Skip to content
  • Welcome to StarkLight Press
  • StarkLight Press Bookstore
  • StarkLight Recreation Society
StarkLight Press

StarkLight Press

The Center of the Media Galaxy

  • Welcome to StarkLight Press
    • Call for Talent
    • Interviews with our Authors
    • Meet the Staff
    • Official Short Story Contest Rules
    • StarkLight Zone
  • StarkLight Press Bookstore
    • Shop
    • Outermost
    • Tales from Space
  • StarkLight Recreation Society
  • Toggle search form
  • In My Mind’s Eye Anthology Is Available Now Events
  • Congratulations to our Winners! Events
  • Sneak Peek at The Alaska Highway Events
  • StarkLight Press attends National Conference Events
  • StarkLight 5 Winners! Events
  • Anybody Wanna Buy an Encyclopaedia? Events
  • Rolla Writers Association Convenes This Thursday! Events
  • VCON Book Launch Events
  • More of the Great Richard White- plus, Cover Art! Author Interviews
  • StarkLight Press Cover Reveal Events
  • In My Mind’s Eye Arrives Events
  • Nawican Centre Gets Christmas Care Delivery Events
  • Last Week to Send Your Short Story Submissions Events
  • Events
  • Congratulations to all our Submittors! Events
  • In My Mind’s Eye Anthology Is Available Now Events
  • Congratulations to our Winners! Events
  • Sneak Peek at The Alaska Highway Events
  • StarkLight Press attends National Conference Events
  • StarkLight 5 Winners! Events
  • Anybody Wanna Buy an Encyclopaedia? Events
  • Rolla Writers Association Convenes This Thursday! Events
  • VCON Book Launch Events
  • More of the Great Richard White- plus, Cover Art! Author Interviews
  • StarkLight Press Cover Reveal Events
  • In My Mind’s Eye Arrives Events
  • Nawican Centre Gets Christmas Care Delivery Events
  • Last Week to Send Your Short Story Submissions Events
  • Events
  • Congratulations to all our Submittors! Events
  • In My Mind’s Eye Anthology Is Available Now Events
  • Congratulations to our Winners! Events
  • Sneak Peek at The Alaska Highway Events
  • StarkLight Press attends National Conference Events
  • StarkLight 5 Winners! Events
  • Anybody Wanna Buy an Encyclopaedia? Events
  • Rolla Writers Association Convenes This Thursday! Events
  • VCON Book Launch Events
  • More of the Great Richard White- plus, Cover Art! Author Interviews
  • StarkLight Press Cover Reveal Events
  • In My Mind’s Eye Arrives Events
  • Nawican Centre Gets Christmas Care Delivery Events
  • Last Week to Send Your Short Story Submissions Events
  • Events
  • Congratulations to all our Submittors! Events

Martin versus Tolkien- The Power of Religious Imagery in Story

Posted on April 26, 2014 By Tony Stark No Comments on Martin versus Tolkien- The Power of Religious Imagery in Story

 

“Tolkien made the wrong choice when he brought Gandalf back. Screw Gandalf. He had a great death and the characters should have had to go on without him.”    – George R. R. Martin.

        

In Tolkien’s account of the War of the Ring, Gandalf was sent back to Middle Earth by the Valar, or Gods of Arda, to complete his task,

and was given a bevvy of super-cool new powers and a new outfit to do it with to boot. Certainly the dark events during the war would

have been far more grim had not Gandalf the White been present- and certainly more of our beloved characters would have died.

 

This counterpoint does more than outline the dichotomy between Martin and Tolkien as authors- it shows us the profound effects the

addition of a pantheon of higher morality can have on a world. Not to say that there are not good and moral characters who worship either the Old Gods or the New in Martin’s world- I would hesitate to get into a geek-fueled discussion on points clearly outlined in the texts. I refer instead to the overarching spirituality that infused Tolkien’s world of Arda from the top down. After all, the mythos begins with the Ainulindalae, which is the account of the making of the gods themselves and is beautifully biblical and homogenous in its symmetry. This mythos of light versus dark echoes down through the interactions of every character, defining their alignment and underwriting their choices. It gives to the Silmarillion (the compilation of Middle Earth’s ancient history and myth) the loftiness of “true myth” as the Financial Times put it. The infusion of higher morality also gives the reader the satisfaction of a truly heroic victory of good over evil as well as the much deserved victory of our beloved characters.

