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David Brin On LOTR
hprotagonist0 writes "Salon has posted an article by sci-fi author, scientist, and essayist David Brin (The two Uplift trilogies, The Transparent Society) with his thoughts about LotR. A technophillic optimist, he warns against waxing too Romantic about feudal, good vs. evil fantasy. Instead, he says, we should look ahead to the future. Thought-provoking."
ta-ra-ra-boom-deeyay
Is that (hasty) Entish?
-peter
5) Racism
Percentage of protagonists in Fellowship who are white: 100. Meanwhile the black antagonists and their black crow spies and their black glass seeing ball inhabit their black towers and perform black magic. Gosh, I wonder if there's some symbolism there?
I know this whole comment was a joke.. unlike some of the replies apparently so I'll bite
Star Wars, white farm boy rebels and destroys the life's work of a successful black man. Black leader of Cloud City, not only a smuggler, but an untrustworth asshole who betrays his friend. Is there symbolism there?
Of course I'm kidding too, though I get a little incensed when someone seriously makes these claims.
I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
one main character points out that humans need the little stories and lies in childhood as practice. Practice for believing in the big, important things. Things like Honor and Justice.
Don't forget Faith. It's really important that people still belive all the big lies throughout their whole lives.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
No, no, no. The best form of government in medieval society is the anarcho-syndicalist commune. You see, you take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more major ones.
Why should I have to? Its exactly as the original poster said, it isn't a social commentary its a fairy tale
Yeah, god forbid we should ever think about anything. Talking about a book couldn't possibly be enjoyable for its own sake
Later when Frodo is shown the future by the Lady of the Wood, the Dark Lord burns down people's houses and enslaves them.
Or, maybe she just showed him what she though would happen... or lied to him to get him to carry the ring to mt doom she was to scared and lazy to trasport herself.
Besides, if you buy consider Brin's hypothis that the book is a work of propaganda after the war was won, then of course it is going to portray him as a "bad" person.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
That was from a quote by JRRT. And it's a real word, listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a variant of "pleasance". He did, recall, have a day job as a professor of mediaeval languages, and was an expert in old English and Norse languages. Be very sure before you try to correct him.
Well, I would think a century of popular mass media would have settled that question. The answer of course is "Yes".
The Mongrel Dogs Who Teach
Would you ask your wife if she'll marry me?
Just kidding. Awesome reply though.