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They're there for marketing A Deathwatch Guard Send a noteboard - 10/12/2011 12:20:17 AM
And Tolkien is still a more recognizable name than Jordan or Martin. So they go with that.

I agree with the others in that Tolkien's writing and Martin's, for instance, are extremely different, so comparing them isn't really relevant or useful.

However, I completely disagree with you about LotR being boring, or that Peter Jackson did something "brilliant." He made really good movies out of really good material. Skill is undoubtedly involved in that, but the quality of the book is still the main factor.

You're entitled to your opinion, and can call LotR as boring as you like. Use it instead of a lullaby, it matters nothing to be. But you're wrong if you think Tolkien is completely irrelevant today. And you're wrong if you think authors not being compared to Homer means they can't be compared to Homer either. I guarantee authors would love to be compared to Dickens or Shakespeare, and they've been dead a lot longer than Tolkien.
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Aren't the Tolkien comparisons getting a little...old? Dark Knight - 09/12/2011 09:51:39 PM 3309 Views
The comparison bothers me, but not because Tolkien isn't relevant. lord-of-shadow - 09/12/2011 10:05:22 PM 2140 Views
I agree with this. Nate - 09/12/2011 10:21:34 PM 2210 Views
Re: I agree with this. DomA - 10/12/2011 07:09:33 PM 2156 Views
Exactly *NM* ironclad - 12/12/2011 12:09:19 PM 1152 Views
Only when shit works are being compared to him Larry - 09/12/2011 10:22:26 PM 2087 Views
Larry, Macharius - 10/12/2011 01:13:18 AM 2093 Views
Snide dismissal that will be passed off as for his own entertainment. Ghavrel - 10/12/2011 04:55:43 AM 1960 Views
We get a lot of that around here. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 10/12/2011 05:18:01 AM 893 Views
makes me wonder... LadyLorraine - 10/12/2011 04:37:33 PM 1986 Views
Re: makes me wonder... James - 11/12/2011 03:03:15 AM 1934 Views
Well-deserved condescension. Tom - 11/12/2011 03:54:27 AM 2131 Views
You're sure about that? A Deathwatch Guard - 11/12/2011 04:20:26 AM 2373 Views
Re: You're sure about that? James - 11/12/2011 05:25:08 AM 2040 Views
Re: You're sure about that? A Deathwatch Guard - 11/12/2011 06:03:02 AM 1981 Views
i think you shouldn't judge a whole world's school programs on your school LadyLorraine - 11/12/2011 06:42:30 AM 1979 Views
Yeah, I'm limited in my knowledge, lol A Deathwatch Guard - 11/12/2011 08:03:26 AM 2001 Views
My school was...not great. James - 11/12/2011 04:02:36 PM 2004 Views
I'm 24. James - 11/12/2011 03:49:06 PM 1958 Views
If you're arguing that children should be able to read genre fiction, fine. Tom - 11/12/2011 08:52:27 PM 1854 Views
Well, I suppose it depends on the type of genre being read Larry - 11/12/2011 09:36:16 PM 2092 Views
How often do you hear the challenging writers mentioned at this site? Tom - 12/12/2011 02:03:05 PM 1848 Views
Only when you, me, and a couple others write reviews Larry - 12/12/2011 04:21:14 PM 2247 Views
Oh, it was the same as it always is Tom - 12/12/2011 05:23:56 PM 1902 Views
True Larry - 12/12/2011 06:29:10 PM 2030 Views
One note nossy - 13/12/2011 12:17:48 AM 2033 Views
Perhaps Larry - 13/12/2011 12:49:34 AM 1982 Views
*Sighs* Such is the plight of those shining few intelects... Narg - 23/12/2011 01:15:47 AM 2027 Views
Much of the actual "Classics", that is, Greek and Latin originals, kids would eat up. Dan - 12/12/2011 03:13:03 AM 1861 Views
Try teaching Apuleius in schools... *NM* Tom - 12/12/2011 04:12:49 AM 1007 Views
Plato is exciting, brutal and scandalous? Legolas - 12/12/2011 09:59:13 PM 1953 Views
You're upfront and honest about it; he isn't. The difference matters to me. *NM* Ghavrel - 11/12/2011 05:18:42 AM 1067 Views
Uhh...uh... Larry - 11/12/2011 05:34:23 AM 1939 Views
this is a bit off topic, but out of curiousity... LadyLorraine - 11/12/2011 06:28:35 AM 2062 Views
I've discussed this dozens of times at this site. Perhaps you've missed all of the posts. Tom - 11/12/2011 08:57:44 PM 2090 Views
mk I'll go look. I probably did miss it (or at least don't remember it!) LadyLorraine - 11/12/2011 09:08:02 PM 1960 Views
I have a successful career that was inspired by the video games I played as a child. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 11/12/2011 05:52:21 PM 1096 Views
Now let's get all the people who just pissed their lives away with video games and see the %. Tom - 11/12/2011 08:58:42 PM 2099 Views
The majority of players neither waste their lives nor make a career out of it. lord-of-shadow - 11/12/2011 11:29:29 PM 1996 Views
Yeah, sorry, I don't think you could say that with a straight face in real life. *NM* Tom - 12/12/2011 04:13:52 AM 1062 Views
Then you have a closed mind on the subject. Ironic, considering your stance on edification. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 12/12/2011 05:47:50 AM 982 Views
No, just with respect to you. *NM* Tom - 12/12/2011 02:00:15 PM 1031 Views
