The Desolation of Tolkien: Not a Movie Review [Guest Post]

By GW Thomas

First, a little explanation of the title. I saw that one of the chapters in John C Wright's book, Transhuman and Subhuman (2014) was "The Desolation of Tolkien" and I thought, "Finally, someone is going to talk about it!" Imagine my surprise when I read it and all Wright was doing was reviewing the second Hobbit film. (I agree with his review, but still: disappointed.) I realized after that, I'd have to write about it.

What I am referring to is: how does a fantasy writer work today? You have no choice but to decide you will ignore Tolkien, consciously write against him, or accept him and sadly give up and run down to Hobbiton. Tolkien casts a long shadow, and a wide one. You have no choice. Decide. In this way, Tolkien has desolated the fantasy field, though I doubt that was ever his intention.

Let me explain better. Imagine if you will, you are a writer. You want to create a fantastic story that is not explainable as science fiction, nor intended to solely chill you like horror. It's a tale of wonders, set in an imaginary world perhaps. If you include even one non-human race your reader will wonder, are they elves or orcs or ents or somesuch? (And if you don't use any, does the reader feel cheated?) If you have cities in your world, that reader will expect that armies will march from said centers to engage in battle. You may not want to do any of these things, but the expectation is there. Lin Carter proved this with the Ballantine Fantasy Series back in 1971. According to an interview he gave Amazing Stories, the books that were most like Tolkien sold the best. According to ST Joshi, even masters of early fantasy like Clark Ashton Smith failed to sell. Carter did us a great service, introducing many forgotten books like Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword (1951), but it had elves and it did better. Enough so that Anderson wrote some new books in the series. Tolkien is everywhere.

Don't believe me? What are they calling George RR Martin, who married the popular Lord of the Rings with Dune to create A Song of Ice and Fire? The American Tolkien! Game of Thrones was sold to HBO as "Sopranos in Middle Earth." George made his decision. He can work within the Tolkien tradition. I think he does it better than Terry Brooks or Stephen R Donaldson or David Eddings or any of those endless series writers, but they all dwell in the Land of Tolkien. In Brooks' case, intentionally.

As Peter S Beagle explains in The Secret History of Fantasy (2010), the Ballantines knew what the reading public wanted, knowing The Sword of Shannara was a pale imitation, but a guaranteed money-maker. I heard Terry Brooks talk on the radio back in the 1980s. From his words you would have thought nobody had written a fantasy before that Oxford Don with the extra middle initials. And perhaps he is right? Who cares about William Morris or Lord Dunsany, ER Eddison or James Branch Cabell or... Have we learned nothing from Richard Adams' Watership Down? A bestseller that looked more to Homer than Tolkien. It can be done, but it isn't.

What of sword-and-sorcery? Robert E Howard predates Tolkien; exists without him. But Howard's shadow is almost as big. Choose one form of darkness or another. (So LOTR fans will get it, do you choose Sauron or Sarumon?) Many choose to write under Howard's umbrella, seeking their own place there, much as some horror writers are perfectly happy to lie under Lovecraft's Mythos shadow. No one exists in a vacuum, but a good writer needs to feel the sun on his or her face once in awhile. To breath the fresh air and spy out their own landscapes.

One thing both Howard and Tolkien (as well as CS Lewis and ER Eddison) would agree on is a love of the "Northern Thing." What is that? It's an old sensation that anyone reading through a copy of East of the Sun and West of the Moon or seeing the artwork of Kay Nielsen or John Bauer for the first time understands. Related to that is a love of the Arabesque, that you can find when you read One Thousand and One Nights. Does commercial chock-a-block fantasy do this anymore? Do any of these fat paperback writers make you feel that Northern breeze? The heft of the sword in your hand? The pulse of magic in the air? Would a photocopy of a photocopy of the Mona Lisa amaze you the same way as standing in front the original painting? You might glimpse some sense of Da Vinci's brilliance, but not all. Is it any different with Tolkienesque fantasy? I think not. The Ballantines created a new publishing market and that's good for writers (food and paying the electrical bills are always good), but it is bad for readers. Innovation can't dwell in the shadow of old John Ronald Reuel.

