>Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles?
Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with...
And he is right, even if you dont like his books
Tolkien is not without critique
...
Pretty sure GRRM is just giving context for how he was going into ASOIAF. He's a fantasy writer, he'd be well aware that Tolkien was creating more a mythology than a realistic portrayal.
>tfw not a brailner
Too stupid to find a picture of wojak so here's a cutie. Also why is he called wojak? Seems like a retarded half-baked retcon to me.
Tolkien was just writing mythology to go with his made up languages.
GRR Matin is just writing a tv show to go with his incest rape fantasy
Tolkien's entire work is built around the struggle between good and evil but the external struggle are merely reflections of the internal struggle with your own Ego. It's about how we are always tempted in some ways and always will struggle with ourselves from taking the low road, and how it twists us if we do (see Gollum, orcs, Balrogs, etc.) or choose to defy circumstance and our own weakness and fight for what is good and higher than our own immediate desires, to defy your own frailty and weakness in the face of a seemingly overwhelming force that appears without end.
In the tradition with the Nordic elegiac tone of the sagas, about ancient times of heroes long past and how even the gods eventually will face destruction and fall; but that it doesn't matter, that life doesn't promise victory, only struggle, and that the temptation of taking the easy low path is a lie, because any material comfort of victory it leads to will be hollow and full of lief because the prize is your soul/goodness/humanity, and it is only in defiance of this and by fighting it you can cultivate and grow a noble and heroic spirit that can actually do some good, even if it is only for a time before the next generation must take up the struggle. Only such a soul is worthy of heaven.
>Not even criticize Tolkein, just talk about an aspect of his worldbuilding
>Years later, NEET shut-in autistic spergs still rage and moan over it
That's a story for another time, you fat white shitlord.
Good post
Baby orcs? I thought they grew the orcs or some shit. I was drunk when I saw the movie.
Saruman grew the Urak-Hai hybrids from a race of orcs that were already present.
Based
I'd just say they have different styles. they elaborate on different things which is fine as long the things they elaborate on are executed well
Tolkien fought in the first world war, and lived through all his students dying in the second. From this he formed the reasonable impression that the less a King involves himself in the affairs of regular people the better off they'll be. This is clearly reflected in Aragorn himself, that didn't quest to become king, but that always was the King by lineage and by character, and that only stood up to perform his kingly duties in defense of the realm when absolutely required to.
"My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) – or to ‘unconstitutional’ monarchy . . . Anyway, the proper study of man is anything but man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity. And at least it is done only to a small group of men who know who their master is. The medievals were only too right in taking nolo episcopari as the best reason a man could give to others for making him a bishop. Give me a king whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways, or race-horses; and who has the power to sack his Vizier (or whatever you care to call him) if he does not like the cut of his trousers. And so on down the line. But, of course, the fatal weakness of all that — after all only the fatal weakness of all good things in a bad corrupt unnatural world — is that it works and has worked only when all the world is messing along in the same good old inefficient human way."
>not being retarded
I'm dead inside
Fantastic
I just miss her
I wonder if GRRM wonders if he has used his rule appropriately.
because what martin's saying here is laughably ignorant. it's like asking a romanticist painter 'dude, why don't you paint warts and shit on people's faces like in real life?'
>how dare Tolkien's work have black and white morality!
>don't mind me putting in a literal incarnation of evil into my own work
>this retarded
Aragorn was fair and just when it comes to taxes, they prevented famine and hus reign was prosperous.
Orcs where eliminates in systematic raids and didnt have babies. They probably turned into garden animals once he magic began to fade from the world.
>didnt have babies
apparently they did. i think it's in one of his letters or an appendix or something, but he did specify that orcs reproduced 'in the usual way' (paraphrasing). presumably we never met any orc women (or maybe they're indistinguishable from the men, god knows).
>why is he called wojak
He's a drawing of a man who went by the name wojak
>missing the point this hard
The point of the quote and what the other poster is saying is that this isn't Martin saying Tolkien is a poor writer. He's pointing out the fundamental differences between his personal style of writing and Tolkien's. Tolkien wrote a grand mythology with the ultimate battle between good and evil as a fundamental part of the setting. Martin is writing a story more grounded in our reality, where shades of grey are much more prevalent. Its a matter of preference.
martin clearly states that he disagrees with tolkien's philosophy, not with his style.
it's a shitty critique. Tolkein was a monarchist irl and nothing is wrong with so called genociding orcs.
That's a fair point. I suppose I misspoke. Regardless, I think the point stands that Martin is not dissing on Tolkien as a writer. He's just explaining the differences in the stories they are telling.
Thanks /lit/
>implying /lit/ is that good
Writing is hard. This was maybe my answer to Stephen King, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Dark Tower had a very behavioral philosophy: that if the writer was a hard worker, the series would be finished. We look at real writers and it’s not that simple. King can say that he became motivated and wrote for a hundred days, and he was persistent and consistent. But King doesn’t ask the question: What was his conventions policy? Did he maintain a standing blog? What did he do in times of hunger and constipation? And what about all these plotlines? By the end of the series, the main plot is finished but all of the subplots aren’t gone – they’re in the details. Did King pursue a policy of systematic conclusion and resolve them? Even the little baby plotlines, with their baby plotholes?
Yeah let's pretend it's Sup Forums tier stuff
>wtf why didn't tolkien talk about tax policy?
>oh yeah in my setting everyone just takes out infinite loans ;^)
the duality of man
Wojack is his reddit name.
GRRM does realize that Lord of the Rings is supposed to read like Mythology, not a political soap opera
it's above Sup Forums standard but above /lit/'s usual standards as well.
>but what if the troll consents
What's the Night King's tax policy GRRM you fat hack?
At least Tolkien knew how to finish a book series.
>What's the Night King's tax policy
virgin females.
It still gets me.
>dude wtf he took like this medieval philosophy and like, totally romanticized war and kingdoms!
Confirming once again that no-dragons-all-incest-man does not understand the very concept of fantasy.