Middle-Earth is the greatest fantasy world ever created. Ever. Just like Led Zeppelin is the greatest rock band ever formed. At least a lot of people believe so. But what is it that makes them so?
Tokien's The Lord of the Rings is so rich and steeped in lore and a mythology that it seems almost real. It has had a huge impact on my life and is in fact a large part of who and what I am. I cannot imagine the world without Middle-Earth. But will there ever be anything like it again? In spirit, at least? A world that is so vast and complex and yet charming and mysterious, a world that changes the way we think about the fantasy genre and the world around us. I often wonder if the genre of fantasy is locked, with The Lord of the Rings as the key-ring bearer. With Tolkien widely considered the father of fantasy, and no one coming close to having such an impact in fifty years, I wonder if it will ever happen.
I want to live in interesting times. I wish I could have been alive and young to see Led Zeppelin in concert, to experience Middle-Earth for the first time along with everyone else. Is there a genre-breaking or creating experience coming? I wonder if people knew how incredible The Lord of the Rings and Led Zeppelin were at the time, or if they simply looked at them the way we look at certain books or bands today. And if so, is there a band or book today that will become as influential years from now?
In conclusion, I wish that I could experience the magic of something like The Lord of the Rings and Led Zeppelin first hand. Perhaps the Age of the Masterpiece is over, or perhaps one cannot recognize a masterpiece until it is well aged, like a fine wine. Here's hoping innovation and imagination are still alive and well, simply sleeping quietly, waiting for the right time to rise up and amaze the world again.
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