Is this all there is?

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Alcarillo

Yes, it is mostly a parody of LotR, which has become a sort of role-model for young authors to admire. When they do try to write a Tolkienesque fantasy it usually comes out as the site describes.

So why's Tolkien so much better than all the rest? Well, for a start, his works came before most of the modern popular fantasy novels; some were published before him (e.g. Gormenghast in 1950?), but the bulk of the genre followed the bloom of his popularity in the late 60's. Everyone else must follow in his wake, and will inevitably be compared to him - I wonder how many fantasy novels feature something about Tolkien in their blurb? Offhand, I know that I've seen him mentioned on the covers and reviews for His Dark Materials, Harry Potter, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, etc...

I actually think that fantasy must be one of the most difficult genres to work within. The master of the genre has already been and gone, and there are so many of us who will make sweeping statements just like the one I have made, that it would be almost impossible to convince us otherwise! And that's despite the fact that I'd love there to be another Tolkien...

Note: All fantasy worlds are roughly square. i.e. the shape of the double page of a paperback.

This, however, is one of the funniest things I've read in ages.