Though spirituality does tint Martin’s world, his work is by all accounts a fable rooted in harsh physical realities. From the seasons that spin so wildly out of control to the undead that have been denied a peaceful return to the earth by gods far less extant than the Valar, Martin’s characters are shackled to their earth by harsh physical realities. How does this affect the reader’s enjoyment of the series? Is it improved for the fraternity of atheistic pragmatism between his world and ours? Is it really more satisfying to the reader to know that “dead is dead”- unless of course the corpse’s hands turn black, in which case our favorite characters from Game of Thrones would really benefit from a lesson or two from Michonne or Daryl from the Walking Dead rather than a rousing speech from Gandalf the White. 

Most of all, when Martin does end his gargantuan tale of the human struggle against the dark from without, will it be as rewardingly heroic and triumphant as Tolkien’s end of the Third Age of Middle Earth? Will it uplift and renew the human spirit to stand tall another day? Will it be a benchmark of anything other than the stoicism of a truly remarkable head count to succeeding generations? And, in the face of recent pop culture phenomena including the incredibly disturbingly bleak zombie programme previously mentioned- will modern audiences prefer the dreadful crescendo of Game of Thrones to the brilliant new day painted by Tolkien?

Discuss.

 

-Tony Stark

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Uncategorized Tags:#StarkLight Press, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, hero, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LOTR, Michonne, Religion, Tony Stark, Walking Dead, zombie

Post navigation

Previous Post: An Incident in El Noor Excerpt Part One
Next Post: Our Second Short Story Contest Closes Tonight!

Related Posts

  • Jason Pere discusses Love and Blood Author Interviews
  • StarkLight’s Christmas Anthology Events
  • The Truth Children of alcoholics
  • Outermost Journal Makes Its Debut! Uncategorized
  • Sneak Peek at The Alaska Highway Events
  • Liz Butcher on Love and Obsession Author Interviews
  • Jason Pere discusses Love and Blood Author Interviews
  • StarkLight’s Christmas Anthology Events
  • The Truth Children of alcoholics
  • Outermost Journal Makes Its Debut! Uncategorized

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Archives

  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • October 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014

Categories

  • Author Interviews
  • Child Abuse
  • Children of alcoholics
  • Courage
  • divorce
  • Events
  • medical treatments
  • News
  • Our Books
  • Our Characters
  • Our Writers
  • poetry
  • poetry marathon
  • Sexual Abuse
  • StarkLight Press Merchandise
  • StarkLight Press Travels
  • Tales from Space
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos

Recent Posts

  • Welcome to Poetry Month
  • Tales from Space 3 Short Story Contest
  • StarkLight Press Calendar
  • Innovate and Inform
  • SLP Author Interview Today

Recent Comments

  1. virginiaseastark on Integrity in the Multiverse
  2. נערות ליווי on Welcome to Poetry Month
  3. נערות ליווי on Tales from Space 3 Short Story Contest
  4. נערות ליווי on StarkLight Press Calendar
  5. נערות ליווי on StarkLight Press attends National Conference
  • High Praise from our Twitter Friends News
  • Words from the River Lands Amended Release Date News
  • Tales from Space 3 Short Story Contest News
  • Hearts Asunder Sequel Available Again! News
  • We’re Back, Baby! News
  • StarkLight’s Christmas Anthology Events
  • Combatting Discrimination and Disinformation Online Events
  • StarkLight Press attends National Conference Events
  • High Praise from our Twitter Friends News
  • Words from the River Lands Amended Release Date News
  • Tales from Space 3 Short Story Contest News
  • Hearts Asunder Sequel Available Again! News
  • We’re Back, Baby! News
  • StarkLight’s Christmas Anthology Events
  • Combatting Discrimination and Disinformation Online Events
  • StarkLight Press attends National Conference Events
  • The Lament of the White Star
    The Lament of the White Star
    $39.50
    Add to cart
  • The Alaska Highway 75th Anniversary
    The Alaska Highway 75th Anniversary
    $58.99
    Add to cart
  • An Incident in El Noor
    An Incident in El Noor
    $22.99
    Add to cart
  • The Androsian Question - Tales from Space Novel
    The Androsian Question - Tales from Space Novel
    $23.99
    Add to cart
  • Great Ladies Volume 1
    Great Ladies Volume 1
    $15.99
    Add to cart
  • Hearts Asunder Volume 1
    Hearts Asunder Volume 1
    $15.99
    Add to cart
  • Autumn Frost
    Autumn Frost
    $13.99
    Add to cart
  • The Irregulars Volume 1
    The Irregulars Volume 1
    $19.99
    Add to cart
  • Wild, Wicked and Sparkling
    Wild, Wicked and Sparkling
    $14.99
    Add to cart

Copyright © 2021 StarkLight Press. Site created and Managed by MacGregor Logistics Ltd.

Powered by PressBook News Dark theme

%d