LOTR trilogy is terribly overrated

[arildno]

His stuff may be boring in parts or in total, depending upon your personal preferences, but he definitely took great care in detail and have backgrounds for hiw writing. IMO, one of the best writers of the 20th century.

At least, one of the most original ones, following his own peculiar vision to its end (and beyond).

And he most certainly is one of the best fantasy writers of all time.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

At least, one of the most original ones, following his own peculiar vision to its end (and beyond).

And he most certainly is one of the best fantasy writers of all time.

Indeed his vision was to bring mythology back to the English, a mythology he'd thought we'd lost. If nothing else he created the genre on which Harry Potter owes its existence, and all the fantasy books of the early 20th century paled in significance to, although in fantasy were important. That said there were many books, but in his time fantasy was a dying art, now it's the most popular style of fiction in modern history. If you don't like it, well tough, there's always other mediums.

 

[Chi Meson]

He sings his enemies to death. That's the kind of power [insert crappy singer] only dreams of.

Phil Collins

 

[Kurdt]

Phil Collins

I think Phil Collins has actually killed people by singing to them.

 

[binzing]

He's not that bad. But I think Genesis would have stayed around longer if Peter had stayed.

 

[turbo]

He's not that bad. But I think Genesis would have stayed around longer if Peter had stayed.

Peter is killer. If you have nothing by Mr. Gabriel, buy "Shaking the Tree" and then start building around that collection. He is a creative genius.

 

[binzing]

I've got that album and the new double one "Hits". He's great. I think Sledgehammer is really cool. Got the meaning? Should be obvious.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

Okay, if we're going to talk about music and LOTR at the same time someone has to mention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC73PHdQX04".

⚛​

 

[binzing]

Actually I liked the soundtracks to the movies. Yeah, they have some weird stuff in the songs and literature of all of the different races in the books.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

You didn't follow that link, did you binzing? It's not from a soundtrack or any of the books, it's from the Final Frontier.

⚛​

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Actually I liked the soundtracks to the movies. Yeah, they have some weird stuff in the songs and literature of all of the different races in the books.

It's actually not really that wierd, it's all just a mish mash of various European mythologies. If you know about those then it all tends to make sense. The fact that Riders of Rohan are horse warriors and believe in a hall of heroes for the dead and some of the Valar, kind of gives it away. Also all the Valar (Kind of like Archangles, under Eru:God) Are elemental or natural in their aspect. So you have Manwë( Lord of the Valar) Air, Varda (Lady of the Valar) Stars, Ulmo (The ocean lord) water, Yavanna (queen of the Earth) earth&nature, Aulë (chief Valar of the Dwarves, smith and maker of mountains wife of Yavana) earth, Namo (Lord of the dead) Death, Neinna (Sister of Namo: mourning, pity, suffering and endurance) Death, Oröme (Huntsman, horselord and tamer of beasts) nature, flora and fauna. These are the arch valar although there are lesser Valar of dance, valour and dreams and such. And of course last but not least of the dark lord of the Valar the source of much of the evil in Middle Earth Melkor (All powers of the Valar in part) darkness & cold, master of Sauron. Cast out into the void, in the wars of the Silmarillion.

Equally all the other races and customs, all make sense when you know the mythology behind it, which draws heavily, from Norse, Saxons, Gallic/Celtic, Hun, Goths, even in small part from Roman and Greek and others, and an array of his own invention. The peoples weren't meant to be such and such a race, but what he imagined a mythology with all sorts of ideas of his and historical mythology, would be like. With all the legends woven into history and the peoples and given their own Tolkien touch and imagination.