I am reading the Fellowwhip of the Ring too for the very first time. Being a fantasy fan and never reading it before seemed like blasphemy, now I finally understand why it had such a huge impact on culture. It's really special.

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~nataraja64 wrote (thread):

It seems to me, Tolkien (at least Hobbit which I have read) achieves a degree of classicism and style on par with other speculative fiction founders, like Poe, Kipling, H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds, but really all his short stories of mystery and adventure); a grade which most sci-fi and fantasy seem to me not to attain (I like Greg Egan and Heinlein but it's not the same to me), among those great writers of classic literature that has survived many cycles of hype or fame. Perhaps because so much of spec fic golden era (50s, 60s) was driven by pulp magazines which demanded quick production (like the internet today, patreon etc) and not a work of care and patience.

But I'm super curious, regardless, about your suggestions for contemporary/web or social media french writers, in poetry, in fantasy, SF or any short stories; printed books welcome, maybe a post here on this theme? :)

~rez wrote:

There are so many options now, it’s easy to see why people come to Tolkien later in their journey. I recommend giving the William Morris source material a look once you’re finished. Also, would love to hear your thoughts after you’re finished with the trilogy!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris