Tolkien- what did he do for us?

[Lush]

On the subject of evil: I don't think I expressed my point well enough there. I was talking about Orcs and Goblins and other nasty filthy things that are clearly, without a doubt, creatures a normal person isn't likely to consort with. Naturally, Sauron and Saruman could appear quite charming, and fool a whole lot of people, but I cannot say the same for their minions (minus the human ones, and we can tell from Sam's reaction to the fallen enemy fighter that Tolkien understood this problem well enough).

Basically, it's easy, I think, to point an arrow at an Orc. Too easy for my taste. However, I choose not to argue about taste. For me, the portrayal of Orcs and similar creatures was negative in the context of war, but I recognize the fact that a fairy story needs its monsters.

And for the positive: A genius ability to inspire arachnophobia in "sane" people!