Summary of "This is Why We Never Got Another Lord of the Rings"

Why We Never Got Another Lord of the Rings: A Deep Dive into Modern Fantasy

This video explores why the fantasy genre has not produced another masterpiece like The Lord of the Rings and how corporate interests, rather than pure creative genius, shaped—and arguably stifled—the evolution of modern fantasy.

Main Plot and Highlights

Tolkien and the Origins of Fantasy The video debunks the myth that J.R.R. Tolkien created the modern fantasy genre. Instead, Tolkien wrote brilliant stories within a pre-existing tradition. The fantasy genre as a bookstore category is actually a relatively modern American invention.
The 1960s Fantasy Boom After The Lord of the Rings exploded in popularity in 1960s America—a time of massive cultural upheaval—the publishing industry saw a huge commercial opportunity. However, instead of fostering originality, fantasy quickly became commercialized and formulaic.
Lester Del Rey and the Fantasy Formula Editor and businessman Lester Del Rey essentially created the modern fantasy publishing industry by developing a strict, market-driven formula for fantasy novels. His approach prioritized easily marketable, derivative works over originality or lasting cultural value.
The Del Rey Formula This formula typically involved:
- Male protagonists triumphing over evil in invented magical worlds
- Predictable tropes such as the hero always getting the girl
- Mass production of cheap paperbacks, especially in chain bookstores and malls This turned fantasy into a commodity rather than an art form.
Terry Brooks and The Sword of Shannara Brooks’ novel is presented as the archetypal Del Rey formula book—a blatant Tolkien knockoff embraced for its commercial potential rather than literary merit.
Impact on Fantasy’s Evolution The formula-driven publishing model stifled organic evolution of fantasy, spawning endless waves of derivative, mediocre works designed to sell rather than innovate.
The Counter-Reaction: 1980s and ’90s Figures like Michael Moorcock and George R.R. Martin rebelled against the Del Rey formula by creating darker, grittier, morally ambiguous fantasy. However, this “anti-Tolkien” movement ironically became its own formula—just the opposite of Del Rey’s, but formula nonetheless.
Misplaced Blame on Tolkien The video argues that Tolkien is often unfairly blamed for formulaic fantasy. The real culprit is the corporate-driven formula machine started by Del Rey.
Today’s Fantasy Market The cycle of formulas and counter-formulas continues, driven by corporate profit motives rather than artistic innovation. The video warns this mass-produced “Twinkie entertainment” risks cultural stagnation.
A Call to Writers and Readers Ultimately, the video encourages:
- Writers to ignore industry formulas and corporate trends, focusing on craft and storytelling
- Readers to explore the vast, diverse fantasy literature that existed before the Del Rey era

Key Jokes and Reactions

The narrator jokes about the tediousness of taking an “anti-Tolkien” or “anti-George R.R. Martin” stance, sarcastically suggesting critics just “write your damn stories.”
A humorous aside about Tolkien “talking to trees or whatever” lightens the tone amid serious critique.
Tolkien’s mid-1960s cultural impact is wryly compared to “Harry Potter and Game of Thrones rolled into one,” dominating two decades.
Michael Moorcock’s famous essay Epic Pooh is mockingly called “wildly nonsensical,” with the narrator wondering if Moorcock even read Tolkien.
The metaphor of “Twinkie entertainment” runs throughout as a sharp critique of formulaic, mass-produced fantasy.

Personalities Mentioned or Featured

J.R.R. Tolkien – Often mythologized as the father of modern fantasy
Lester Del Rey – Editor and businessman who created the modern fantasy publishing formula
Judy Lynn Del Rey – Lester’s wife, influential editor in science fiction and fantasy publishing
Terry Brooks – Author of The Sword of Shannara, the first major commercial fantasy success under Del Rey’s model
Michael Moorcock – Editor and writer who led a countercultural push against formulaic fantasy
George R.R. Martin – Modern fantasy author often seen as “anti-Tolkien,” but still within formulaic constraints
Patrick Nielsen Hayden – Editor who acknowledged following the Del Rey model for Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time
Katherine Addison – Author of The Goblin Emperor, cited as a deliberate counter to grimdark fantasy trends

Conclusion

This video serves as a compelling and critical history lesson on how corporate greed and formulaic publishing practices shaped—and arguably limited—the evolution of fantasy literature since Tolkien. It explains why we haven’t seen another Lord of the Rings in nearly a century and calls on readers and writers to break free from these constraints to rediscover fantasy’s rich, diverse past and potential future.