In response to friendly prodding from Mary Vensel White, I’m on the hook to list 7 books that somehow influenced me. Number one on that list is J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. For me, this series was to fantasy what Star Wars was for sci fi movies–it forever changed how I viewed the genre.

Two characteristics in particular stand out. The first is obviously the exquisite detail and consistency of Tolkien’s universe–there’s still nothing I’ve read to rival it. Faced with that depth of background, other fantasy novels pale, each seeming more like the facade of a spaghetti western than a living, breathing universe ripe for exploration in all directions.

The series’ second remarkable trait is Tolkien’s incomparable flow. His gentle prose lures you into the scene, with each word somehow anticipating the next so effortlessly that once you reach it, you’re convinced you knew it was coming all along without the bother of thinking about it. The result is subtle, immersive, and mesmerizing in ways that would put Saruman to shame. Even that trek through the dead marshes couldn’t set me free.

It’s the only series I’ve multiply re-read, and I discover new marvels each time.

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