The Sword and Laser discussion

I came across a blog entry on Huffington Post today and thought I would share.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/noble-s...

From the post:

J.R.R. Tolkien and G.R.R. Martin have the most initials of any two fantasy authors in history. They also have millions of devoted followers who swear that one of them is better than the other. I'm a fan of both of these great storytellers, but I believe that Middle-earth will be held up as an exemplar of fantasy (and literature) long after Westeros has faded away (though don't tell that to the guy who built the entire city of King's Landing out of Minecraft blocks). In honor of Tolkien's 122nd birthday, here's a comparison of the relative merits of the fantasy creations The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones (aka LOTR and GOT) from J.R.R. and G.R.R, IMO.

The Supreme Bean made me laugh.

Have to agree on all points. JRRT overall, but GOT has its merits.

Depends on what you are wanting, but yeah I prefer LOTRs

There really is no competition. Tolkien's work, whether you personally like it or not, is a landmark of Western literature. Game of Thrones, no matter how good it may be, will always be just another fantasy series when it comes down to it.

The Supreme Bean was funny. But he doesn't die in every film, especially all the Sharp movies the BBC made.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11343110...

The Huffington Post vs Gawker Inc.: The Ultimate Showdown of Lame Linkbaiting Websites.

The way I see it: LOTR is Godfather; ASOIF is Goodfellas.

Kevin wrote: "There really is no competition. Tolkien's work, whether you personally like it or not, is a landmark of Western literature. Game of Thrones, no matter how good it may be, will always be just anothe..."

This^

Plus just for fun: J.R.R. Tolkien is a much cooler name for a fantasy writer than George R.R. Martin =P

@Rasnac: That's the best description of the relationship between the two series I've heard to date.

Though I hope ASOIAF concludes well enough to justify the praise.

Joe Informatico wrote: "@Rasnac: That's the best description of the relationship between the two series I've heard to date.

Though I hope ASOIAF concludes well enough to justify the praise."

Well, as long as Tyrion does not end up in the FBI witness protection program... :D

Joe Informatico wrote: "Though I hope ASOIAF concludes well enough to justify the praise. "

The idea that it's ever going to conclude is pretty iffy already.

AndrewP wrote: "The Supreme Bean was funny. But he doesn't die in every film, especially all the Sharp movies the BBC made.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11343110..."

He also doesn't die in "Troy" (since he still has a long sea voyage ahead of him)...

LOTR wins by default of being a finished work.

Great article, and of course Lord of the Rings wins hands down - a true fantasy epic which will live on for many generations.