Mars colonization in the 19th century counts?
When it was first written, Middle-Earth was pretty original. Now it just reads like some sort of trite, cliched WoW ripoff.
Yea, until you read the books and realize WoW is crap compared the alternate history of the Earth that Middle-Earth is. Most likely the most original thing ever conceived.
Now if only he could write worth a damn.
Blasphemy.
Bas-Lag deserves a mention, I think.
If it wasn't so goddamn boring. Tolkien could create one helluva world. Now if only he could write worth a damn.
In all seriousness, you might want to stay away from any and all legends.
Flatland is pretty trippy.
Why's that? I can deal with dry, horribly written prose if its rather short (I can read a collection of Asimov's short stories since I can read a story, put it down for a bit and pick it back up), but not when it's an epic like LotR.
Most legend reads like that. Even Beowulf.
I think you are knocking Tolkien too much, but to each their own.
Hated Beowulf. Well, didn't hate. Didn't particularly care for it myself. Would have been much better if a bard was singing it to me.