I suspect that if it really isn't derivative it's not being compared to Tolkien in the first place.
Tom Send a noteboard - 11/12/2011 04:18:57 AM
The point is that genre fiction is a money-making enterprise and people make money when they spit out the same shit in a slightly different form because the vast majority of people are stupid and like the comfort zone of reading the same crap.
It's only when it gets to the point where even the dimmest of people start to realize they're buying the same shit over and over that the market has to change to adapt. Hollywood is only now getting a lot of blowback from repackaging things like Conan (or the upcoming Robocop, Total Recall and something else remakes that I heard about) that never needed to be redone (or the "new" Spider-Man, when they JUST put out a new series of movies). When we got to "Battleship" the movie, based on the board game, we went way, way too far.
However, when they were putting out a gazillion idiotic action movies that all had the same premise with a slightly different twist, people ate it up, because people are generally stupid.
It's only when it gets to the point where even the dimmest of people start to realize they're buying the same shit over and over that the market has to change to adapt. Hollywood is only now getting a lot of blowback from repackaging things like Conan (or the upcoming Robocop, Total Recall and something else remakes that I heard about) that never needed to be redone (or the "new" Spider-Man, when they JUST put out a new series of movies). When we got to "Battleship" the movie, based on the board game, we went way, way too far.
However, when they were putting out a gazillion idiotic action movies that all had the same premise with a slightly different twist, people ate it up, because people are generally stupid.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Aren't the Tolkien comparisons getting a little...old?
- 09/12/2011 09:51:39 PM
2762 Views
The comparison bothers me, but not because Tolkien isn't relevant.
- 09/12/2011 10:05:22 PM
1636 Views
Only when shit works are being compared to him
- 09/12/2011 10:22:26 PM
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Larry,
- 10/12/2011 01:13:18 AM
1554 Views
Snide dismissal that will be passed off as for his own entertainment.
- 10/12/2011 04:55:43 AM
1457 Views
Well-deserved condescension.
- 11/12/2011 03:54:27 AM
1584 Views
You're sure about that?
- 11/12/2011 04:20:26 AM
1812 Views
Re: You're sure about that?
- 11/12/2011 05:25:08 AM
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Re: You're sure about that?
- 11/12/2011 06:03:02 AM
1405 Views
i think you shouldn't judge a whole world's school programs on your school 
- 11/12/2011 06:42:30 AM
1445 Views
- 11/12/2011 06:42:30 AM
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If you're arguing that children should be able to read genre fiction, fine.
- 11/12/2011 08:52:27 PM
1330 Views
Well, I suppose it depends on the type of genre being read
- 11/12/2011 09:36:16 PM
1577 Views
How often do you hear the challenging writers mentioned at this site?
- 12/12/2011 02:03:05 PM
1307 Views
Only when you, me, and a couple others write reviews
- 12/12/2011 04:21:14 PM
1697 Views
Oh, it was the same as it always is
- 12/12/2011 05:23:56 PM
1417 Views
Much of the actual "Classics", that is, Greek and Latin originals, kids would eat up.
- 12/12/2011 03:13:03 AM
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You're upfront and honest about it; he isn't. The difference matters to me. *NM*
- 11/12/2011 05:18:42 AM
770 Views
this is a bit off topic, but out of curiousity...
- 11/12/2011 06:28:35 AM
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I've discussed this dozens of times at this site. Perhaps you've missed all of the posts.
- 11/12/2011 08:57:44 PM
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mk I'll go look. I probably did miss it (or at least don't remember it!)
- 11/12/2011 09:08:02 PM
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I have a successful career that was inspired by the video games I played as a child. *NM*
- 11/12/2011 05:52:21 PM
804 Views
Now let's get all the people who just pissed their lives away with video games and see the %.
- 11/12/2011 08:58:42 PM
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The majority of players neither waste their lives nor make a career out of it.