So what can we do? How do we write something new about something old? I have no idea. If I did, I'd be doing it right now. And making a killing setting up the next wave of fantasy books. Will someone some day accomplish this? I think so. It may take a century or so, but one day Tolkien will fade into the background, as did Morris, Dunsany, and the rest. In our time now, with our still-current Peter Jackson films, a Game of Thrones TV show, (not to mention The Shannara Chronicles!), video games like World of Warcraft, and all those fat paperbacks... well, we will have to wait. That long, cold shadow isn't going anywhere soon.

GW Thomas has appeared in over 400 different books, magazines and ezines including The Writer, Writer's Digest, Black October Magazine and Contact. His website is gwthomas.org. He is editor of Dark Worlds magazine.

100-Page Check-In: Running with the Demon

Before I talk about the first book (chronologically, anyway) in Terry Brooks' Shannara series, I just realized that I never came back and said anything else about Matt Ruff's Bad Monkeys. And shame on me, because it was fantastic. Five out of five Ray Guns That Look Like Toys But Really Aren't. Too much time has passed for me to give it a proper review, but even if I'd just finished it I'd hate to reveal more about it than I already have. I have to at least mention it though for a couple of reasons. 1) To assuage a small part of the guilt I'll probably always feel for not forcing everyone I ever meet in the future to read this book, and 2) because it's fundamentally changed the way I'm implementing the 100-Page Rule from now on. Like with Airborn, I got to page 100 of Running with the Demon and wasn't sure how to proceed. The book wasn't Bad, but I wasn't wholly sure that I could call it Good either. By the letter of the Rule, the book has to be Good by page 100 for me to keep reading it. If nothing else, Airborn taught me to trust my instincts on that and not keep reading in hope (however reasonable) that it was going to get better. But with Running with the Demon, I genuinely didn't know by page 100 whether or not I was enjoying it. My problem is this: Terry Brooks has a fantastic imagination and is an excellent creator of worlds. He's also the worst offender of the Show, Don't Tell Rule I've ever read. I heard him say at a bookstore reading once that he doesn't revise his manuscripts. I don't know if that's still true, but if it is... I really wish he would. Some tightening up would make his stuff so much more enjoyable. Running with the Demon is chronologically the first book in the Shannara series. I read Sword of Shannara and Elfstones of Shannara as a kid and loved them. Even though Sword blatantly rips off Lord of the Rings, at the time more Lord of the Rings was exactly what I wanted. Obviously I wasn't alone, because the book did extremely well and launched Brooks' career. The immediate sequels came out when I was in college and shortly after and I didn't have a lot of time to read, so I never got around to them. But I remember being very curious about all the hints Brooks dropped that his fantasy world was actually the post-apocalyptic future of - if not our world - a world very much like ours. I wanted to know more and when the prequel First King of Shannara came out, I ate it up. Brooks left mysteries unrevealed though, so I've always wanted to go back and see how it all began. Running with the Demon is supposed to be that book. What I'd hoped for was a book that started very much in the real world and then slowly began to introduce fantasy elements to it. That's not at all how Running with the Demon begins. After a prologue that introduces a character we don't meet again in the first 100 pages, we meet Nest, a young girl in the small town of Hopewell, Illinois. Instead of letting us get to know Nest as a real person though, the book opens with her talking to a wood sprite. Immediately, this doesn't feel like our world at all. It's not even really like ours. Sure the geography's the same, but it's a world in which faeries and magic and dark forces are all well-known to the main character. I wanted to be eased into the magic so that I could feel some wonder about it; instead I was asked to take for granted that magic exists. It didn't feel like a starting point. I complained about this to a buddy and he reminded me that this isn't really the first book in the series. Brooks likely expects that you've read the other stuff already. It's like watching Phantom Menace before you've ever seen Star Wars. It sounds like a good idea on paper, but they're really not intended to be experienced in that order. Unfortunately, that's how I want to experience the Shannara series: in chronological order, watching the world unfold and develop. If I can't, I've already lost some interest. I lose more interest because of Brooks' writing style. Rather than reveal characters and back story organically, Brooks spends pages and pages just telling you what's happened to everyone previously and how they feel about it. It's vital information, so you can't just skip over it, but it's so... boring! When Nest arrives at Sinnissippi Park - a major setting for the novel, but one that Nest has conceivably visited every day of her life - Brooks has her pause and stare at it for a while so he can fill us in on the creatures that live there. Another time, he wastes a paragraph on Nest's remorse about letting a screen door slam. The book's full of this kind of stuff, but it's not just Running with the Demon. Brooks does the same thing in the other books of his that I've read. That's his style. There's a big part of me that wants to know what happens to Nest (and that guy from the prologue). There's also an actual demon living in Hopewell and stirring up trouble. Unlike Airborn, I'm genuinely curious about what's going to happen. And I'm especially curious to see how it eventually connects with the adventures of the Shannara family with all their swords, elfstones, and wishsongs. But if I'm counting correctly, Brooks has written twenty Shannara novels so far. That's a major commitment for someone who reads as - let's be kind - "leisurely" as I do. Do I really want to force myself through all of Brooks' exposition to get that whole story? Or would I be better served by just reading the Wikipedia summaries to satisfy my curiosity about the connections? The answer to that came from Bad Monkeys. See, when I got to page 100 of Bad Monkeys there was no question about whether or not I was going to keep at it. It wasn't a Good book. It was Awesome. And that's the way it should be. If a book is worth reading, shouldn't you be genuinely excited to keep going no matter what page you're on? Bad Monkeys reminded me of what reading is supposed to be like. So here's the new rule. When I get to page 100, I have to answer the following question. Am I more excited about finishing this book or starting the next one in my pile? It's so simple really. I don't know why I haven't thought of it in those terms before. And using that criteria, Running with the Demon fails. I'd much rather start my next book. It's about Valkyries and Ragnarok.

