Most infulential Fantasy Writer

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-01-07 03:00pm

Who has had the most impact on the way that Fantasy fiction is written this century? Three Names keep showing up for the top Billing, maybe you think this is someone else.

The Official Nominee's are

J.R.R. Tolkien: Invented Languages, Mytholgies, and very detailed fleshed out worlds.

Robert H. Howard: Wrote for the style of Pulp Sci-Fi, and through Correspndance influenced the whole generation of that craft. Also credited for creating the majority of the mythos for his friend H.P. Lovecraft.

Clark Ashton Smith: Cited by many fantasy writers as being one of the stronger less known influences writing fantasy at the beginning of the Twentieth century.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-01-07 03:31pm

tolkien, lovecraft, or poe.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-01-07 03:44pm

note that Poe was a century before

Howard is creditted with being part of Lovecraft's innercircle, and was sitted by Lovecraft and by August Derleth as being thier influence.

Also Derleth stated that Howard invented the vast majority of the Mythos and how it relates, and many of the names for Lovecraft. Including: Narlytopeth, Shub-nebborroth, Hastur, the Migo, Bakyness etc.

Balrog · Post by **Balrog** » 2003-01-07 05:08pm

Bah, all the other fantasy writers are just copying off Tolkien. He's old skool dawg

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-01-07 05:14pm

Tolkien set all the rules for fantasy that we follow now. D&D wouldn't exist without the ideas of Tolkien. We have to remember that wizards with pointy hats is a recent fantasy phenomenon brought on by Tolkien, the whole idea of orcs, elves, halflings, dwarves, the way they act are all inspired by Tolkien and the world he created. His fantasy world lived and breathed, it had HISTORY. When you read it you really felt that there was so much more going on, so much backstory to know. It remians one of the pinacles of modern literarure in my mind.

Fantasy would not be what it is today if not for Tolkien and I think that says it all.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-01-07 05:49pm

Stravo wrote:Fantasy would not be what it is today if not for Tolkien and I think that says it all.

I agree with that sentiment. No one has put such a stamp on the fantasy genre (or anything other genre) as Tolkien has. No other single author so dominates his given genre.

Glare · Post by **Glare** » 2003-01-07 06:45pm

To be honest, Tolkien invented modern fantasy. Any game, artwork whatever that gets written, drawn, etc has the stereotypes he envisaged.

Next of Kin · Post by **Next of Kin** » 2003-01-07 06:46pm

Stravo wrote: Fantasy would not be what it is today if not for Tolkien and I think that says it all.

You're right that does say it all!

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-01-07 06:52pm

Glare wrote:To be honest, Tolkien invented modern fantasy. Any game, artwork whatever that gets written, drawn, etc has the stereotypes he envisaged.

Too true...

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-01-07 07:11pm

I have to agree that Tolkien is definetly the most influential on modern fantasy....though I'd be remiss not to tell you of an excellent modern fantasy, David Gemmel.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-01-07 07:14pm

Glare wrote:To be honest, Tolkien invented modern fantasy. Any game, artwork whatever that gets written, drawn, etc has the stereotypes he envisaged.

There is some good orginal fantasy out there. Make no mistake there is a great deal off Tolkien-knock off still floating around but there are orginal series and authors if you are willing to look.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-01-07 07:29pm

After looking at the poll, I must quote Harrison Ford from the Academy Awards:

"I am nominated to a category in which the competition is dead"

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-01-07 08:03pm

Since I've never heard of the other two, and every single fantasy writer since the 50s has done nothing but rip off Tolkien (HYPERBOLE) I'll go with goold ol' J.R.R. (A cookie for whoever gets the reference.)

Ted · Post by **Ted** » 2003-01-07 09:18pm

Tolkien said himself that he didn't invent Middle-Earth, or the Tale of the Lord of the Rings, but that he wrote down the story, as if it was passed down to him bylore masters.

He believed that Middle-Earth was REAL.

He said of Faramir that he didn't write him in, he didn't want him in, but he was there and that was that. And also of the destruction of the Palantir of Orthanc, he had no idea about it.

