Backyard Professor
Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2025
- Messages
- 210
Yep! It's the subtleties that make an author fun and interesting to read....
Just finished the third last episode, very much a sad/sweet feel to these last few, like The Grey Havens. "I will not say 'do not weep, for not all tears are evil'"I loved Babylon 5, too.
According to Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle, in the 40s Heinlein was part of a Crowley - inspired cult and commune that was into some seriously nasty stuff. In his later books some of this starts to come out, I think.I have about 75% of his "juvenile fiction" novels on my shelves and I am always re-reading them.
I also have about a half dozen or so of his pre-SIASL "adult novels" and those I also re-read quite regularly.
Can't understand how he (permanently) went off the rails beginning with SIASL.
He did have a stroke at some point ... maybe that's what did it. Sad.
He was an excellent story teller in his earlier works.
I "Liked" your post because I appreciated you sleuthing that out...not because I liked what you found.According to Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle, in the 40s Heinlein was part of a Crowley - inspired cult and commune that was into some seriously nasty stuff. In his later books some of this starts to come out, I think.
I grew up on his earlier work. Actually read SIASL after I read some of my absolute favorite books of all time -- Friday, Job, the Number of the Beast, and Cat who walks through walls. I love the "future history" line, and really like looking at current events and comparing where he came close. Going back to Tolkien, I never found, and almost certainly never will find, a world builder his equal. I wanted to like Sanderson, Goodkind, Martin, Jordan (probably liked him the best of the lot until the Seanchan storyline). I found that Sanderson tired me out on the epic multi-volume sagas. That said, I'll pick up any of Tolkien's works again and re-read in a hearbeat.I have about 75% of his "juvenile fiction" novels on my shelves and I am always re-reading them.
I also have about a half dozen or so of his pre-SIASL "adult novels" and those I also re-read quite regularly.
Can't understand how he (permanently) went off the rails beginning with SIASL.
He did have a stroke at some point ... maybe that's what did it. Sad.
He was an excellent story teller in his earlier works.
I like quite a few of his Future History Short Stories, also the novel Revolt in 2000 (aka If This Goes On...) and Methuselah's Children.I grew up on his earlier work. Actually read SIASL after I read some of my absolute favorite books of all time -- Friday, Job, the Number of the Beast, and Cat who walks through walls. I love the "future history" line, and really like looking at current events and comparing where he came close. Going back to Tolkien, I never found, and almost certainly never will find, a world builder his equal. I wanted to like Sanderson, Goodkind, Martin, Jordan (probably liked him the best of the lot until the Seanchan storyline). I found that Sanderson tired me out on the epic multi-volume sagas. That said, I'll pick up any of Tolkien's works again and re-read in a hearbeat.
Re: Dark Tower series, did you know: long before Stephen King, The Dark Tower was a title of a little known book by CSLewis, a dream/nightmare story discussed with Tolkien and Clark at the Inklings. Both Tolkien and Lewis were inspired by Cambridge University Library tower which aparently gave them nightmares. It may have also inspired Tolkien's two Towers, though Orthanc is most likely inspired by Faringdon Folly in Berkshire.Title says it all.
Every few year I wish to repeat the experience of reading the Lord of the Rings with some new book I never heard off, but everything stops at start as there is no decent suggestion. Only once did I find something that was like LOTR, and it wasn't even the same genre, but it had the same vibe. Now Im again in this mood and I'm looking for something new but can't find anything.
That's kind of weird because in my mind even writers like Stephen King where inspired to write Dark Tower series (in my mind they were kind of catching that vibe) to copy Tolkien, but I find nothing satisfying in that sense.
Would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. I'm not here every day but will surely come back for your thoughts.
In my opinion, you'll never find anything as good as LOTR, but I'll give a few suggestions of other fantasy series that I really enjoyed.
The Earthsea series by Ursula K. Leguin is about a wizard name Ged, whose quests result in learning more about himself than the stated goal of the quest. You can also try the Winter of the World trilogy by Michael Scott Rohan. It is a more typical quest adventures series.
If you want something exactly like LOTR, try The Sword of Shannara.
Oh Yes I agree!It's not a books but the Babylon 5 series evokes the same responses in me as LOTR.
I should say this is not universally accepted but:Re: Dark Tower series, did you know: long before Stephen King, The Dark Tower was a title of a little known book by CSLewis, a dream/nightmare story discussed with Tolkien and Clark at the Inklings. Both Tolkien and Lewis were inspired by Cambridge University Library tower which aparently gave them nightmares. It may have also inspired Tolkien's two Towers, though Orthanc is most likely inspired by Faringdon Folly in Berkshire.
Re: Dark Tower series, did you know: long before Stephen King, The Dark Tower was a title of a little known book by CSLewis, a dream/nightmare story discussed with Tolkien and Clark at the Inklings. Both Tolkien and Lewis were inspired by Cambridge University Library tower which aparently gave them nightmares. It may have also inspired Tolkien's two Towers, though Orthanc is most likely inspired by Faringdon Folly in Berkshire.
One thing you could clarify: are these LOTR connections asserted by the author, or are they your own interpretations?
I would've called it "The Land of Blatant Ripoffs".Well, not exactly.
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King also wrote The Eyes of the Dragon, which is kind of a loose tie-in to the Dark Tower books (and both are kind of related to The Stand and other King books; sort of a shared universe type thing). TEotD is a pure fantasy book. From what I remember, I liked it, but it's been a while since I read it; need/would like to read it again at some point.Title says it all.
Every few year I wish to repeat the experience of reading the Lord of the Rings with some new book I never heard off, but everything stops at start as there is no decent suggestion. Only once did I find something that was like LOTR, and it wasn't even the same genre, but it had the same vibe. Now Im again in this mood and I'm looking for something new but can't find anything.
That's kind of weird because in my mind even writers like Stephen King where inspired to write Dark Tower series (in my mind they were kind of catching that vibe) to copy Tolkien, but I find nothing satisfying in that sense.
Would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. I'm not here every day but will surely come back for your thoughts.
Arguing? 🤔That Williams set is well worth reading -- just keep in mind that he's one of the group of writers arguing with Tolkien, like Stephen Donaldson and GRRM -- though he's more thoughtful about it than those two, in my opinion at least. He goes more extreme in War of the Flowers.
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