[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

I could be entirely wrong about this, but I think that after Tolkien, and certainly after the LOTR movies, fantasy has really become a lot more acceptable and wide-spread as a mainstream genre. I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. More and more of what I see on bookstore shelves look like knock-offs of Lord of the Rings (or Harry Potter). The few times I've even opened a contemporary fantasy novel, I haven't been particularly impressed (though Harry Potter is an exception to that rule).

I kind of wonder if LOTR or something equal to it in terms of sheer scope, power, and brilliance could even theoretically have been written today. As fantasy becomes more mainstream, I think that the playing field shrinks and there are suddenly certain expectations that may not have been present before. Hmm.