. After Frodo was captured he kept on, nad would not throw away his quest. If not for Sam the quest would have been a failure. My favorite them is of forgiveness and redemption. In LOTR redemption is the key. Pity stayed Bilbo's hand from killing Gollum, and Frodo did much the same. Frodo's decision to have pity on Gollum was a decieding factor in the story. If Frodo had not forgivin him then the qeust would not of Suceeded. There is also the example of Boromir's repemdption and Argorn forgiving his previous actions. I wont go into the other themes. Some of these themes are hard to escape from and so sometimes it is understandable to have a little of Tolkien in your work. Although only a little, and more in the themes and objectives then in outright stealing characters and landscapes.

So not all modern fantasy is terrible just a large percent of it. You just have to find an author that above all is writing to tell a good story not make mega bucks by getting paid by the word and pushing out huge amounts of trash
......cough...Jordan...Cough. Tolkien's works are the works of a great historian and wonderful linguist who wanted most of all to tell a good story and he certinly did.