Making Fun Of It

[HerenIstarion]

Presumably (and the statement to follow is almost always true) all modern fantasy writers (in one way or another) have an ultimate, (even when unconscious) source of their inspiration residing in JRRT's works. All conception of elves, dwarfs (up to spelling the latter as 'dwarves'), Evil Lord Out There etc etc.

Some are aware of it, and make good laugh of themselves and of Tolkien's conceptions. Now, the idea of the thread is to represent the places in the books of other authors, which strike you as familiar, deriving themselves out of Tolkien, and yet in a mocking way. I'll give you some examples below:

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, especially simian ones. They are not all that subtle

Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies, refers to people trying to irritate an orangutan (being not only an ape, but a Librarian of the Unseen University (that is, magical institution))

Chain-mail isn't much defence against an arrow. It certainly isn't when the arrow is being aimed between your eyes.

Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies, mocking Tolkien concept of impregnable dwarven chain-mail

She reached a flat wall of ice-covered rock, no different in Magrat's eyes from the rock available in a range of easy-to-die-on sizes everywhere in the mountains, and paused as if listening.

Then she stood back, hit the rock sharply with her broomstick, and spake thusly:

'Open up, you little sods!' …[some paragraphs after, the door opens]

…'We put writing on the door,' it said sulkily. 'In invisible runes. It's really expensive, getting proper invisible runes done.'

Terry Pratchett again, Witches Abroad for now. Remember the whole business about Gandalf jumping in front of Moria door? The above quote is also about writings on dwarven doors

Two pale glows appeared at the edge of the lamplight. Eventually they turned out to be the eyes of a small grey creature, vaguely froglike, paddling towards them on a log.

It reached the boat. Long clammy fingers grabbed the side, and a lugubrious face rose level with Nanny Ogg's.

' 'ullo,' it said. 'It'sss my birthday.'

All three of them stared at it for a while. Then Granny Weatherwax picked up an oar and hit it firmly over the head. There was a splash, and a distant cursing.

'Horrible little bugger,' said Granny, as they rowed on. 'Looked like a troublemaker to me.'

'Yeah,' said Nanny Ogg. 'It's the slimy ones you have to watch out for.'

'I wonder what he wanted?' said Magrat.

Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad. Anything strikes you as familiar?

'How many times have you thrown a magic ring into the deepest depths of the ocean and then, when you get home and have a nice bit of turbot for your tea, there it is?

Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters. Mocks the whole ring business (especially Elrond's council, throwing the Ring into the sea option)

All of the above may sound not too funny out of place, but, placed here and there as jewels in the text, they make me laugh any time I manage to notice such a reference.

All my samples being out of Pratchett, I nevertheless haven't named the thread Pratchett and Tolkien, though, for there are bound to be other writers who's works can pop up here. Its up to you to add up

[dragoneyes]

Two more from Pratchett, both from his book 'Sourcery'.

The throne had been empty for more than two thousand years, since the death of the last of the line of kings of Ankh. Legend said that one day the city would have a king again, and went on with various comments about magic swords, strawberry birthmarks and all the other things legends gabble on about in these circumstances.

True, Aragorn never had a birthmark as far as we know, but he did have a sword.

Next to [a magic carpet] was a small, sleek oil lamp and - Rincewind craned to see - a small gold ring. He groaned.

The ring actually has nothing to do with the story, it's just your usual magical artifact.

[Ellwyn]

I suppose it's because the tale was well-known in literary land and because everyone there knew it, they got the joke. Selling, selling, selling......

[Failivrin]

"Albus Dumbledore"

1. Dumbledore is actually a Tolkien word, i believe (they were little flies, right?)

2. In no.2 when Dumbledore is taken away and comes back to save the day *cough*Gandalf in Moria*cough*

Well i can draw many parallels between LOTR and HP, but my mind has gone blank and i don't really care to write them down.

[The Saucepan Man]

Do intentional parodies of Tolkien's works count? I received The Soddit for Christmas, and I must say that it is, in parts, incredibly well-observed.

