H. P. Lovecraft

I’d intended to post my next review for the Pre-Tolkien Fantasy Challenge over the weekend, but I was a lazy bum.  Since today is Lovecraft’s birthday (also my mother-in-law’s), I postponed that post to discuss Lovecraft and Tolkien in general terms.

First, their similarities.  They are arguably the two most influential writers of the fantastic of the previous century.  Their influence is considerable decades after their deaths.  Much of what is written in fantasy today, especially in the epic fantasy, multiple volume “trilogy” format is a reaction/rebellion to Tolkien.  Much Lovecraftian fiction is in reaction to Lovecraft’s work, whether stylistically or in response to some attitude Lovecraft held.

Both men have reputations of being antimodern or writing from a position of nostalgia.  There is some truth to this.  Both men had high opinions of life in the Nineteenth Century.  On the other hand, much of this criticism is unfair.  I don’t know about Tolkien, but my understanding is that Lovecraft was interested in science and kept up with scientific developments of his day.  Both Lovecraft and Tolkien longed for a time when life was simpler and slower paced.

There is nothing wrong with that.  What some people call progress isn’t always an improvement, at least not for everyone.  I can understand, and to a large degree, sympathize with such sentiments.  I would love for my life to slow down.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Their views of the future couldn’t be more different.  Whereas Lovecraft was an atheist who saw the universe as a dark and at times malevolent place, Tolkien was a devoted Catholic whose worldview was ultimately hopeful.  Lovecraft’s protagonists (heroes would be a bit of a stretch for many of them) often come to bad ends.  They don’t often resist the evils they face but slide into near madness due to what they experience.  Lovecraft often views humanity as cosmically insignificant.

Tolkien takes the opposite view of humanity.  While there is often great evil intent on death and destruction in Tolkien’s work, there are also heroes.  Flawed though they may be, they are willing to sacrifice greatly to oppose evil.  As long as a man, or Hobbit, fights against evil there is hope.

In fact, their portrayal of evil may be one of the greatest differences between these two authors.  In Lovecraft’s work, evil is more like a force of nature, something that exists like gravity or magnetic repulsion.  There are times when Lovecraft’s evils are intentionally malevolent, but basically they are impersonal.  Humanity is often as far beneath their notice as ants are beneath our.  In his view it is ultimately futile to resist them because they will triumph in the end.

Evil in Tolkien’s works is more often a conscious choice.  And this I would argue is what makes Tolkien the more nuanced writer.  Lovecraft’s protagonists at times seem like pawns, powerless against the forces of evil.  Tolkien’s characters have free will.  They choose to act in certain ways.  Often from the best of intentions, I might add.  Boromir comes to mind as an example.  The consequences of those actions can be good, bad, or a mix of both.  But in Tolkien there is a much stronger sense of hope and redemption than I’ve seen in any of the Lovecraft I’ve read.  Tolkien’s characters may be physically weak, such as the Hobbits, but they aren’t morally and spiritually weak.  They have a strength of character that allows them to fight on in spite of the odds being against them.  Ultimately, those are the types of protagonists I want to read about.

So those are some of my thoughts on Tolkien and Lovecraft.  I enjoy both writers.  Their reputations as pillars of fantasy are well-deserved.