George R.R. Martin on Tolkien's World Building

The world I write my fantasy stories and novels in, Irikara, is as real to me as the "real" world. It is the true main character in my books, I feel.

But I feel I owe a lot to J.R.R. Tolkien for his fantasy world building for his books, the first fantasy author to truly do so, as another fantasy worldbuilder, George R.R. Martin, attests, in the following clip:

Happy birthday to J.R.R. Tolkien! Here's George R.R. Martin explaining why Tolkien was a truly groundbreaking writer. @GRRMspeaking pic.twitter.com/lYqPJOOemD

— 92nd Street Y (@92Y) January 3, 2019

The Lord of the Rings series changed everything, due in largest part to the brilliance of the creation of Middle Earth in such extreme detail, including the languages.

Cheers and happy reading!