Quote:
Originally posted by Timber Loftis:
better than Tolkien (YES, I said it).
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AAARRGGghhhh! My eyes! They burn!
I actually think Martin is unique enough to be tough to compare to Tolkien. He doesn't follow the epic fantasy form that Tolkien is THE master of. If I had to say which I enjoyed reading more it would probably be Martin, mainly because he doesn't have the "luls in the action" sections that Tolkien has (wander in the woods, wander in the woods, wander in the woods...), but as far as imagery is concerned tolkien is just about impossible to beat.
Martin's world is a rich social construct, full of intrigue that hasn't been seen since Louis XIV and Versailles (Jordans game of houses... pah!, childs play), and Tolkiens world is so vibrant that when I see it on the big screen not a whole lot is being added, he painted the picture amazingly well with words. His characters embody the archetypical hero's and villans so well that it's tough for modern writers to follow the epic form without being compared to LotR (well... that or Beowolf).
I think of it this way, Martin has (hands down) the most complex and multi-faceted characters of any fantasy I've read, but he doesn't spend a ton of time in setting development (Daenerys overseas travels are broken up into a series of sets, almost like she magically jumps from one action sequence to another). Tolkiens characters are deep but (at least in the books) the complexities of their societies and interactions aren't as central to the plot as with Martin, but his narrative flows as smooth as glass from start to stop, making you feel you're on the journey WITH the characters.
Well, after all that I can sum it up with three words... Both are great! I couldn't choose between them (unless Martin blows the concluding volumes [img]smile.gif[/img] )