I don't think that Tolkien has particularly ruined fantasy for me, because I still enjoy reading books by other authors. For example, Mercedes Lackey is my next favorite author, other than Tolkien, and currently, I am engaged in the book "The Magician" by Raymond E. Feist. Of course, while I was reading it, I started choking because the Elves are almost exactly like Tolkien's Elves (in having a long lifespan), they even go to the Blessed Isles when they die, they have incredible skills with animals and woodcraft, and the Dark Elves, the enemies of the good Elves, are called "moredhel." I don't know about you, but I would definitely call that copying.
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But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.
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