Very small, as far as I can tell. First, The Lord of the Rings is a romance, not a novel, and people haven't made much effort to write romances since about 1880 or so.
Other genre fiction relies on familiar worlds—westerns, spy novels, mysteries, bodice-rippers, etc.—and their authors don't take the trouble to create an invented world that Tolkien did. Only fantasy and science fiction does that, and not at the depth that he did. The only other novelist I've read who feels anything like that deep is Frank Herbert.
None, really. Tolkien was an imaginative guy with impressive knowledge who wrote well-regarded genre stories. He did not keep up with and did not care about developments in contemporary literature because at heart he was never a professional literary author. He came after the work of Joyce, Woolf, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Hurston, Steinbeck, etc. and the LOTR was published in the years of Baldwin, Camus, Nabokov, Ellison, Achebe, Capote, Steinbeck, and so on. Tolkien’s style, approach, and technique are all out of date and out of step with the professional literary authors of his generation. Not
None, really. Tolkien was an imaginative guy with impressive knowledge who wrote well-regarded genre stories. He did not keep up with and did not care about developments in contemporary literature because at heart he was never a professional literary author. He came after the work of Joyce, Woolf, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Hurston, Steinbeck, etc. and the LOTR was published in the years of Baldwin, Camus, Nabokov, Ellison, Achebe, Capote, Steinbeck, and so on. Tolkien’s style, approach, and technique are all out of date and out of step with the professional literary authors of his generation. Not that it needed to be “in step” or that we should care—he had his own drummer. But he is therefore never an influence in the community of professional literary writers. People could love his work but none saw it as a guide to literary writing in his era or since. Those influenced by him were other fantasy writers who had to negotiate with his monumental legacy in that genre.
Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
Having a separate account allows you to see the results of all your hard work and keep your money separate so you're less tempted to spend it.
Plus with rates above 5.00%, the interest you can earn compared to most banks really adds up.
Here is a list of the top savings accounts available today. Deposit $5 before moving on because this is one of th
Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
Having a separate account allows you to see the results of all your hard work and keep your money separate so you're less tempted to spend it.
Plus with rates above 5.00%, the interest you can earn compared to most banks really adds up.
Here is a list of the top savings accounts available today. Deposit $5 before moving on because this is one of the biggest mistakes and easiest ones to fix.
Overpaying on car insurance
You’ve heard it a million times before, but the average American family still overspends by $417/year on car insurance.
If you’ve been with the same insurer for years, chances are you are one of them.
Pull up Coverage.com, a free site that will compare prices for you, answer the questions on the page, and it will show you how much you could be saving.
That’s it. You’ll likely be saving a bunch of money. Here’s a link to give it a try.
Consistently being in debt
If you’ve got $10K+ in debt (credit cards…medical bills…anything really) you could use a debt relief program and potentially reduce by over 20%.
Here’s how to see if you qualify:
Head over to this Debt Relief comparison website here, then simply answer the questions to see if you qualify.
It’s as simple as that. You’ll likely end up paying less than you owed before and you could be debt free in as little as 2 years.
Missing out on free money to invest
It’s no secret that millionaires love investing, but for the rest of us, it can seem out of reach.
Times have changed. There are a number of investing platforms that will give you a bonus to open an account and get started. All you have to do is open the account and invest at least $25, and you could get up to $1000 in bonus.
Pretty sweet deal right? Here is a link to some of the best options.
Having bad credit
A low credit score can come back to bite you in so many ways in the future.
From that next rental application to getting approved for any type of loan or credit card, if you have a bad history with credit, the good news is you can fix it.
Head over to BankRate.com and answer a few questions to see if you qualify. It only takes a few minutes and could save you from a major upset down the line.
How to get started
Hope this helps! Here are the links to get started:
Have a separate savings account
Stop overpaying for car insurance
Finally get out of debt
Start investing with a free bonus
Fix your credit
Tolkien influence didnt really roll on til after his lifetime. He invented a method for consistent sequels that would not really hit its stride til late in Robert A. Heinlein’s career. Heinlein took a bit of Tolkien work and made something called a future history map. This let Heinlein plot ALL of his novels going forward in a shared universe. Heinlein would share this with publishers would eventually leaked it to you favorite and prolific authors.
