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Originally Posted by Mr Underhill
The fact is, Middle-earth is at present a dead world -- rich, wonderful, and extraordinarly detailed, yes; worthy of months or even years of study and discussion, to be sure -- but stagnant. Is there a risk that licensing Middle-earth to other authors might result in a lot of substandard work? Undoubtedly. On the other hand, it might also result in exciting new material, rich new avenues of exploration, undreamt of adventures. The long idle heart of Middle-earth might beat again; new blood, pulsing with life and imagination, might flow to its farthest extremities.
Christopher's strategy -- though it no doubt springs from honorable, even noble intentions -- is, elf-like, to embalm Middle-earth; his father knew that embalming his world was not possible or even, in the end, desirable.
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Sorry,
Mr U but I couldn't disagree more. Tolkien was a genius, for one thing. No other writer could produce anything close to his standard. There may be some who understand the 'technicalities' of language & history & others who are his equal in storytelling, but I can't believe that there is any single writer who is equal to him in both things. Why, because such a writer would have to be a comparable genius - & why would someone like that wish to be a 'follower', rather than a 'leader' - no, anyone capable of producing work of the depth & complexity of Tolkien's work would not wish to do it - they would have their own inspiration to drive them onward.
Ther will never be any 'sequels' by other hands, no 'library' of Middle earth to stand alongside the originals, because no artist of equal ability would wish to do it.