Kelly Antilles · Post by **Kelly Antilles** » 2003-01-07 09:45pm

Well, if Tolkien is considered the "grandfather" of fantasy writers, I'm glad that everyone after him learned how to WRITE. I can't read Tolkien. However, what about Homer? The Oddesy? The Anead (sp!)? That is true fantasy... oh, and don't forget Beowulf. The original.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-01-07 09:47pm

Tolkien's goal was to create a modern mythology and I think that he pretty much suceeded. I bet more folks know about LOTR than they do about Greek or Egyptian myth

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-01-07 10:05pm

Stravo wrote:Tolkien's goal was to create a modern mythology and I think that he pretty much suceeded. I bet more folks know about LOTR than they do about Greek or Egyptian myth

Not with such shows as Xena and Hercules, although they aren't exactly helpful and informative

Anywho my vote goes to.... Homer. 3000+ years on anyone else, and has stood the test of time. While Tolkien's masterpiece as the greatest English literary work of the this century, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey have withstood for ages and in a plethora of languages. They continue to be studied in literature classes today. On a side note; has anyone else thought how Tolkien's work reads very similarly to Homer's?* You know the whole poem writting style thingy? Or is that just me?

Regardless I vote Homer.

*Please don't take this to mean that Tolkien plagerised or copied Homer in any way shape or form. I am just simply pointing out a similarity between the first and the greatest literary achievement of Greek civilization - an epic poem without rival in the literature of the world, and the cornerstone of Western culture, and Proff Tolkien's modern masterpiece.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-01-07 10:07pm

However if we are talking about wich author has had more influence on present fantasy than with my limited knowledge I would say Tolkien. While no one has yet to grasp his epic writting style, his creations and ideas have been rehashed quite a bit.

However, having said that, I can't change my vote so, Homer it is for me.

Skelron · Post by **Skelron** » 2003-01-08 01:52am

Kelly Antilles wrote:Well, if Tolkien is considered the "grandfather" of fantasy writers, I'm glad that everyone after him learned how to WRITE. I can't read Tolkien. However, what about Homer? The Oddesy? The Anead (sp!)? That is true fantasy... oh, and don't forget Beowulf. The original.

I think Tolkien's Language problem (and it is confusing) Is not that he didn't know how to write it was that he knew language too well. He knew the 100% correct useage of words, the dictionary definitions, to a level that the average reader dosn't... After all he was the professor of language at Oxford, So I don't think the criticism is quite accurate.... Oh and in case no one can guess I too vote Tolkien. (Apart from anything else I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the Hobbit and LotR have shaped a large part of the person I am today. My Hobbies and interests all stem from an early introduction to the stories through my dad.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2003-01-08 03:45am

One writer to rule them all
One writer to find them
One writer to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them

Tolkien.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-01-08 03:55am

Although Tolkien and C.S. Lewis practically invented the genre, the "hack-and-slash" subgenre of fantasy owes more to Howard than to Tolkien.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-08 08:50am

J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Oh look, they were both close mates!

Guess great minds do think alike.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-01-08 08:51am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Oh look, they were both close mates!

Guess great minds do think alike.

Only in terms of fiction. CS Lewis was also a Christian apologist and liked making stupid arguments

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-01-08 09:27am

Kelly Antilles wrote:Well, if Tolkien is considered the "grandfather" of fantasy writers, I'm glad that everyone after him learned how to WRITE. I can't read Tolkien. However, what about Homer? The Oddesy? The Anead (sp!)? That is true fantasy... oh, and don't forget Beowulf. The original.

Tolkien's style which is a rather antiquated nowdays is hard to read. It's not that he couldn't write so much as he wrote in a very formal style even for his times. Try reading a traslation of Homer from the same time and you'll encounter the same tone.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-08 09:31am

Stormbringer wrote:
Kelly Antilles wrote:Well, if Tolkien is considered the "grandfather" of fantasy writers, I'm glad that everyone after him learned how to WRITE. I can't read Tolkien. However, what about Homer? The Oddesy? The Anead (sp!)? That is true fantasy... oh, and don't forget Beowulf. The original.
Tolkien's style which is a rather antiquated nowdays is hard to read. It's not that he couldn't write so much as he wrote in a very formal style even for his times. Try reading a traslation of Homer from the same time and you'll encounter the same tone.

Well he was an Oxford English professor, I also hear they have found a hidden book of his in some old room at one of the colleges there too, to be published later this year.

In anycase, The Lord of the Rings was harder for me to get into unlike The Chronicles of Narnia. I'm still trying to read Fellowship of the Ring since I gave up just before the film came out.

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