And Now the News: One Dino-Flick; Hold the Grudge

Michael Crichton pirate movie



I didn't know that Michael Crichton finished a pirate novel before he died. I guess it takes Steven Spielberg's making a movie out of it for me to learn these things.

The He-Lion's Lair



Pappy's got the story.

The Asylum's The Land That Time Forgot



I've quit paying attention to new Asylum releases, no matter how awesome they sound on paper. That's because I know that even if there's a great story to the movie (unlikely), they'll ruin it with cheap (if any) special effects.

So, Robert Hood's talking about me (however indirectly) when he says that The Land That Time Forgot "will not be forgiven by many net-critics for being made by the notorious Asylum — but at the risk of sounding like an apologist for the company, I don’t think such an attitude is fair."

He goes on to point out that the Asylum's crappy effects are still better than the goofy puppets in the Doug McClure version and similar B-movies. And of course he's absolutely right. My big beef with the Asylum is that they tend to market themselves as something better than they are, but really once you know what they are you can't say anymore that they tricked you. The question then is: taken for what you know Asylum films are, is it possible to still enjoy them on their own merits?

Hood obviously thinks so. He recommends the movie for people who "like dino-flicks — and don’t carry grudges." I certainly like dinosaur movies; I'm curious to see if I can get past my grudge. I think I'll try The Land That Time Forgot with a more open mind and see how it goes.

Pixar's Dinosaur movie?



/Film speculates that Pixar is probably working on a dinosaur-themed short film. They have to connect a lot of dots to come up with that, but it's some really strong dot-connecting. I wouldn't bet against them.

Diamond Bomb



Sleestak's having a lot of fun creating his own pulp heroine called Diamond Bomb. I love the world he's building for her and the art he's collected to support the illusion is fantastic.

The Anchor interview



My fellow Robot 6 member Tim O'Shea talks to Phil Hester about his new immortal-Viking demon-hunter series.

Sword of Shannara newspaper strip



Like Tom Spurgeon, I had no idea that there'd ever been a Sword of Shannara newspaper strip. Fortunately, Steven Thompson's got them all and is willing to share.

The Unauthorized but True Story of Adventures of Superman



If you pay constant attention to my sidebar (and why wouldn't you?) you've maybe noticed that I've been watching the old Adventures of Superman series off and on for a while. It's mostly cheesy and formulaic, but there's such love in it from everyone involved that you can't help but feel good while watching it. And some of the episodes are actually quite entertaining even from an objective point-of-view.

So it's cool that Tim O'Shea had another interview this week with Michael J. Hayde, author of a book about not only the George Reeves TV show, but also the radio program that preceded it. I want to know more about the TV show and I know nothing about the radio version, so I'll be needing this book.

No more Milestone at DC?



This is really, really disappointing.

I've been resisting talking about this.



I mean, a) it's hardly an adventure comic, and b) it's nothing more than a publicity stunt that - because it's set in the future - doesn't actually affect the status quo of Archie's never-changing world at all.

