If Tolkien never wrote fiction
 

What would have happened? Would Tolkien had been just another professor at Oxford? Would he have deciphered some extinct language?

Also, would fantasy have gone anywhere as a genre? Would anybody else have been inspired to write it? Just a thought-starter

I personally think if Tolkien had not written such creative material, someone else would have. It may have been during tolkien's time, maybe later, but the concept would have been thought of by someone. Where he developed the ideas for middle-earth are all around us, it is in legend and myth, story and rhyme.

Or if you are a person who believes in fate or destiny, he took full opprotunity of that!

Personally I think that Tolkein was intended to achieve greatness, but if he hadn't written fiction he would have been famous only in linguistic circles.

And fantasy may have evolved anyway, but it wouldn't be anything like we know it today.

Plus, we might all have to *gasp* GET LIVES!!!

Geez, I dodn;t even want to think what would be with our literature if tolkien didn;t write LOTR. Of course fantasy would be as a genre,... but without LOTR it wouldn't be the same.

Personally, I think fantasy would have continued top be seen as a pure kiddie genre.


Very true.

[ July 18, 2002: Message edited by: Aldagrim Proudfoot ]

What a horrible thought...

if Tolkien never wrote fiction, his name would not be known to anyone. He would be gone and forgotten. The words "Beren" and "Luthien" would not be on he and his wife's epitaphs. The Barrow Downs would not exist, and I'd still have to settle for unmoderated "Flame-as-you-please" forums where I would desperately be trying to defend the subject matter of them. I'd turn my devoted fandom to a less worthy subject, such as a rock group or popular anime show. In fact, so would all of you.

Have I scared everyone enough? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ August 15, 2002: Message edited by: Ithaeliel ]