George R.R Martin, well-known for the ASOIF (A song of Ice
and fire) series, winner of many accolades and a renowned and highly praised
author, is known and often the source tribute for producing a stellar fantasy
series which has received critical acclaim. However, while it is not wrong to
admire George R.R Martin’s appealing prose and his creative and highly
imaginative world, one must simply not forget J.R.R Tolkien’s contribution to
the fantasy genre. Labelled by many as ‘the father of the fantasy genre’,
Tolkien’s writings are almost universally praised for being innovative,
refreshing and having a tinge of eye-catching appeal to them, all at the same
time. Today, we dig deeper into the worlds of both authors, one from
contemporary times and one who’s classical writings can simply not be
forgotten.
In order to avoid controversy we shall divide the argument
in favour of both writers.
Arguments in favour of George R.R Martin:
-Martin’s characters:
It is safe to say almost all of Martin’s characters are well
developed with great personalities. Unlike Tolkien’s characters, who are
comparatively shallow and one dimensional, Martin’s characters have a lot more
going on for them. Throughout the first few books, we see Robb Stark transition
from a young boy, green as the grass into an alpha male, and a proper lord; one
to be reckoned with. Similarly, Arya Stark, Tyrion lannister, Joffrey Baratheon
all grow exponentially.
- The gritty,
grotesque realism to the plot:
Let us be honest here, we are all tired of seeing the main
character, despite always being against the odds, pull off a deus ex machina
and beat the bad guy at the end; or the fact that the good and bad guys are so
clearly distinguished, it’s just not fun any more However, Martin’s story is
completely realistic. It revolves around politics and the struggle for power,
something that is common even in contemporary times. And although, such
subjects can often be considered controversial, Martin presents them in an
extremely congenial fashion.
Arguments in favour of J.R.R Tolkien:
-The plot:
J.R.R Tolkien’s plot is simple and crystal clear and his
characters can be seen as black and white, the former representing the villains
or the bad guys and the latter the good guys, with perhaps the exception of
Saruman. However, the way he writes and immerses the reader into his plot is
remarkable; and his prose makes it an interesting ride from start to finish.
George R.R Martin, on the other hand, has dozens of sub-plots rather than a
main plot, his characters are all divided up and each busy with their own
tedious tasks and the readers often feels that there is little to connect them
all except the Iron throne, which to some might also seem a little far-fetched.
- Innovation, prose
and his own languages:
It is common knowledge that J.R.R Tolkien majored in
Linguistics. However, one has to acknowledge the fact that he has almost a
dozen languages created just for the Hobbit, different languages for elves,
dwarves and even 'Ents'. An amazing accomplishment as it is. As having majored in
linguistics, Tolkiens prose was also top-notch and helped deliver his message
perfectly. While, George R.R Martin himself writes well and has an appealing
prose, one can simply not compare it to Tolkien. Tolkien was also the main
driving force behind the rise of the fantasy genre and without him, we would
probably never see the fantasy genre’s tides rise so high. All in all, J.R.R
Tolkien in his lifetime achieved some noteworthy accomplishments.
Both authors have also created fabulous and absolutely wonderful worlds. Westeros, the world created by Martin and Middle Earth the
world created by Tolkien are both entertaining and interesting in their own
rights.
With that, we conclude our deep insight into both fabulous
and renowned authors. In the end, both authors have their strong and weak
fortes; the readers, however, must favour whoever is their cup of tea.
This post was originally posted at the BambooShoots.
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