Tom, you pulled the "Say that to my face!" line. You lost the right to talk about respect. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 12/12/2011 03:20:15 PM 1083 Views
Once again, I really don't care what you think. *NM* Tom - 12/12/2011 03:37:40 PM 1036 Views
Did I imply that you did? My apologies. I'd hate to insinuate that you'd stoop that low. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 12/12/2011 04:13:25 PM 981 Views
As well read as you seem to be, you think you'd be smart enough... MonCul - 11/12/2011 06:20:06 PM 1936 Views
I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here. Tom - 11/12/2011 08:44:58 PM 1837 Views
Re: I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here. Macharius - 12/12/2011 04:04:37 PM 1898 Views
That statement has just confused me. Tom - 12/12/2011 04:06:53 PM 1864 Views
Re: That statement has just confused me. Macharius - 12/12/2011 04:14:27 PM 1898 Views
I never learned Hittite. I had a book on pre-order for a long time but never ended up getting it. Tom - 12/12/2011 05:41:03 PM 1811 Views
What you have made clear, I think, is the fact that you deal in generalizations and stereotypes. MonCul - 12/12/2011 10:12:12 PM 2033 Views
There's an unintentional irony in what you say, alas Larry - 13/12/2011 12:44:26 AM 1935 Views
Tom, Dick, or Larry...you may use your true first name, but you're still an anonymous entity to most MonCul - 13/12/2011 04:49:35 AM 2192 Views
With such comeback skills, you must have ruled the playgrounds as a kid, no? Larry - 13/12/2011 05:21:42 AM 2096 Views
I thought it was a pretty good comeback. MonCul - 13/12/2011 12:37:15 PM 2045 Views
Think again, Skippy Larry - 13/12/2011 01:34:41 PM 1957 Views
There are no special snowflakes, are there? Larry - 11/12/2011 09:39:21 PM 1872 Views
There are many way of widening one's horizons and broadening one's mind. Legolas - 11/12/2011 10:08:24 PM 1615 Views
I said as much in my comment Larry - 11/12/2011 10:20:03 PM 1867 Views
What I don't like- rebelaessedai - 12/12/2011 04:28:55 AM 1994 Views
Why don't you name something, then? Tom - 12/12/2011 04:40:29 AM 1929 Views
Sure. rebelaessedai - 13/12/2011 07:30:56 AM 1768 Views
Mentioning Ender's Game pretty much shot your argument in the foot. Tom - 13/12/2011 02:02:59 PM 1862 Views
You dismiss the entire video game medium because many games lack value. lord-of-shadow - 13/12/2011 03:59:11 PM 2023 Views
You're like the McDonald's paid advocate trying to say Big Macs are actually healthy. Tom - 13/12/2011 05:46:37 PM 1777 Views
McDonalds food is inherently unhealthy. lord-of-shadow - 13/12/2011 06:02:18 PM 2003 Views
For the sake of argument ... Nate - 13/12/2011 04:09:51 PM 1949 Views
Stephenson is not literature, that's for damn sure. Tom - 13/12/2011 05:49:24 PM 1797 Views
Thank you, The Voice of Lews Therin. *NM* Vivien - 16/12/2011 05:14:42 AM 1090 Views
I'll leave it up to others to define as they wish against their self-conceptions of me Larry - 10/12/2011 10:52:54 AM 2013 Views
that's alright. I really have no desire to stroke your twit-ego. *NM* LadyLorraine - 10/12/2011 04:36:56 PM 866 Views
Considering the firestorm I appear to have touched off, that may be best. Macharius - 12/12/2011 12:57:49 PM 1929 Views
I know, John Larry - 12/12/2011 04:27:04 PM 1844 Views
Re: I know, John Macharius - 12/12/2011 05:06:26 PM 1968 Views
As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100% Larry - 12/12/2011 06:33:52 PM 1847 Views
Re: As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100% Macharius - 12/12/2011 07:13:37 PM 1912 Views
Same guy Larry - 12/12/2011 07:26:13 PM 1958 Views
Ha! Excellent point. *NM* Tom - 11/12/2011 03:44:52 AM 1010 Views
Blurbs are not generally very original in their comparisons - would kind of defeat their purpose. Legolas - 09/12/2011 10:42:17 PM 1965 Views
I have to agree. ? - 09/12/2011 10:54:06 PM 1944 Views
They're there for marketing A Deathwatch Guard - 10/12/2011 12:20:17 AM 1952 Views
Most of those comparisons are like that anyway DomA - 10/12/2011 05:32:45 PM 2128 Views
Maybe if so much of the genre weren't crap derivative works it wouldn't be so common. *NM* Tom - 11/12/2011 03:44:24 AM 1030 Views
To be fair, a lot of it isn't. rebelaessedai - 11/12/2011 04:06:07 AM 1919 Views
I suspect that if it really isn't derivative it's not being compared to Tolkien in the first place. Tom - 11/12/2011 04:18:57 AM 1839 Views
That's true. rebelaessedai - 11/12/2011 11:08:01 AM 1804 Views
But see, that's where things start to get referred back to Tolkien. Tom - 12/12/2011 04:30:12 AM 1994 Views
Maybe they mean something else by using his name. Cannoli - 11/12/2011 03:50:15 AM 1992 Views
When they don't work, yes. nossy - 11/12/2011 03:18:44 PM 1930 Views
The Tolkien fanaticism gets old. And yes, for me it is unreadable. everynametaken - 11/12/2011 11:37:53 PM 1868 Views
No, because the movies are very contemporary and relevant, thus he will remain so for quite a while. Dan - 12/12/2011 03:14:53 AM 1964 Views
Disagree all you want, but LotR is still the touchstone when it comes to works of fantasy. Vodalus - 12/12/2011 03:48:20 AM 1859 Views
Yes *NM* Hieshyn - 22/12/2011 07:08:38 PM 1125 Views
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