Meditations On Middle Earth - Softcover

"This set of essays on the fantasy classic's influence sets the bar very high...good stuff."--"Booklist" "This anthology presents appreciative essays in honor of the master of Middle-earth from such major fantasy and SF authors as Harry Turtledove, Raymond Feist, Terry Pratchett, George R.R. Martin and the late Poul Anderson...Editor Haber offers an adoring but welcome antidote to the more pompous exegeses of the 'author of the century.'"--"Publishers Weekly" "Quite a bit more interesting than it would first seem...The value of this book is not what it tells us about Tolkien but what it tells us about its contributers...provocative...charming."--"Locus"

In 1954 one of the most seminal books in English literature was published and caused barely a ripple. It wasn't until the 'flower-power' generation of the 1960's that LORD OF THE RINGS began to exert its real influence and changed the face of fantasy literature forever. Here for the first time, sixteen of the most revered names in contemporary fantasy writing share with readers their personal relationships with Tolkein's mythical world. A world and mythology that now pervades every aspect of not only modern fantasy writing but also role-playing computer games and Hollywood films. Without Middle-earth there would have been no Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guin; no Song of Ice and Fire Saga by George R. R. Martin; no Tales of Discworld from Terry Pratchett and no Riftwar stories from Raymond E. Feist. Each of these writers were influenced by the master mythmaker and now they reveal the nature of that influence and their relationship with the greatest fantasy novels ever written.