Trusting my instincts is something I relearned today. As you know, Survivor: Africa ended today and I was actually able to predict the winner. Before going to my dentist appointment at 2 pm, I talked to Ela and told her that "the football player will win". A few hours later, just when I thought he'd lose, my instincts came out on top. ^^

Oh yeah, my Book of Five Rings was lying around in my plastic folder when Chino, my classmate in Sci10, asked if he could see it. I thought he was interested in the Japanese stuff. I was wrong... he followed up with "Is this something like Lord of the Rings?" I merely replied that it was like The Art of War, not a work of fiction. It seems Lord of the Rings' popularity is increasing, all thanks to its film adaptation. By now, everyone wants to read copies of the book. I wonder if it'll overtake Harry Potter by the end of the year.

Lord of the Rings' popularity is a good sign for the fantasy genre. More people are being aware of it and don't treat it as something just for kids. Last last year, we had the Harry Potter phenomenon. Now I might come to see the "Lord of the Rings" phenomenon. All thanks to the film medium.

I can't help but compare it to what happened in the middle of the 20th century. People were revitalized by adult fantasy thanks to J.R.R. Tolkien. 50 years later, the same thing is happening again: people are adoring Lord of the Rings.

As for me, I'm not really into Tolkien that much. I've read Lord of the Rings and its prequel, the Hobbit and I found it to be mediocre. I do understand that during his time, this was one of the first epic fantasies and so many people praised it, especially those much much older than me. I also know that without Tolkien, the existing fantasy genre might not even exist. But that's the past and I've read more modern work. I find that I enjoy what the fantasy writers of today have to offer more than I like reading Tolkien.

You might think I don't enjoy fiction that's not my era. Actually, I like several fantasy novels which were written before I was born. Just look at the Riftwar saga by Raymond E. Feist. Or Terry Brooks' Shannara series, which I must admit got a lot from Tolkien. However, as my friend Jobert said, "the thing with Brooks' work is that in the first few pages of the book, several characters die!" Perhaps there's more melodrama that way, and it makes the characters more dear since you know they're actually mortal. Also in science-fiction, I like Anne McCaffrey and Frank Herbert, and their work is dated several years before I was born.

I can feel proud that I don't fit into the fad-type of person. I read what I want to read. I'm a fantasy enthusiast and while I respect Tolkien, I don't have to fit into the category of being a fan just because it's currently popular. In the end, a person's likes and dislikes is subjective. And that's what makes a person unique.