To answer my own question, I'd throw out a couple of names.
A.S. Byatt, who is widely respected among scholarly Victorianists (read: about 50 people worldwide
), became better known in the '90s for penning Possession. This was the first of her books I read, and while it took a while (it's something like 600 pages, small type
), it was one of those books, like The Silmarillion, that is like eating a rich meal. You have to go slowly, enjoy it bit by bit, and appreciate the complexities. What impressed me the most was the sheer variety of writing styles, all of them mastered. The book contains prose, poetry, letters, diary entries, and jumps from the 1980s to the Victorian era and back again. In fact, I thought of Tolkien constantly as I read the book - never had I read anything that had anywhere near the same depth and richness, and sheer mastery of written word as his works before!
Once I had read this book, I found some short stories by Byatt, in a compilation called The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye. A couple were also printed in Possession, but several were new. They are like fairy tales for adults - creepy, but with that certain handling of language and image that creates the exquisite
feel of a true fairy tale. I guess it's one of those things that's hard to put your finger on, and maybe a subject for another post. Nevertheless, though Tolkien doesn't have "short stories" per se, there are many condensations of much longer tales within his greater works that have that same feel (like the tales of Beren and Luthien, or Turin Turambar).
Another name I'd throw out there is somewhat better known, at least in my mind, Anchee Min. She wrote her autobiography, Red Azalea, about growing up in Maoist China. Her writing is very simple, not at all on the same level as Tolkien with nuance and subtlety, but her expressiveness is really what touches me. It was like reading 1984, only it was a true story. It was terrifying, hopeless at times, but she masters one theme in particular that Tolkien did as well - courage, and the triumph of the human (or hobbit) spirit in the face of certain destruction.
Well, those are my thoughts. I tried to relate aspects of the above choices back to Tolkien to keep it appropriate for this forum. I can't wait to hear some of your answers!