DragonOfTheAerie
Vala
This has been said in the thread in some ways but a lot of tropes we think of as “Tolkien derivative” are not actually. They’re actually derivative of D&D.
a lot of fantasy shares worldbuilding and aesthetic similarities with Tolkien, but there is very little that is similar thematically. Tolkien’s decision to have the hero of his story be an unassuming halfling with nothing particularly special about him (esp. one that is not a fighter) is pretty distinctive actually. (Edit: I know “unassuming average joe) is the prototype for a lot of fantasy protagonists, but they usually don’t STAY that way and become badasses, gain respect, and so on. Whereas Frodo is just on a lonely and simple quest.)
As is Tolkien’s focus on peace as an ideal and disdain for war.
If anything the so called “Tolkien derivative” fantasy seems like Tolkien if the hobbits weren’t part of it and Aragorn was the sole hero.
a lot of fantasy shares worldbuilding and aesthetic similarities with Tolkien, but there is very little that is similar thematically. Tolkien’s decision to have the hero of his story be an unassuming halfling with nothing particularly special about him (esp. one that is not a fighter) is pretty distinctive actually. (Edit: I know “unassuming average joe) is the prototype for a lot of fantasy protagonists, but they usually don’t STAY that way and become badasses, gain respect, and so on. Whereas Frodo is just on a lonely and simple quest.)
As is Tolkien’s focus on peace as an ideal and disdain for war.
If anything the so called “Tolkien derivative” fantasy seems like Tolkien if the hobbits weren’t part of it and Aragorn was the sole hero.