Well said. Amazing to me that “Fantasy Fans” of today can’t see how amazing Tolkien was

May 23, 2020
10:05:52am

JohnnyComeLately Bring Back Old Cougarboard

Robert Jordan is my favorite modern day Fantasy author and his works built off the familiarity of Tolkien but with his own twist (and expanded for 14 books).

Sanderson is good, but it’s not even the same genre anymore.

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JohnnyComeLately

Previous username: BigReedThunder
Bio page: JohnnyComeLately
Joined: Mar 23, 2015
Last login: May 7, 2024
Total posts: 81,715 (61,110 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

Question for fans of the Stormlight Archives: how does it compare to Tolkien?

The Dark Knight

5/22/20 9:20pm

Tolkien is worlds better.

YSMACK

5/22/20 9:21pm

I’ve been trying to get my son to read Tolkien but he just can’t get through it. Stormlight is his

Cosmodiar

5/22/20 9:25pm

I agree Tolkien is better but Sanderson is different.

byujdmba

5/22/20 9:30pm

Yeah, but WOT books 7-11 don’t count.

Blue Print

5/22/20 9:44pm

True, and yet I'm one of the few who still love those middle books.

Cosmo's Uncle

5/22/20 9:56pm

You must really love the intricacies of embroidery.

Blue Print

5/22/20 9:58pm

By the time I got to the middle of the series, I was so invested in the world

Cosmo's Uncle

5/22/20 10:04pm

Sanderson did some good things, but his weaknesses w characters hurt

YSMACK

5/22/20 10:34pm

Wait, what!

Geldir

5/23/20 8:49pm

LOL. And?

YSMACK

5/24/20 2:51am

Sanderson isn't weak in character building.

Blue Print

5/24/20 10:04am

We disagree.

YSMACK

5/24/20 11:50am

I reread them all a couple of years ago. I was surprised at my reaction to them.

BlueCoug

5/22/20 10:23pm

Actually one other thing

BlueCoug

5/22/20 10:25pm

I would say the first 2 or even 3 books are masterpieces.

YSMACK

5/22/20 10:37pm

Mat is one of the best characters if not the best

Turd Ferguson

5/22/20 11:24pm

Wheel of Time was an incredible series and easy to reread.

JohnnyComeLately

5/22/20 10:01pm

Funny. I’m re-reading and am at "Crossroads."

byujdmba

5/22/20 10:42pm

I gave up on WoT after book 2.

panguitch

5/22/20 10:29pm

To be fair, no one really is. He’s the master

YIsForBrigham

5/23/20 10:04pm

I honestly prefer Stormlight Archives to anything Tolkien has written. Don't get me wrong, I loved LOR but writing has

TheLoneCougar

5/24/20 6:57pm

I love how Hemingway uses words, you can almost taste and feel...

So it goes...

5/24/20 7:49pm

I've never read Sanderson, but it took me a few attempts to warm up to Tolkien..

So it goes...

5/22/20 9:29pm

I love both. Both Wonderful. Tolkien in the context of WW2 helps me understand

BostonCougar

5/22/20 9:47pm

I'm a fan of both. Tolkien is a far better writer, but Sanderson is easier to

Cosmo's Uncle

5/22/20 9:55pm

Two different books-The first two Stormlight, are for me, maybe my favorite

Incentivize

5/22/20 10:01pm

The only fantasy I've read besides Tolkien is...

So it goes...

5/22/20 10:13pm

Yes. It's ok. Came out the same time as Shannara, in a rush to capitalize on

panguitch

5/22/20 10:16pm

They must not have been very good, because I can't remember a thing about them..

So it goes...

5/22/20 10:31pm

Nothing can compare to Tolkien. Sanderson is one of the best fantasists today.

panguitch

5/22/20 10:22pm

Well said. Amazing to me that “Fantasy Fans” of today can’t see how amazing Tolkien was

JohnnyComeLately

5/23/20 10:05am

Tolkien defined the genre for a couple generations

El Jefe

5/23/20 10:22am

Like panguitch said it’s like comparing the Iliad to Gladiator.

JohnnyComeLately

5/23/20 10:33am

I agree that Tolkien defined what we would call Classic Fantasy, although it's still fairly recent

El Jefe

5/23/20 10:39am

Tolkien essentially took the modern Fantasy genre from 0 to 1. That's the hardest step.

SpiffCoug

5/23/20 10:55am

I agree, every modern day fantasy writer uses some aspects of Tolkien in their works.

