Trampling the Legacy, Remaking the Myth - Page 7
© Michael Martinez
A common complaint among fantasy readers is that there really is nothing like The Lord of the Rings. Sure, a few authors have truly dedicated fan bases. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is mentioned a great deal. But Robert Jordan has yet to earn the recognition that Tolkien has. And Robert Jordan hasn't even come close to having the impact on the popular imagination that Tolkien has had. Things are related to Tolkien of which Tolkien never even conceived. Even ElfQuest owes something to Tolkien, but there is only the vaguest, most distant resemblance between ElfQuest and The Lord of the Rings.
Which brings me to a point where I want to touch upon another topic: I'd like to see a Middle-earth comic. I doubt anyone would do it right. Not at first. We've seen "graphic novel" adaptations, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, there should be one or two daily comic strips which inhabit Middle-earth. Why? Because Middle-earth is growing. It never stopped growing. We just disguise it with other names. But there are still a lot of Middle-earth stories being told today.
Many people might say, "Sure, but they are so bad when compared to Tolkien." Yes, they are bad when compared to Tolkien, but the comparison isn't fair. Whether it's because editors feel Tolkien's style wouldn't sell today (I find that hard to believe, since The Lord of the Rings is one of the all-time best-selling books), or because authors simply feel intimidated by Tolkien's style, people are just not trying to publish books like Tolkien's.
Maybe some people really feel they can write better than Tolkien, but I don't think so. I just think they believe they can tell stories which are more relevant to today's readership than Tolkien's stories. That is the mistake. There is really no sex in Tolkien (except for all the babies Sam and Rosie have, and Arwen's promise to cleave to Aragorn). There isn't really any profanity. There is a lot of bloodshed but relatively little gore.
Tolkien doesn't try to provoke the reader into disgust or outrage. He just wants to entertain a friendly audience with an exciting tale. He doesn't pull out any gimmicks to spice it up. Today's authors could learn a thing or two from Tolkien. Today's editors could improve the pool of fantasy books by selecting a few good old-fashioned stories that don't try to break new ground. New ground will be broken properly when the authors learn how to get back to basics. C.J. Cherryh can write a story about Elves which is moving and compelling. Not everyone is C.J. Cherryh, though.
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