Author Topic: The Gathering Storm Chapter One  (Read 19519 times)

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #75 on: September 18, 2009, 09:50:31 PM »
Bad choice of words, you may prefer many authors to Tolkien but it is impossible to be superior than the Father of English Fantasy.
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JCHancey

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #76 on: September 19, 2009, 12:13:25 AM »
Bad choice of words, you may prefer many authors to Tolkien but it is impossible to be superior than the Father of English Fantasy.

It is possible. In my opinion, his story is not as captivating as others, and story is what I care about.
RJF: "I spit upon the ground where you no longer ever existed."

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #77 on: September 19, 2009, 04:20:15 AM »
I could argue with you all day about this..but that would be a waste of time.

Undisputed Fact: J.R.R. Tolkien paved the way for English (and through it American) Fantasy to become main stream... and even if you don't like his work for this (which i believe proves he IS the bar) you should be thankful.
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

"Take off your sandals, for you are posting on holy ground." -  Yahweh Kaz

"Chaos, go to your room!" - Momma Kaz

Kestrel

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #78 on: September 20, 2009, 08:02:28 AM »
I could argue with you all day about this..but that would be a waste of time.

Undisputed Fact: J.R.R. Tolkien paved the way for English (and through it American) Fantasy to become main stream... and even if you don't like his work for this (which i believe proves he IS the bar) you should be thankful.

Paving the way for modern fantasy has nothing to do with whether or not his work is actually objectively enjoyable.

Publius

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #79 on: September 20, 2009, 01:32:01 PM »
I could argue with you all day about this..but that would be a waste of time.

Undisputed Fact: J.R.R. Tolkien paved the way for English (and through it American) Fantasy to become main stream... and even if you don't like his work for this (which i believe proves he IS the bar) you should be thankful.

Paving the way for modern fantasy has nothing to do with whether or not his work is actually objectively enjoyable.

I find J.R.R. Tolkien to be boring, I have never found elves, dwarves, and magic staffs to be that interesting. To be honest, I think there generic and boring. With that being said, I think you need to give credit where credits due, at one point J.R.R. Tolkien was cutting edge fiction.

Without Tolkien, Robert Jordan may have wrote all westerns, which could have led Brandon Sanderson down the road of Dime Store Romance Novels.
Man is not free unless government is limited ~ Ronald Reagan

douglas

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #80 on: September 20, 2009, 04:06:50 PM »
I find J.R.R. Tolkien to be boring, I have never found elves, dwarves, and magic staffs to be that interesting. To be honest, I think there generic and boring. With that being said, I think you need to give credit where credits due, at one point J.R.R. Tolkien was cutting edge fiction.
You have to realize, though, that they're generic and boring specifically because Tolkien did them and everyone imitated him.  As far as those things go he is the original, and when he was writing and being published they were anything but generic because he was the only one using them.  They only became generic later because he was so spectacularly successful and got imitated so many times.

happyman

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #81 on: September 20, 2009, 08:35:27 PM »
I find J.R.R. Tolkien to be boring, I have never found elves, dwarves, and magic staffs to be that interesting. To be honest, I think there generic and boring. With that being said, I think you need to give credit where credits due, at one point J.R.R. Tolkien was cutting edge fiction.
You have to realize, though, that they're generic and boring specifically because Tolkien did them and everyone imitated him.  As far as those things go he is the original, and when he was writing and being published they were anything but generic because he was the only one using them.  They only became generic later because he was so spectacularly successful and got imitated so many times.

I've known this for a while now, but I wonder if my own intense wonder at Tolkien's world was because my father read them to me before I had a chance to absorb all the inferior imitators?
Nature hates being reified.

JCHancey

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #82 on: September 21, 2009, 03:10:17 AM »
His books are dull. I'm sorry, but that's what I think. Sure he paved the way for modern Fantasy, but he's still boring. Hate me or love me, Jordan>Tolkien. "Inferior imitators" I laughed a little. I know people of the atheistic type who would rather read the bible than Tolkien. I give credit where it's due, so here's to you Tolkien! *clapping maniacally*
RJF: "I spit upon the ground where you no longer ever existed."

happyman

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #83 on: September 22, 2009, 03:47:47 AM »
His books are dull. I'm sorry, but that's what I think. Sure he paved the way for modern Fantasy, but he's still boring. Hate me or love me, Jordan>Tolkien. "Inferior imitators" I laughed a little. I know people of the atheistic type who would rather read the bible than Tolkien. I give credit where it's due, so here's to you Tolkien! *clapping maniacally*

Here's a hint:  I loved the books.  They sucked me in and enthralled me.  Whenever a chapter finished, we (my sisters were also there) would always ask to keep going (just one more!)  Being chased by the Nazgul scared the daylights out of me.  The fact that the book bores *you* means absolutely nothing compared to these memories I have.  You can have a different opinion.  Just don't act like I'm stupid for having a different one, especially when it comes to something as subjective as aesthetic taste.
Nature hates being reified.

JCHancey

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #84 on: September 22, 2009, 06:20:53 AM »
Calm yourself, I'm giving my opinion and my experience of the books, as you have. I never meant to imply that you're stupid because of reading them (and I don't see how I could have...).
RJF: "I spit upon the ground where you no longer ever existed."

happyman

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #85 on: September 22, 2009, 07:34:22 PM »
I'm not going to say much more except to note that I was not including Robert Jordan when I talked about inferior imitators.  I was noting how our experiences differed in relevant ways and refering to the many imitators who are inferior.
Nature hates being reified.

Braus

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Re: The Gathering Storm Chapter One
« Reply #86 on: September 27, 2009, 03:49:54 PM »
Ive read Tolkiens Ring Triology 1.5 times.

Jordans WOT at least 3 times all the way from new spring to knife of dreams, and ive listened to the books in audio two times straight and repeated alot of chapters for fun except that :) So enough said. The only other author that even comes near when it comes to entertainment reading for me, is Patrick OŽBrian's series about Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin.

Im not saying that Robert Jordan is a better Author than Tolkien, that Wheel of time is better than tolkiens work etc. Even if i might think so, that is i rather read it/buy the books. BUT if someone starts Jordan bashing(going on all sorts of forums, even had this guy who created a account on dragonmount.com and started spamming how much jordan sucked and threats that if the moderators deleted his posts he would hack all jordan fansites. He was named binaryworm i think) all hell will break loose :)