I love the following passage, which comprises part of the description of Soddits:

What else? That they are conservative, rural, bourgeouis, middle-class. That they speak with a slight Birmingham accent, oddly. And, also, despite their manifest disadvantages - their diminutive stature, their crippled elaphantistic feet, their small-mindedness, their disinclination to listen to strangers or change old ways, their addiction to tobacco and alcohol, their stagnant class-ridden 'respectability' - despite all this, they have developed the most modern semi-industrial culture in the whole world, with water-mills, steam-foundries, comfortable housing, pipes, pop-guns, spectacles, velvet clothes, charming little flintstone churches, books and fireworks, whilst the rest of Upper Middle Earth is languishing in the dark ages of swords, horses, and burying their dead under enormous mounds of earth. Funny that. But, you see, the ways of the world are strange and sometimes inexplicable.

[NightKnight]

Has anyone read the Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks? It struck me as very similar to LotR.

[Beanamir of Gondor]

I was just going to say that about Sword of Shannara, Knight. It actually was based directly on LOTR, according to Terry Brooks himself. But I couldn't find Sam. He was kind of three characters rolled into one. And who in Mordor was Panamon Creel supposed to be?

Also, Tolkien's not just in books. Anyone listen to Led Zeppelin? "...the Ringwraiths ride in black, ride on..."
Recognize the Battle of Evermore ?

[HerenIstarion]

yeah, intentional parodies do count

As for latter examles, I was thinking about something funny, mocking Tolkien intentionally but only kind of 'by the way' not as other ppl deriving the whole plot out of Tolkien

[Eowyn Skywalker]

You know, I found that the Death Gate Cycle reminded me of Lord of the Rings... expecially the character Zifnab. Can I ask what the point in this thread is? Though I did find the stuff within funny...
-Eowyn Skywalker

[Eowyn Skywalker]

Oh wait... this is mocking J.R.R. Tolkien? Now I get it...

One Kubasa ring to bring them in, and in their hunger, bind them... in the land of the Kitchen where the shadows lie... and under the fridge lies great evil...
This is like my fanfiction.net spoof. One Kubasa to rule them all...
heh heh.
This is fun, mocking Tolkien... heh heh.
-Eowyn Skywalker

[HerenIstarion]

it depends of what is inside said Kubasa...

[rutslegolas]

ya you can refer to it thatway

the bit about albus dumbledore is right

[Mad Baggins]

"Yes, m'boy. The most obviousest of parodies. Bored of the Rings."

I haven't read it myself, but I've heard it's mangled.

[Nimrothiel]

"Bored of the Rings" is the best parody of LotR I have ever seen; not to mention the only parody of the entire trilogy and not just sections of it. I happen to be working on a parody of my own, and I have compiled a list here of the names of the characters and places I have changed thus far; see if you can spot who's who:

Gadfly the Grey-haired
Goldarn
Bucko
Fresco
Sham
Maxi
Paxi
Argon son of Boron; he is a direct descendent of Hydrogen
Barium
Farsimile
Depthcharge
Todd Belucose
Glucose
Gladware
Tupperware
Excelsior
Arsenic Umbrage
Grimly son of Grime
Legless Greenfeet (don't ask how this one works)
Silicon
Sandman
Hertz
The Nozdrone
Garfinkle
Midas Tire
Midas Motor
Mount Foom
The Strange
Condor
Mortem
Rivettedell

Yes, it's a long list, but there are a lot of names to change; I will welcome any and all suggestions for these or other names of characters and places. By the way, who wrote "Durin's Pants?" I'd like to use that if I could. *mumurs to self* "The pants were young, their contents green, no stain yet in the pants was seen no pants were laid on flesh or bone when Durin woke and walked alone..."

[HerenIstarion]

ah, I've just remembered (thanks to the list given above), Terry Pratchetts Gimlet son of Groin

[Nimrothiel]

Yes, and Legolam and Frito too. Anyone read the book "The Woad to Wuin" from the series "Sir Apropos of Nothing" by...um...by...argh, I can't remember his name! Oh well, it starts out with a parody of LotR, but it's more like the beginning part of "Bored of the Rings," and is therefore unsuitable for young children.

[purplefluffychainsaw]

**Runs upstairs, and retreats with literally more books then she can carry.** Right...

Terry Pratchet, Moving pictures. You forgot A)

Ridcully the Brown!

"...Knows what the wind is saying, we shouldn't wonder. Got a name for all the trees, you can bank on it. Speaks to birds, too..."

And...


Balgrogs! (Tee hee hee)

"What's a balgrog?" said Victor.... "...tradional evil monster..."

..." With wings on" That made me laugh...

