I'm not the only one!

[shadesong]

inkfox agrees with yendi and I about Tolkein. So there.

http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=inkfox&itemid=80051

Comments

[yendi]

On the First Great Ottawa Voyage, on the final day, we were chatting over breakfast on our way back to Boston, and John was appalled to realize that his entire traveling party -- ariadnestread, Treska, and me -- were amongst those who did not worship Tolkein like a deity. He had a look on his face akin to a Baptist at Dragoncon.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, I *knew* I liked Treska!

[edie22.livejournal.com]

Hey! I was raised Baptist. I went to dragoncon. I don't have that look on my face.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yes, but you're now Jewish by injection. :)

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Mind, meet soap. Soap, meet mind.

Sorry, Edie, I'm sure that's what 'song meant, anyway, but I've got to clean up my mind before it'll be acceptable in polite company again...

[edie22.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. That's exactly what she meant. It's a running joke. I made it one day in a chat with slasher people and they were surprised, so I guess it's weirder than I thought.

[crimmycat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I was raised baptist and though I've never made it to DragonCon, made it to GenCon, to AnimeCentral a couple times, and even ended up running TechCon (looong story)

I don't think it matters how you were raised if you don't still claim to be and think like 'em :-)

[deza.livejournal.com]

Tolkein was a great linguist. He was a sucky novelist. He still managed to introduce the concept of fantasy fiction to modern audiences, and that is what elevates him to sainthood in my book.

Kinda the way Anne Rice's books re-introduced the sexy vampire theme, but Laurell Hamilton writes it soooo much better.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Waaaal, I dunno. I have a tough time seeing LKH's writing as good, y'see (Not that I'll leap to the defense of Anne Rice, either). There are numerous things that bug all hell outta me in LKH's books, the main one being the exhaustive descriptions of clothing, and the Nike product placement. If Ms. Blake, as she says in one of the books (Lunatic Cafe?) wears clothes so as not to be naked, and that's all, why does her narration include half- and full-page descriptions of what she and other people are wearing, every time they change their clothes?

That said, she's easy reading, and I'll keep on reading as long as she keeps writing.

[deza.livejournal.com]

OK, so she's not DH Lawrence. Or even e e cummings. Still, she's one of the better fantasy sex writers on the current market, IMHO.

Since I visualize what I'm reading, the descriptions are really helpful for me, anyway.

[yendi]

Have you read Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Series? I've only read the first book so far, but she's definitely someone to check out if you like the Anita books.

Re:

[deza.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll have to look for it.

Of course, if you like southern mysteries, I highly recommend Lassiter's Bloodhound series, set in south GA.

[yendi]

I don't read much straight mystery anymore -- Lansdale, Vachss, and Barrett, JR are the only ones I really bother with, and they all tend to defy description as "normal" mysteries. I know that Harris has written some regular mysteries, too.

Re:

[deza.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wouldn't call Ms Lassiter's characters straight... How such a sweet little lady (she's in her 70s) manages to write like that absolutely amazes me.

I also like Kathy Hogan Trojek's (sp?) Callahan Garrity series, set in L5P. It's fun to read it, and then go play "where's it set" with all the storefronts.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Like I said the other night - that whole introducing-the-fantasy-fiction thing is nothing but canny marketing...

[deza.livejournal.com]

And if he hadn't done it, who would have?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

A better novelist, perhaps? We shall never know.

Heh

[melintur.livejournal.com]

For not liking Tolkien, you sure seem to be fixated on him. :)

Personally, I think you're secretly happy with the attention you get wearing your metaphorical "I Hate Tolkien" badge.

-=C

P.S. to Inkfox - Some people like to move slowly and have every point laboured. It's a taste thing, we all like different aspects of storytelling and that's a *good* thing.

Re: Heh

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yes. I am fixated on the mediocrity that saturates our culture.

Re: Heh

[melintur.livejournal.com]

Heheheheh. You're just *so* cute!

alone?

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

gee, I feel so alone in my enjoyment of Tolkien. Guess I'm just one of those sad people who can get swept away by books. I agree that it isn't the easiest book to read, and I agree that the deification of LotR has made some people more inclined to put it down.

If it ain't your bag, baby, it ain't your bag!

But it is *my* bag, baby, and I'm fiercely proud of it!

:P

From the author himself:

[melintur.livejournal.com]

"The Lord of the Rings
is one of those things.
If you like it then you do,
if you don't, then you 'Boo!'"

Re: alone?

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Gods, that came off and sounding really mean and snarky, and I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I like a lot of books that other people don't like, and sometimes I get tired of hearing that I'm dumb for liking what I like. Just a matter of personal tastes, I guess.

As for who would have invented High Fantasy--probably Lord Dunsany, but then, I don't think that the vision of High Fantasy/D&D type thing would have come out. It would have been very different from what we have now.

FWIW, Chris was very against reading LotR until he saw the trailer for the movie FotR. Then he read it, enjoyed it, though he still complained that Gandalf is a stereotype. and he hated the Ents, where I loved the Ents.

hugses--and I hope I can one day introduce you to an author you enjoy!!!

Re: alone?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

No offense taken! As I said in my earlier post on the subject, half of the reason I hate the Cult of Tolkein like I do is because I'm sick of constantly being told *I'm* dumb for disliking what I dislike.

*hugses* back!