Tolkien Influenced

[Melko Belcha]

I did a search for this and didn't find this topic.

What book do you think has the most Tolkien influence?

This can cover books you respect or complete rip offs.

My choice go's to The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I really liked this story and am a big fam of TB but this book was mainly a LOTR copy. There is so many similarities between the two it is impossible not to notice.

But still this is a great book and I highly recomend it.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Melko Belcha
I did a search for this and didn't find this topic.

What book do you think has the most Tolkien influence?

This can cover books you respect or complete rip offs.

My choice go's to The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I really liked this story and am a big fam of TB but this book was mainly a LOTR copy. There is so many similarities between the two it is impossible not to notice.

But still this is a great book and I highly recomend it. The Sword of Shannara wasn't a bad book, but I remember when it was published and it really did seem to me that Terry Brooks was capitalizing on Tolkien's work. I didn't like it.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I agree with both of you. :p *Fiddler on the Roof flashback*

ANYWAY, I do like it, and think it's a good book, but I also dislike the way the storyline is so very similar to LOTR. But fortunately, none of his later works had a similar problem (that I saw, at least).

[Melko Belcha]

After Sword he defantely got more original with Elfstones. But yes I did enjoy Sword very much.

[Ruinel]

hmmm... good question... I wonder if Beowulf had an influence (I know it made an impact on me).

Edit: oh, woops... I misread... I thought it was what literature had an influence on Tolkien. Whoa!!! Never mind!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I was wondering... :p I thought 'Surely she's joking.' ;)

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
I was wondering... :p I thought 'Surely she's joking.' ;)

No... I was not. :p I suppose you've never read Beowulf. :( How truely sad.

[Melko Belcha]

Beowulf was one of Tolkiens biggest influences, along with the Elder Edda, and the Kalevala. Tolkien's essay on Beowulf is held in very high respect.

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by Melko Belcha
Beowulf was one of Tolkiens biggest influences, along with the Elder Edda, and the Kalevala. Tolkien's essay on Beowulf is held in very high respect.

heh heh heh heh.;)

[Anglorfin]

Each fantasy novel has at least a drop of Tolkien in it. It is tribute to his greatness I guess.

If I could extend this to movies or anime series though I'd say the Record of Lodoss War has the most Tolkien related stuff. You can make some pretty amazing parallels. It's a good story and all but sometimes the blatant Tolkien rips agitate me. For instance there is a dwarf named Ghim, the party of heroes goes through an underground passage but suffers great loss because they were attacked by Goblins. There is a lot that when I notice it gets on my nerves.

[Elvengirl]

Originally posted by Anglorfin
Each fantasy novel has at least a drop of Tolkien in it. It is tribute to his greatness I guess.

Very true, after all Tolkien practacally started the genre of fantasy.


I read a series called The Iron Tower Trilogy by Dennis McKiernan. It was a very well written story. I couldn't put it down, it was very exciting. The only thing that was upsetting was it is practically copied from LOTR. It had a different plot, but with sooo many similariites. There were halflings, elves named Valinor and Gildor, a dwarf that could have been Gimli, Moria, and Lothlorien, and I think you get the point. But I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good story.