And, yes, all my stuff on the Sword of Shannara. I got... **Flicks lazily through the pages** About one chapter in, before an alarm bell was going off in my head saying: "LotR alike, LotR alike!" And guess what they have the cheek to put on the back.... "Will be the biggest cult book since Tolkien" ARG! Oh, and I would of said that Flick is basically Sam.... Maybe Sam with a little bit of Merry and Pippin rolled in.

Hmmm... I think all my other points have ben made... **Looks at... books and thinks how she is going to get them back up stairs**

No! I have a book called Fleabag and the Ring of fire, which is basically LotR the other way round....

A (female) knight [Merry, Pippin, Boromir] sets out with a servant of the queen [Frodo] to find the queen's ring, becuase the person who finds it becomes king or queen, with the queens cat, Fleabag [Gandalf]. Along the way they met a thief [Aragorn] who, guess what, finds the ring. With help from the others.... There's other stuff along the way which scream LotR, too. Like, there's a mage-y guy who tries to force the knight to tell him where the ring is, becuase he believes she has it [Saruman]. And, the knight almost foils everything at one point, becuase she wants the ring [Boromir]. There *are* a couple of twists, and it *is* a good book, but oh well.

And look what I found! A whole page of LotR inspired music! Whee! Much-to-much to go through all of it though...
Here, look at it yourself.

Guess what? I have more to add! I was re-reading "Wee free men" last night, and I found this:

See their swords? They glow blue in the presence of lawyers.

I guess Mr. Pratchett really does like using Tolkien stuff in his works.

[Maeggaladiel]

For anyone who watches Mystery Science Theatre 3000--

MOVIE- The Screaming Skull (or something like that)
There is a knocking at the door below.
MIKE- Gandalf's down there banging on the door with a stick.

MOVIE- Yarg! Can't remember. Something about a guy being bitten by a radioactive bat. (Gotta hate those darn radioactive bats!)

CROW- (as bat guy) Oh, hey Gollum!

SOME OTHER MOVIE- Can't remember, except that I got all excited when I heard:

TOM- Hey, it's the balrog!

[HerenIstarion]

Funny, sure

I haven't read Wee Free Men as yet, so all the pleasure of finding out swords glowing in the presence of lawyers is still ahead of me

Good thing about balrogs, your basic monsters, too (how could I forgot!)

[Morsul the Dark]

nothing to add but this is a funny topic to share

[the guy who be short]

Well this isn't a parody but it seems the best place to put it. It's homage.

Anybody heard of the Animorphs? Those around my age, 16, should be familiar with them as a children's book about a group of kids who can turn into animals to battle evil aliens.

So, firstly the aliens are named Yeerks. They are named after the Yrch in Tolkien.

Various names resemble Tolkien names. Take Aximili-Esgarouth-Isthill, the middle and last name of whom resemble Esgaroth and Ithil respectively.

Finally, the chief protagonist's name? Jake Berenson.

[Kath]

There are so many nods to Tolkien in the Pratchett books that I think you'd have to sit down with a highlighter and a good week or so to spare to find them all!

It's nice though when you're flicking through and you find one. Makes you laugh all the harder because you know it.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by tgwbs

Anybody heard of the Animorphs?

Oh my oh my oh my. Yes I have. And not only heard of but read too. Yet the Animorphs are in an entirely different league than Pratchett, I venture to suggest. Your comment, tgwbs prompts me to go back to look at a few issues.

I wonder, if I go back also to the Redwall series (which I remember with fond and sweet affection), what will I find? Or, even, Dinotopia? I doubt mockery there.

EDIT: How in the world did I not notice that HI put this in Mirth?

[the guy who be short]

Oh my oh my oh my. Yes I have. And not only heard but read. Yet the Animorphs are in an entirely different league than Pratchett, I venture to suggest. Your comment, tgwbs prompts me to go back to look at a few issues.

Ah, I'm quite apprehensive about what all the "oh my"s may mean.

I'd have to agree that the two are completely different on practically every level - showing what a wide variety of genres and styles Tolkien does manage to influence. However, looking back over the Animorphs (I was up until about one last night reading all the synopses), it would be unwise to write them off as a children's series. Lots of deeper issues are explored, surprisingly for a series aimed at people so young.

And I just found an extra bit of Tolkien in the Animorphs- "Gondor Industries."