[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I'm sure Tolkien would have been aware of horror at the very least, and I think he may well have read quite a bit too, as he was very fond of contemporary fantasy and sci-fi. Though maybe he veered away from the 'pulp' and went more for the classics of the genres ...

Lal, if by "pulp" you are picking up on my reference to the works of HP Lovecraft, I am afraid that I will have to disagree with you. He is often given this label and I acknowledge that his works are not considered literary classics. Then again, we often complain that Tolkien's works similarly are not accorded classic status. I would argue that Lovecraft's works are actually a lot better than he is generally given credit for and are certainly not deserving of the "pulp" label they seem to have acquired.

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Tolkien does supply us with a few more gripping details as far as the fell beasts go

Yes, but they are still not clearly defined. Are they birds? If so, they are featherless. Are they reptiles? No clear answer is given. Indeed, those additional descriptions that you give, to my mind, merely serve to heighten their horror by the vagueness of their description rather than giving any clear picture of what they actually looked like. Some clues are given, by reference to things (like vultures) that we are familiar with, but most is left to the imagination. It is very similar to the way in which Lovecraft describes his horrors.

Originally Posted by Tolkien via Macalure

Luminous these were too, beautiful and yet horrible of shape, like the demented forms of an uneasy dream ...

The similarity here with Lovecraft's style is uncanny. The possibility of a connection of sorts is beginning to intrigue me ...