Link [This is my Introduction to an in-process book of essays on Tolkien.] INTRODUCTION There has been a lot of ink spilled or scribbled & lovingly inscribed over JRR Tolkien and his magnum opus, the cycle of the Lord of the Rings and its legendarium
I really like your thoughts here. As an academic myself who has written and presented on Tolkien, I think your idea about Tolkien's power is spot on. As far as Moorcock, he write decent pulp stuff, but he's also kind of an idiot. His anti-Tolkien essay is pure envy. Smarter fantasy writers, like Gaiman, fully understand Tolkien's power.
As far as academics go, most in Lit Departments either ignore or hate Tolkien. I've spoken to Tom Shippey about this a few times (have you read him?) and we agree that this hate comes from basically being called out. You see, there is this whole postmodern thrust and all the academics are the cool kids on that bus, and then there is Tolkien, who not only was a better scholar than they could ever hope to be, but also just throws out the whole postmodern idea. He basically dismisses them. And since they have no center in the divine, they can't understand him.
I loved your remark about using Tolkien references when discussing Tolkien. Because my fellow academics are basically Melkor when he was tearing down all the other works of the Valar, because he wanted to be the only one who made things. Moorcock and many academics are just jealous.
But there are definitely some very good academics too, many who I am friends with. Asides from Tom Shippey, there is Micheal Drout, Pia Skogemmmann, and Ralph Wood. While I have some disagreements with Tom about Tolkien's ideas on evil, he is 100% in love with Tolkien, I can assure you.
I really like your thoughts here. As an academic myself who has written and presented on Tolkien, I think your idea about Tolkien's power is spot on. As far as Moorcock, he write decent pulp stuff, but he's also kind of an idiot. His anti-Tolkien essay is pure envy. Smarter fantasy writers, like Gaiman, fully understand Tolkien's power.
As far as academics go, most in Lit Departments either ignore or hate Tolkien. I've spoken to Tom Shippey about this a few times (have you read him?) and we agree that this hate comes from basically being called out. You see, there is this whole postmodern thrust and all the academics are the cool kids on that bus, and then there is Tolkien, who not only was a better scholar than they could ever hope to be, but also just throws out the whole postmodern idea. He basically dismisses them. And since they have no center in the divine, they can't understand him.
I loved your remark about using Tolkien references when discussing Tolkien. Because my fellow academics are basically Melkor when he was tearing down all the other works of the Valar, because he wanted to be the only one who made things. Moorcock and many academics are just jealous.
But there are definitely some very good academics too, many who I am friends with. Asides from Tom Shippey, there is Micheal Drout, Pia Skogemmmann, and Ralph Wood. While I have some disagreements with Tom about Tolkien's ideas on evil, he is 100% in love with Tolkien, I can assure you.