Gummed-Up Works or Got Lives?

Craig Brewer · 16 Dec 2011, 13:47 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: cnbrewer at yahoo.com (Craig Brewer)
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:47:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) Gummed-Up Works or Got Lives?
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W50ECAE6E13A6F40B0B1A23CFA00 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W50ECAE6E13A6F40B0B1A23CFA00 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <1324043220.50356.YahooMailNeo at web121005.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>

Lee wrote:
>Great observation and recognition Antonio. Perhaps I am not alone in having assumed that LotR was

>more of a prototype or archetype of S & S while Conan is more of a cheap comic book derivative.
>A cultural bias? Conan (like Tarzan) is a European character created by an American, while LotR seems
>somehow more authentic and refined- high brow British characters created by an Englishman.

To me, the generic markers of "s&s" vs. "Tolkienesque" usually break down like this:

s&s - adventure tales where action and "marvels" are what drives the story. (The magazine _The Black Gate_ is trying to revive this right now.)
Tolkienesque - fantasy that tries to inspire a sense of scope and "history" and is infused with moralisms ("good vs. evil," maturation and "coming of age" stories, religious/mythic allegory, etc.)

Some people certainly try to imply markers of quality in the definitions, but I've heard both terms used as praise and derision. I don't think it's integral to the terms.
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