I am sure there other examples, but at the time I myself only thought of tolkien as a guy with 4 books to his name. While respected during his life
Tolkien influence didnt really roll on til after his lifetime. He invented a method for consistent sequels that would not really hit its stride til late in Robert A. Heinlein’s career. Heinlein took a bit of Tolkien work and made something called a future history map. This let Heinlein plot ALL of his novels going forward in a shared universe. Heinlein would share this with publishers would eventually leaked it to you favorite and prolific authors.
I am sure there other examples, but at the time I myself only thought of tolkien as a guy with 4 books to his name. While respected during his life time, he certainly wasnt vaunted like he is now.
He was a professor of Norse mythology at Oxford University if you begin to study the Sagas you will run into all kinds of things that are familiar from JRR Tolkien , Elves dragons dwarves magic rings and swords and the like, even the names or directly from the mythology Frode (Frodo) for example was an ancient Swedish king, and there are many many more examples of this throughout his works .
I once met a man who drove a modest Toyota Corolla, wore beat-up sneakers, and looked like he’d lived the same way for decades. But what really caught my attention was when he casually mentioned he was retired at 45 with more money than he could ever spend. I couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do it?”
He smiled and said, “The secret to saving money is knowing where to look for the waste—and car insurance is one of the easiest places to start.”
He then walked me through a few strategies that I’d never thought of before. Here’s what I learned:
1. Make insurance companies fight for your business
Mos
I once met a man who drove a modest Toyota Corolla, wore beat-up sneakers, and looked like he’d lived the same way for decades. But what really caught my attention was when he casually mentioned he was retired at 45 with more money than he could ever spend. I couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do it?”
He smiled and said, “The secret to saving money is knowing where to look for the waste—and car insurance is one of the easiest places to start.”
He then walked me through a few strategies that I’d never thought of before. Here’s what I learned:
1. Make insurance companies fight for your business
Most people just stick with the same insurer year after year, but that’s what the companies are counting on. This guy used tools like Coverage.com to compare rates every time his policy came up for renewal. It only took him a few minutes, and he said he’d saved hundreds each year by letting insurers compete for his business.
Click here to try Coverage.com and see how much you could save today.
2. Take advantage of safe driver programs
He mentioned that some companies reward good drivers with significant discounts. By signing up for a program that tracked his driving habits for just a month, he qualified for a lower rate. “It’s like a test where you already know the answers,” he joked.
You can find a list of insurance companies offering safe driver discounts here and start saving on your next policy.
3. Bundle your policies
He bundled his auto insurance with his home insurance and saved big. “Most companies will give you a discount if you combine your policies with them. It’s easy money,” he explained. If you haven’t bundled yet, ask your insurer what discounts they offer—or look for new ones that do.
4. Drop coverage you don’t need
He also emphasized reassessing coverage every year. If your car isn’t worth much anymore, it might be time to drop collision or comprehensive coverage. “You shouldn’t be paying more to insure the car than it’s worth,” he said.
5. Look for hidden fees or overpriced add-ons
One of his final tips was to avoid extras like roadside assistance, which can often be purchased elsewhere for less. “It’s those little fees you don’t think about that add up,” he warned.
The Secret? Stop Overpaying
The real “secret” isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about being proactive. Car insurance companies are counting on you to stay complacent, but with tools like Coverage.com and a little effort, you can make sure you’re only paying for what you need—and saving hundreds in the process.
If you’re ready to start saving, take a moment to:
- Compare rates now on Coverage.com
- Check if you qualify for safe driver discounts
- Reevaluate your coverage today
Saving money on auto insurance doesn’t have to be complicated—you just have to know where to look. If you'd like to support my work, feel free to use the links in this post—they help me continue creating valuable content.
Tolkien essentially invented the multi-volume fantasy novel. He not only did it first, but he did it better than almost anyone else in terms of creating a hugely detailed world for his stories. Perhaps the one writer to have outdone him in this regard is the American fantasy writer Julian May who creates two stunning worlds - the earth of the Pliocene era, six million years in the past (in her Saga of the Exiles) and the earth of the future in the connected Galactic Milieu Trilogy. Wonderful stuff! (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-May/e/B000AQ4SPW)
He has one of the best translations of Gawain and the Green Knight. He is respected & revered by scholars of Anglo/Saxon literature.