George R.R. Martin is a long-time fan and critic of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and one of his major observations is the lack of explicit s*xual scenes.
Fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, as well as Game of Thrones, know how much mature content is found in Martin’s epic, and since the two seminal novels are often compared, the topic of graphic intimate scenes is always part of the debate.
While attending an interview at The Kimo Theatre (via Becca Monet on YouTube), Martin shared his biggest qualm about Tolkien’s books:
The thing that does get brought up—gets brought up in reviews, gets brought up by readers, some of you probably feel one way and the other—is the issue of s*x. How do you present s*x? And Tolkien, who I read and reread and certainly was a model for me in some ways… It’s no help at all when it comes to s*x. I don’t think they have any s*x. The hobbits, I don’t know. I guess they had little hobbits.
For Martin, lovemaking is an essential part of life that should also be depicted in fictional stories. However, the staggering amount of sensitive scenes in his books has been subjected to criticism.
GRRM Once Slammed J.R.R. Tolkien For Leaving Out Gratuitous S*x Scenes In His Novels
Martin never shied away from expressing his love and admiration for Tolkien’s works. He has been a reader of the English author’s books since he was a teen, and the Middle-earth saga was a huge influence on him.
The 77-year-old writer, however, could not help but wonder about the origins of the Hobbits. “You do have to wonder where all those Hobbits came from, since you can’t imagine Hobbits having s*x, can you?” he once said via AS.
Martin asserted that it is an important part of human life because it serves as a motivator for a person to do noble and stupid things. He concluded that leaving this out in one’s story would make for an incomplete world.
Why Mature Content Works For Game of Thrones But Not For The Lord of the Rings
Game of Thrones showrunner David Benioff once explained how important it is to translate Martin’s books to the screen as faithfully as possible. Acknowledging the violent world depicted in A Song of Ice and Fire, they made sure to include graphic scenes.
In a conversation at the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference for Dialogue: Creating Game of Thrones, he compared Westeros to Middle-earth:
You know, this is not Tolkien in a kind of s*xless world, where, as far as we know, the Hobbits have never once contemplated anything erotic.
Both franchises are set in medieval times, but Martin’s choice to incorporate mature content had something to do with the story’s overall theme and tone. Some of the scenes were based on real historical accounts from periods of dark times when n*dity was very commonplace.
As for The Lord of the Rings, it is more about friendship, brotherhood, and the fight between good and evil. Tolkien reportedly wrote the books for children, anyway, so it’s absolutely necessary not to have explicit scenes included.
What do you think of Martin’s criticism of Tolkien’s books? Let us know in the comments!
