Tolkien and Asimov - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 10-10-2005, 07:30 PM

Granted this is a very tenuous link, but I am intrigued by it nonetheless. In Letter # 294 Tolkien writes, "I enjoy the S.F. of Asimov." I finally read Foundation and am eager to read more of the series. But I find it interesting that Tolkien was reading Asimov by 1967. What effect, if any, might Asimov's vision and themes have had on Tolkien's rethinking Arda in terms of Morgoth's Ring? Is there any connection possible? ...plausible? I realize that this may be tenuous, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see what others think.

10-10-2005, 07:30 PM	#1
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Tolkien and Asimov Granted this is a very tenuous link, but I am intrigued by it nonetheless. In Letter # 294 Tolkien writes, "I enjoy the S.F. of Asimov." I finally read Foundation and am eager to read more of the series. But I find it interesting that Tolkien was reading Asimov by 1967. What effect, if any, might Asimov's vision and themes have had on Tolkien's rethinking Arda in terms of Morgoth's Ring? Is there any connection possible? ...plausible? I realize that this may be tenuous, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see what others think.