So, why am I discussing it now? Mainly because Glen Weldon's article about Imaginary Stories in general has helped me put the "event" in perspective. Since Archie's world really is never going to change - and he's never going to pick between Betty and Veronica - why not do a speculative story about what would happen if he did? This one happens to be about what would happen if he picked Veronica. I'd be shocked if they aren't already planning a second mini-series about what happens if he picks Betty. I'd rather read the Betty one, but since an in-continuity decision is impossible, I'm actually kind of pleased that they've come up with an alternative way of telling that story.

The Awesome List: animated Batman movie, Shannara comic, Burn Notice DVD, Jungle Girl movies, the JLA movie, and more.

Batman: Dark Knight



Warner Brothers is releasing a DVD cartoon on July 8 that bridges the gap between Batman Begins and Batman: Dark Knight, which comes out in theaters ten days later.

Turok review

If you're curious about the Indians vs. Dinosaurs cartoon I mentioned earlier, Mike Sterling can tell you all about it.

Shannara graphic novel

Publishers Weekly has an interview with Terry Brooks about the comicbookization of his fantasy series. He talks about a lot of stuff including why he decided to come back to the character of Jair Ohmsford from Wishsong:

"I’d done a short story called 'Indomitable' a few years back for a Legends collection, and it was an attempt to pick up on what happened with Jair Ohmsford, who was one of the two main characters in Wishsong of Shannara. He was just a boy in there, and I thought I’d grow him up a bit. After I finished it, it just seemed like there was more to do with Jair if I chose to do it. At that time, though, I was moving ahead with the stories and didn’t really want to spend any more time on that generation.... But when it came time to do the graphic novel, I thought, this really is a good place to pursue it."

The graphic novel Dark Wraith of Shannara comes out March 25.

Burn Notice Season One DVD



Looks like Burn Notice, the best new show last year, is coming to DVD. It's only a rumor for now, but c'mon. Of course it is. And shortly before Season Two begins this summer, no doubt.

Jungle Girls Gone Wild

I'm so getting this.

Justice League movie

I haven't said much about the Justice League movie during the writers strike because it all seemed like non-news. Of course the strike put the movie on hold; of course the movie's back on now that the writers are working again. Not exactly a scoop.

But in case it needs explicit confirmation: yes, the Justice League movie is still on and yes, it's still starring Megan Gale as Wonder Woman.

Addison back on Grey's Anatomy

Private Practice's post-strike hiatus has freed up Kate Walsh to return to Grey's Anatomy for an episode or two.

Nobody cares but me? Okay, then.

Links: Shannara movies, Kill All Monsters!, and Captain Action

Still catching up.

Mystery

• CBS rules. Jericho has been renewed.
• Play Dead -- about a dog who witnesses a murder and the lawyer who tries to keep him safe -- isn't at all the kind of mystery I usually read, but that might be part of the attraction I'm feeling.
• I don't know anything about Domino Lady, but I do love a crossover and a good femme fatale, so Moonstone's collection of Domino Lady stories -- featuring her meeting folks like Sherlock Holmes, The Phantom, and Airboy -- sounds worth checking out.

Spies

• My Kill All Monsters! collaborator Jason Copland has an interview out on Newsarama about the thriller he and A. David Lewis did called Empty Chamber. The first issue was fantastic and the second one should be out soon (next week, I think?). Update: In the comments, Jason says that he just heard from Silent Devil that it'll be out July 27.
• I'm not expecting much from it, but Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator) is directing a movie based on the Spy Hunter video game. The Rock was previously attached as the film's star a couple of years ago when John Woo was going to direct it. No word yet on whether he'll still be in it.

Horror

• Horror novelist Peter Straub is writing a graphic novel for DC/Vertigo.
• The trailer's out for Will Smith's I Am Legend movie. It's very coy about whether the threat is vampires (like in the book) or zombies (yawn) or something else, but it looks good so far.

Fantasy

• Warner Brothers wants to turn Terry Brookes' Shannara books into a movie franchise. Wisely, they plan to skip the first novel in the series, the Tolkein rip-off Sword of Shannara, and begin with the second book, The Elfstones of Shannara. As much as I complain about Brookes' style and the derivative plot of Sword, I really do have a fond place in my heart for these books and I'd love to see them done well as a series of movies.
• It's been a while since I'd heard news about the next Narnia movies. Sounds like the next one, Prince Caspian, comes out next summer, with the third one, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, coming out the summer after that.

Blogger's acting weird, so I think I'm going to have to finish this in a separate post.