JohnnyComeLately

5/23/20 11:00am

Totally different experience. Sanderson is really good in how easy he is to read

IUCougar

5/22/20 10:52pm

Malazan BOTF is my favorite fantasy series.

jaromp

5/23/20 8:51am

The writing is Malazan BOTF is just absolutely top notch. I loved that series.

No touching

5/23/20 2:02pm

Absolutely agree with your statement about Malazan being better the second time

Cosmo's Uncle

5/23/20 10:31am

I agree MBotF is a slog

Reedme

5/23/20 4:13pm

It is hard to say that it gets easier (or better). But all the story lines do

IUCougar

5/23/20 8:34pm

I tried Malazan. That was HARD.I gave up pretty quick.No idea waht was happening

Geldir

5/23/20 9:08pm

I found those books opened up to me a lot on a second reading.

YSMACK

5/24/20 3:36am

I find Sanderson to have better character development than Tolkien and less

IrishBlue

5/22/20 10:53pm

Tolkien is literature, Sanderson is entertainment.

valleus

5/22/20 11:29pm

Quite a statement. Care to elaborate?

SandYFan

5/23/20 1:40am

Tolkien was a professor at Cambridge, knew multiple languages, extremely

valleus

5/23/20 9:00am

Oxford. The label "literature" is for poseurs. Sanderson sneaks some deep stuff

panguitch

5/23/20 10:39am

“Literature is for poseurs.” Sure thing dude. People will be reading Tolkien in

valleus

5/23/20 10:45am

I think Sanderson will be more durable than you think.

Cougarrr

5/23/20 10:54am

Sanderson is head and shoulders above most fantasists today. Of course he will

panguitch

5/23/20 10:57am

Tolkien said his stuff wasn’t literature

Sumguy

5/23/20 11:04am

RE: Tolkien is literature, Sanderson is entertainment.

lolapaluuza

8/23/20 1:19pm

I credit Tolkein for getting me into "adult level" fantasy when I was a kid, but

DoctorWho

5/23/20 1:19am

Tolkien is so dry! It's painful. I can't put Sanderson down.

annapcoug

5/23/20 6:30am

Tolkien made a world, not just a story.

El Jefe

5/23/20 8:29am

Tolkien was an academic. Sanderson is a professional.

TwinsRight

5/23/20 9:13am

I love both authors, but they are very different in style and how they approach both story telling and world building.

durandal

5/23/20 12:47pm

One more suggestion. If you haven't already, read The Hobbit. It's much easier to read than LotR and it sets up

durandal

5/23/20 2:07pm

Sent this as a BM, but wanted to see if other people had input on it.

Geldir

5/23/20 9:29pm

Sanderson original Mistborn series is very good

I'mBatman

5/23/20 9:54pm

Stick with it! The first part of the Way of Kings was hard for me to get into. The start fakes you out about 3 times

durandal

5/23/20 9:56pm

I finished the first book

I'mBatman

5/23/20 10:03pm

Ah, well fair enough then. I loved the second book, but it may not be for you.

durandal

5/23/20 10:08pm

I never liked her character either.

EtTuKalante

5/23/20 10:18pm

Kaladin is great, but sometimes a little superhero-ish. That can be a tendency

panguitch

5/23/20 10:30pm

Agree completely. Kal is amazing & Shallan is awful (see below on 1 reason why)

YSMACK

5/24/20 3:22am

Shallan's character is awful.

YSMACK

5/24/20 2:42am

Textbook deadpan sarcasm

TwinsRight

5/24/20 8:30am

Where do you fit CS Lewis on here?

OU Cougar

5/23/20 9:58pm

I'm not familiar with Sanderson. Where would I start to begin his series? Are...

CougaReb

5/24/20 12:43am

Start with the Mistborn series.

Cru Jones

5/24/20 12:46am

Seconded.

BostonCougar

5/24/20 9:14am

Most of his fantasy novels take place in the same universe he calls the Cosmere.

durandal

5/24/20 9:38am

There is one specific instance for reading order being important, IMO. That is

DoctorWho

5/24/20 10:21am

I think you should also read the Mistborn Secret History before Oathbringer

El Jefe

5/24/20 10:23am

I'm assuming by "the book" you are talking about Oathbringer. If so, I agree.

DoctorWho

5/24/20 10:25am

Fixed 😁

El Jefe

5/24/20 11:19am

That definitely would enhance the reading, though I think they can still be thoroughly enjoyed in any order.

durandal

5/24/20 11:58am

I'd read them in roughly publish order. His writing skills improve over time.

BlueCoug

5/24/20 10:49am

Here's the recommended reading order from Sanderson himself

Reedme

5/24/20 12:19pm

He finished Wheel of Time when Robert Jordan died, if you've heard of those or are interested.

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