The Value of fantasy

[Lush]

"Nowadays people know the price of everything, and the value of nothing..."

Sorry, but there is really nothing like a good Oscar Wilde epigram to start me off.
At this point in time, people have discovered that fantasy makes money; a little escapism in a troubled world, a little bit of magic sprinkled on the concerte cement blocks that we walk on in modern times, and stories that are a rich feast for the mind and somehow relevant to our daily lives all the same, what could be more profitable?
I am watching all this with bemusement: the hoopla will die down over the next few years, but the true lovers of the genre will be toughing it out, so I'm not worried.
I do, however, believe that the die-hard fans, as well as the fickle ones are all equally important. All can make a contribution, and all will take something away from Tolkien's works.