- 11/12/2011 11:29:29 PM
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Yeah, sorry, I don't think you could say that with a straight face in real life. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 04:13:52 AM
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Then you have a closed mind on the subject. Ironic, considering your stance on edification. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 05:47:50 AM
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No, just with respect to you. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 02:00:15 PM
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Tom, you pulled the "Say that to my face!" line. You lost the right to talk about respect. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 03:20:15 PM
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Once again, I really don't care what you think. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 03:37:40 PM
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Did I imply that you did? My apologies. I'd hate to insinuate that you'd stoop that low. *NM*
- 12/12/2011 04:13:25 PM
692 Views
As well read as you seem to be, you think you'd be smart enough...
- 11/12/2011 06:20:06 PM
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I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here.
- 11/12/2011 08:44:58 PM
1330 Views
Re: I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here.
- 12/12/2011 04:04:37 PM
1380 Views
That statement has just confused me.
- 12/12/2011 04:06:53 PM
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Re: That statement has just confused me.
- 12/12/2011 04:14:27 PM
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I never learned Hittite. I had a book on pre-order for a long time but never ended up getting it.
- 12/12/2011 05:41:03 PM
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What you have made clear, I think, is the fact that you deal in generalizations and stereotypes.
- 12/12/2011 10:12:12 PM
1453 Views
There's an unintentional irony in what you say, alas
- 13/12/2011 12:44:26 AM
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Tom, Dick, or Larry...you may use your true first name, but you're still an anonymous entity to most
- 13/12/2011 04:49:35 AM
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With such comeback skills, you must have ruled the playgrounds as a kid, no?
- 13/12/2011 05:21:42 AM
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There are no special snowflakes, are there?
- 11/12/2011 09:39:21 PM
1334 Views
- 11/12/2011 09:39:21 PM
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There are many way of widening one's horizons and broadening one's mind.
- 11/12/2011 10:08:24 PM
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What I don't like-
- 12/12/2011 04:28:55 AM
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Why don't you name something, then?
- 12/12/2011 04:40:29 AM
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Sure.
- 13/12/2011 07:30:56 AM
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Mentioning Ender's Game pretty much shot your argument in the foot.
- 13/12/2011 02:02:59 PM
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You dismiss the entire video game medium because many games lack value.
- 13/12/2011 03:59:11 PM
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You're like the McDonald's paid advocate trying to say Big Macs are actually healthy.
- 13/12/2011 05:46:37 PM
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I'll leave it up to others to define as they wish against their self-conceptions of me 
- 10/12/2011 10:52:54 AM
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- 10/12/2011 10:52:54 AM
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that's alright. I really have no desire to stroke your twit-ego. *NM*
- 10/12/2011 04:36:56 PM
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Considering the firestorm I appear to have touched off, that may be best.
- 12/12/2011 12:57:49 PM
1435 Views
I know, John
- 12/12/2011 04:27:04 PM
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Re: I know, John
- 12/12/2011 05:06:26 PM
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As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100%
- 12/12/2011 06:33:52 PM
1319 Views
- 12/12/2011 06:33:52 PM
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Re: As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100%
- 12/12/2011 07:13:37 PM
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- 12/12/2011 07:13:37 PM
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Blurbs are not generally very original in their comparisons - would kind of defeat their purpose.
- 09/12/2011 10:42:17 PM
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Maybe if so much of the genre weren't crap derivative works it wouldn't be so common. *NM*
- 11/12/2011 03:44:24 AM
701 Views
To be fair, a lot of it isn't.
- 11/12/2011 04:06:07 AM
1357 Views
I suspect that if it really isn't derivative it's not being compared to Tolkien in the first place.
- 11/12/2011 04:18:57 AM
1312 Views
That's true.
- 11/12/2011 11:08:01 AM
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But see, that's where things start to get referred back to Tolkien.
- 12/12/2011 04:30:12 AM
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The Tolkien fanaticism gets old. And yes, for me it is unreadable.
- 11/12/2011 11:37:53 PM
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No, because the movies are very contemporary and relevant, thus he will remain so for quite a while.
- 12/12/2011 03:14:53 AM
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Disagree all you want, but LotR is still the touchstone when it comes to works of fantasy.
- 12/12/2011 03:48:20 AM
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