never got to LotR (to say nothing of Sil, Lost Tales, etc), where all the best prose is

Which isn't to say I didn't try.

If the sentences are textured and elegant while the subject matter is repulsive, harsh, etc, reading them just produces too much cognitive dissonance.

Sounds like someone is shooting for a thoughtcrime tribunal. I didn't say you had to like GRRM. What I said, which you disagree with categorically, is that Tolkien was just a writer. Meanwhile you seem to think it takes some sort of brilliance to slap some symbolism for industrialization in the midst of death-of-Empires UK.

Once again - I'm not saying Tolkien was a shit writer. I'm saying he's not worth the lavish praise people such as yourself view as only his due - while raining scorn like fatwahs on all those who would disagree. Was he influential? Sure. Was he one of the great writers of the 20th century? No. Was he a standout amongst fantasy writers? Talk about a back-handed compliment!

And sure. You can "disagree" with everything I say. But that's a long damn way from disproving my criticisms. So if you feel like pissing all over a civil discussion that was dead and buried three years ago, come correct.